There are two legends in Wisconsin, the famous hero of Herculean proportion, the mighty Vince Lombardi, only to possibly be eclipsed by Saint Favre whom recently laid down his sword for what he claims is the last time. Yes, our friends in Wisconsin love their football, if there was ever an example to be used for the words "die hard" it would be e.g. Packer Fans. Packer fans love the whole football experience from swilling the bad beer, to the shirtless fans in ten below zero proudly showing their 45.2 BMIs, sporting the latest football-fad-fashion of anything made out of foam.  There is so much more to Wisconsin than just football, fans, and foam though. Wisconsin has almost eight thousand rivers and streams and almost fifteen thousand lakes, thousands of miles of snowmobile trails and plenty of land for great hunting.   Really think about buying a cottage, lake cabin, on Wisconsin water, whether the water is a tiny lake, river, stream, pond or one of the Great Lakes – Lake Superior or Lake Michigan.

Wisconsin is an interesting state and Wisconsinites love their football but we obviously love their food too:

1) Cheese - Wisconsin produces almost 3 billion pounds annually

2) The number one state for producing cranberries

3) Number one state for producing Ginseng with Wausau having the greatest production. By the way, many people have heard how lucrative ginseng is to produce, however, one must read what Purdue says on this alternative crop:

"Ginseng growers typically invest $20,000/acre and 600 hrs of labor annually and get no return on their investment until the third or fourth year. Seed and shading materials alone can cost more than $29,000/acre. It may take 10 years to break even. An average crop might net $30,000/acre, depending on the price, which tends to fluctuate widely from year to year. Prices for dried roots range from $20 to $45/lb. Seed sells for $50 to $100/lb."

Everyone likes to be from somewhere perhaps a famous person was born or is associated with some fact. Sometimes these facts can be a little outrageous but nonetheless interesting, here are some of them followed by my comments. Please go to our blog with any feedback you may have.

A lot of this information was compiled from www.wisconsinoutdoors.com

Famous Wisconsinites include: Harry Houdini, famous magician and escape artist. Douglas MacArthur, well known World War II and Korean War general. Frank Lloyd Wright, America's most famous architect.

William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Don Ameche, actor and winner of an academy award for his performance in "Cocoon."

WC = Writer's Comments (my own)

The first practical typewriter was designed in Milwaukee in 1867.

WC =  The debate still continues on if the QWERTY keyboard layout was meant to slow down typists or not. Sometimes engineers should not decide what is best.

Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells is the nation's largest water-themed park.

WC = various pairs of animals not welcome inside the water park

Belleville is the Unidentified Flying Object Capital of Wisconsin.

WC = Does Belleville even exist?

Potosi is the Catfish Capital of the state.

WC = Potosi, population three Catfish

The nation's first kindergarten was established in Watertown in 1856.

Its first students were local German-speaking youngsters.

WC = Its first teacher was a German speaking oldster with a whip and no sense of humor.

The American Birkebeiner "The Birkie" is a 52K cross-country ski race between Cable and Hayward, is the largest on the North American continent.

Wisconsin snowmobile trails total 15,210 miles of signed and groomed snow highways.

Wisconsin is the dairy capital of the United States.

Wisconsin produces more milk than any other state.

WC = Dairy capital AND produces the most milk of any state, who would have figured?

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center on June 8, 1867 WC = May we all live in a house that looks like a discarded Domino's Pizza box.

The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward is shaped like a Muskie.

WC = Better the Muskie than a shark I guess.

The original Barbie is from Willows. Barbie's full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts.

WC = Where is the 'original' GI Joe from and what is his first name?

Probably Joe Winifred Peabody.

Bloomer is the Jump Rope Capital of the World.

WC = skip this comment

Milwaukee is home of Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

WC = No comment for fear of retribution

Somerset is the Inner Tubing Capital of the World.

WC = A close second is the Nerevta river in Bosnia, the coldest river in the world.

Two Rivers is the home of the ice cream sundae.

WC = I guess I always wanted to know where the ice cream sundae lived

Boscobeel is the Turkey Capital of the state.

WC = Boscobeel, isn't that the name of the devil?

The Republican Party was founded in Ripon in 1854.

WC = Ripon….how fitting.

The Hamburger hall of fame is located in Seymour.

WC: Seymour Butts, WI?

Monroe is the Swiss Cheese Capital of the World.

WC = Some consider Monroe a holy city

Mercer is the Loon Capital of the World.

WC = Washington DC is a close second

With an average of 2,500 performers, Milwaukee's Summerfest is the nation's largest music festival.

Mount Horeb is the Troll Capital of the World and home to the Mustard Museum . (Mount Horeb's internationally known Mustard Museum holds the world's largest mustard collection. The museum contains more than 2,300 varieties of mustard. The museum celebrates National Mustard Day each August.) WC = Let me guess, zero of you have noted "National Mustard Day" in you calendars right now?  How about the combination of Troll and mustard? What are those odds?

Eagle River is known as the Snowmobile Capital of the World.

Marshfield is located in the geographic center of the state and is known as the Hub City.

Bonduel is the Spelling Capital of Wisconsin.

WC = Inturusting

Muscoda is the Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin.

WC = But don't go there, they won't tell you where to find any.

Sauk City is Wisconsin's oldest incorporated village.

Prairie du Sac hosts the State Cow Chip Throwing Contest on Labor Day weekend.

WC = Cleanup in aisle five...and eight..and seven

Sturgeon Bay is the Shipbuilding Capital of the Great Lakes.

Sheboygan is the Bratwurst Capital of the World.

WC = How far is Sheboygan from Mount Horeb, They should merge .

The falls in Niagara has the same geological feature as Niagara Falls, New York.

WC = Wow….and the names are similar too

The House on the Rock was designed and built in the early 1940s. It is considered an architectural marvel and is perched on a 60-foot chimney of rock. The 14-room house is now a complex of rooms, streets, buildings, and gardens covering over 200 acres. The Infinity Room contains 3,264 windows.

WC = The term OC comes to mind but at least the affliction can be turned profitable in some cases.

Green Bay is the Toilet Paper Capital of the World.

WC = Those Packer fans are not just full of hot air after all, but isn't cheese a natural binder? Oh yeah, I forgot about Leinenkugels beer.

Go to Wisconsin, it really is a fabulously beautiful place filled with great people and animals.

Like so many communities in the Northwoods, Park Falls began as a lumber town, situated on the Ashland railroad. However, unlike many other towns, when the last big pines were cut, Park Falls continued to prosper.

Jim Morgan is basically related to Walker Lake by marriage.  For four generations, his wife’s family has been either living on the lake, or vacationing there, with some of them doing both. Walker is just one of the one thousand or so lakes in Otter Tail county, but to the Morgan family, it is home, and home away from home. So, when Morgan heard that a big developer was bidding on a chunk of land on the western shoreline, with plans to put units every one hundred and fifty feet along the water, he was upset. Most people in his situation would be. It was easy to envision a company tearing out trees and cramming as many buildings as possible onto the quiet lake. There might be excessive traffic and extra noise. But for Morgan, it was more than just the fact that the quiet natural beauty of the scene would be tainted. A long row of docks, thrusting into the lake every one-hundred and fifty feet could cause the loss of key fish-spawning habitat.

So far, the story is a pretty familiar one. Nothing stays the same forever, and as much as we find change uncomfortable, it happens.  And the truth is, you can’t really fight development. For one thing, you almost always lose. However, there are positive sides to development as well. It provides jobs, leads to infrastructure improvements and boosts the local economy. Not only that, but lakeshore development allows more people to experience the “up-north” lifestyle and enjoy the natural beauty of the woods and water. It isn’t really fair to argue that once you have it, no one else should.

Jim Morgan realized all this when he heard about the development coming to the western side of Walker lake. He could have thrown up his hands said, “that’s life.” He could have engaged in a probably-futile effort to stop it. Instead, he took a fresh approach. He knew the land was going to be developed sooner or later. Morgan says, “If we got involved, we could control the impact and influence of what will happen.” In effect, he asked himself, “what if I were the developer?” 

Instead of envisioning how bad it could be, Morgan began to pursue his own vision of how good it could be. He wanted a minimal environmental impact. He wanted it to be a small quiet community where families would feel comfortable and be able to slow down and enjoy the lake. Morgan, along with associates who also have roots on Walker Lake, consulted highly regarded regional experts on the environment to find out how they could do a development in such a way as to preserve the habitat, the fishing and the views. After forming a company called WLP Development Ltd (WLPD),  They went to the seller with their proposal. They were known in the community, and their approach impressed the landowner. They got the deal. And so, the answer to Jim Morgan’s question, and the result of his proactive vision, is the Walker Lake Preserve. 

Walker Lake Preserve sits on more than seventy-five acres on the west side of the lake.  For thirty-four lucky families, it will be a low-impact, natural lakeside community in a park-like setting, in the most lake-filled county in the United States. There are sixteen single-family home sites and six plots for twin-homes (meaning twelve homes). At the southern end of the preserve will be a small community of just six town homes. So far, so good. Where there could have been large condominiums, holding perhaps three times as many people, instead will be a small, quiet community.

One of the reasons people want a lake home is, naturally, to enjoy the lake.  For a lot of folks this means boating and fishing. Yet Morgan wanted to prevent a long row of habitat-destroying docks. One alternative would be a boat ramp. Of course that would mean owners would have to move their boats to and from the ramp, burning gas, creating noise and traffic, as well as pollution.  WLPD opted instead to create a marina at the southern end of the community, safely away from the best fish habitat. The marina essentially serves as a single dock for everyone.  It holds twenty-eight boat slips. Slips are available for permanent purchase by the owners within Walker Lake Preserve. Sometimes, it seems, you can have your cake and eat it too.

As a Common Interest Community, there are additional environmental and ownership benefits to Walker Lake Preserve.  The sharing of resources means that they are available for less cost.  It also means less of an impact on the surrounding land and water.  Two beaches are available in the community. There is a picnic pavilion, playfield and a private community park. In fact, there are forty-four acres of common area. A walking trail, over one half-mile long runs along the lake. This trail may be extended in the future. For now, you can loop back along the quiet dead end road inland.

One common drawback of owning a lake home is that you have to maintain two homes. Lawns need to be mowed both places.  Gutters need to be cleaned, things have to be fixed and serviced.  Walker Lake Preserve has a solution to this problem. Owners of town homes and twin homes enter into a maintenance agreement.  With less time mowing, cleaning and fixing, they have more time to enjoy the lake and the area. Those who own single family homes also have the option to participate in the maintenance program, or they can do the work themselves if they prefer.

This idea of balancing community ownership, while at the same time, maintaining freedom for individual owners, seems to be typical of Walker Lake Preserve. The shoreline is a community owned resource, with each owner having a proportional share in it. The park, trails and other amenities are similarly shared. Even so, this is no cookie-cutter development. Owners must meet certain minimum standards to build on their lots; however, these standards are generally simple, reasonable and offer a lot of room for flexibility.  “Mainly, we don’t want Walker Lake Preserve to become a trailer park,” says Jim Morgan. Homes must be natural colors, and be at least one thousand square feet. The roof has to meet a 5/12 pitch requirement. These are smart ideas, which help to preserve property values. But it isn’t necessary to build a “mini-mansion” or home that looks exactly like all the others.  Owners can choose their own builder, and make their own decisions about what kind of lake home they want.

The freedom, common interest elements, and relatively loose restrictions, combine to make Walker Lake Preserve an unusually affordable option for lake shore ownership.  “Single family lots here are being sold for under fifty-thousand dollars,” says Morgan. “If you wanted to build a modest, eleven-hundred square-foot home, you could have the entire deal done for around $180,000.”  This is in contrast to nearby Otter Tail lake, where bare lots are being sold for $280,000.

This is ironic, since Walker connects to Otter Tail lake, the largest of the one-thousand lakes in the county at more than thirteen-thousand acres, and most years, rated a top-ten Walleye fishery. The Dead River, in the southeast corner of Walker, provides access. Most of the year it is navigable by boat, though in a dry year, later in the summer, a boater may have to wade and push the vessel over a small sand bar just inside Otter Tail.

Morgan and his group have maintained their priorities. In April of 2007, exactly one year to the day after they received approval from the county for their conditional use permit, they began to plant more than two thousand trees in Walker Lake Preserve and surrounding lands. On August 3rd, 2007, they transferred twenty-one acres to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.  This land, including seven-hundred and fifty feet of shoreline, was attached to the neighboring state fish hatchery.  It is now used as an aquatic and wildlife management area. The State of Minnesota even recognized Morgan and Walker Lake Preserve Development for their efforts. Governor Tim Pawlenty declared August 24, 2007 to be Walker Lake Preservation Day.

In fact, while there are still lots and town homes available, Morgan feels that he has already achieved many of his major goals. “We have preserved the lion’s share of the western side of Walker Lake for future generations,” he says. “We have protected the feel and environment of the lake, while also giving other families a chance to experience that area.”

For more information, visit WalkerLakePreserve.com or call 800-990-7446

1. Know what you and your family love most about your land.

What to do: It may seem overly formal, but writing down your vision and talking to your family is a crucial step in achieving it.

Sustainable forest management harnesses the natural processes in  your woods to match your vision. Thinning your woods, planting trees well suited to the site, and cleaning out insect and disease problems are three simple things you can do to improve the health and productivity of your woods.

What to do: Get to know your woods well. Watch carefully for which trees are dying, which trees are taking their place, what insects are present, which stands are overcrowded, and so on. Not sure how to interpret the changes? Talk to a professional forester.

Your plan will include specific recommendations for each wooded stand based on your unique objectives. Every plan is specific to the property and the landowner. Whether your focus is wildlife, recreation, big trees, timber, or something else, the plan will recommend ways to get more of it, faster.

Your plan is not binding, but will be helpful as you plan for the future of your land. A current Forest Stewardship Plan is also a requirement for many cost-share and incentive payment programs.

What to do: To sign up, contact your local Minnesota DNR Forestry Area Office. The best part? It’s FREE.

A local professional forester can plug you in to programs like the Sustainable Forests Incentive Act (SFIA), which provides incentive payments to promote sound forest stewardship and keeping land forested. A local professional can also help you enroll in Minnesota’s new (2008) 2c Managed Forest Land tax class, which has a 35% lower property tax rate than 2b timberland.

Finally, if you choose to sell timber, a professional forester can help ensure that you receive top dollar, and also that you’re happy with your woods after the harvest. 

What to do: Read about some organizations that may be available to help you, or read about different sources of professional help.

You should also know about the Woodland Advisor program. The program offers between 50 and 75 classroom and field workshops every year for family forest owners. The program is managed by Extension, the Minnesota DNR, MFA, and numerous other private and public partners.

Workshops are offered in partnership with local organizations. These events can be an excellent opportunities to meet local landowners and professionals and get answers to your questions.

It is said that “A man’s home is his castle”. Whether there is a moat around it or not, when it comes to your home, you want the best; the best craftsmanship, the best view, the best workspace, the best, the best, the best. But who defines the best? Simply put, you do.  Keith Waters and Associates has been designing and building homes for well over twenty years, and they couldn’t agree more. There is only one way to achieve a home that truly fits its owner, and that is by having a complete custom design-build. 

Keith began his company in 1985 out of frustration. As an architect, he would design a home and then slowly watch the design change shape as it changed hands. The people involved in constructing the home were misinterpreting his design and his clients dream.  The only way to get around the loss of detail during the course of the communication game was to eliminate some of the players. As it is now, when working with Keith and his team, you build your dream with one designer who is communicating your desires from paper to structure, start to finish. Not only does Keith Waters and Associates design the building, but nearly all other aspects as well, including cabinets, fireplaces and landscaping. Then Keith’s wife, Cindy, can step in with her interior design degree and add those essential finishing touches.  

I was blessed with a tour that included a number of projects, some complete and some in the construction phase. I was impressed by the diversity as I went from one project to the next. There were a few consistencies, the most noticeable being the attention to detail.  My favorites included taking away hard lines and replacing them with curves, for example, a stair case that flares at the bottom or a spiral vs. the standard staircase.  Although many of the rooms were large each space was well thought out and had a very usable purpose. As I walked through each room I found a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. I never felt as if I had entered “the family room” or “the library”, built only to collect dust. The woodwork was incredible, from the wood floors to the custom cabinets. One home held a masterpiece of inlaid wood above the mantle of the lower level fireplace. Every home had a drop of the floor in the utility room to help eliminate water damage to the surrounding basement interior in the event of an equipment malfunction. Finally, and the most impressive, were the windows that extended all the way to the floor, giving way to Gods handiwork. Keith would say they are his company’s signature. “It’s our goal to connect the inside of the house to the outside. We try not to build anything, even decks or patios, in place of the best view.” Because of this, you can be certain that the character of the land will not be diminished during the building process. That beautiful old willow tree will stay put, perfectly framed from the inside, even if it requires building a bridge as a walkway from the driveway to the front porch.  With years of experience working with landscape architecture, Keith can easily extend your design and desires throughout your entire property.

At times, obtaining a lot with an unspeakable view can be a challenge all in itself. This is just another reason to have Keith Waters and Associates as a resource. They continuously keep watch over the twin cities market, and have used their experience and knowledge to help clients discover the perfect property for their custom-build. When it comes to finding a suitable lot, they love a challenge and will often see potential where others would not. Just imagine all of the lakeshore and views that have passed others by! 

Keith and his team are not limited to working within developments. They also design and construct commercial buildings, twin homes, condos and duplexes. They have designed and built homes on single lots in older, well-established neighborhoods as well. Once the construction is complete and the landscaping has had a year or two to grow and develop, the best compliment they can receive is a passerby not realizing that the new addition to the neighborhood was not there all along. This is just another indication of how Keith Waters and Associates can appreciate the finer details. I was most impressed with the renovation work that was done in the Locust Hills community. The historic 1940’s Norman-style stable building was elevated above the flood plain by a couple feet, and although the inside is now part of the clubhouse and sales office, the exterior boasts of the charm and distinction associated to the history of the building and that piece of land.  Pieces of the structure that couldn’t be restored were saved and showcased in the clubhouse. What once was a window frame, Cindy used to make shadowboxes that now display ribbons  and awards won by the horses that once called that same stable home.

Responsibility is another quality you can add to Keith Waters and Associates collection. They are the first builder in the state that received Silver Certification through the MN GreenStar Pilot Program with their home on Portico Green in Minnetonka. This same home was chosen as Midwest Living magazine’s 2008 Idea Home and was featured in their Sept/Oct issue. Although they go unnoticed, solar panels placed on the roof provide the energy for the hot water. The “slate” roof is made of recycled products and the driveway pavers are locally made from recycled milk jugs. On the inside, you’ll find counter tops made with recycled glass. These are obvious green practices, but some of the less than obvious practices are things that Keith Waters and Associates was doing all along. Things like having front porches, shared driveways, garages that don’t face the street and shared yard space. “Getting the Silver Certification was an interesting process to go through,” stated Carter Siverson, a partner in the company. “We found that a lot of what we were doing was green already. We just had to do a few minor changes.”  Currently, Keith Waters & Associates is constructing a home in Locust Hills that will be certified in both the MN GreenStar and LEED for Homes programs. The checklists for each programs certification are quite extensive, but the objectives are basically the same.  It all boils down to achieving four basic goals during the process of designing and building your home, each of which can be accomplished in many different ways and can be investigated further on their website.

When it comes to building luxury homes, or remodeling a home to meet luxurious standards, the homeowners themselves are changing in that they are no longer thinking of sheer size. This is why Keith Waters and Associates is such a great choice. They are diverse, unique in their process, knowledgeable and dedicated to quality craftsmanship.  In addition, they are committed to accomplishing your dream based on your individual needs and desires. Carter spoke of a design and build that he did for a client who happened to be a bird watcher. “The best part for me was walking in the home after they had moved in. I found his chair by the fireplace, facing the window and his binoculars within reach, just as we had designed it to be on paper.” What a perfect example of an exclusive, one-of-a-kind home. It’s no wonder that a client who built their home through Keith Waters and Associates called them back when they wanted to build their lake home in Alexandria. Once you experience that custom fit, you’ll never want to go back.

Keith Waters and Associates is located off Baker Road in Eden Prairie. You can view some of their amazing craftsmanship, and garnish more information through their website www.keithwaters.com. They would love to hear your vision, no matter the challenge, and strive to leave you perfectly content with the results.

Roseville, MN (March 29, 2009) 

Chief among these frequently ignored factors which influence home prices are whether or not there is actual foreclosure or an imminent threat of being foreclosed; the home’s location, type and physical condition; the number of homes in the immediate area listed for sale; and the number of for-sale homes that are in foreclosure.

The McComb Group report was released jointly today by the Minnesota Builders Association, the Builders Association of the Twin Cities and the Minnesota Association of REALTORS during their annual Builders Day on the Hill and REALTOR Day at the Capital at a rally in the Capital Rotunda in Saint Paul.

McComb said that there are actually two distinct home markets in the Twin Cities Metro area. “One of them, and by far the larger of the two, is the market representing ‘traditional’ homes, homes that are not in foreclosure, making up more than 95 percent of all of the homes in the two cities and their surrounding suburbs.”

“The other market, representing a mere 5 percent of all homes in the metro, are those which are ‘lender mediated,’ and are either already in foreclosure or are threatened with foreclosure,” according to McComb.

McComb Group’s just released study of actual home price trends in the metro area reveals major differences between the two markets. “Our analysis uncovered the facts that the national home price surveys has largely failed to notice, “ McComb said. “Median sales prices of traditional homes—those not in foreclosure and not in danger of being foreclosed--- declined by a mere 2.6 percent in the metro area between the 4th quarter of 2007 and the end of 2008, and in several areas, such as Edina and Woodbury, they actually increased.”

The McComb study shows that where homes are located in the community has also had a large effect on prices. The heaviest concentrations of foreclosed, or lender-mediated homes, are in north and south Minneapolis, with far fewer located in Calhoun-Isles, Southwest and Edina. This difference in the concentration of foreclosed homes has had a dramatic impact on prices of both traditional homes and lender mediated homes in each of the areas studied.

Lender mediated sales prices of $162,000 in the 4th quarter of 2007 were about 30 percent below traditional home median sales prices of $227,000. One year later, at the end of 2008, the lender mediated sales prices had fallen another 10 percent, to 40 percent of the traditional median home sales price. But McComb cautions that these price declines of 30 to 40 percent still only apply to a small fraction of all homes in the Twin Cities.

• Foreclosed and lender mediated homes, although making up just five percent of all homes, constitute a far larger percentage of closed sales.

• Areas with a high proportion of foreclosed homes are experiencing greater declines in median sales prices of both traditional and lender mediated homes.

Last month, we talked about whether or not your project would benefit from hiring a professional wetland consultant. Assuming that you have decided you need such expertise on your project, the next step is to go about identifying and hiring one. So which one is right for you and how do you even begin the process of finding a wetland consultant?

There are several sources that you can utilize to find a consultant.  Resources include: the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, your local DNR office, the Wetland Professionals Association, colleagues and other professional organizations. In Minnesota, the BWSR maintains a list of certified wetland delineators on their website. The Corps St. Paul District (covering MN and WI) lists delineators on their website and local DNR offices in Wisconsin usually keep a list of delineators. Although public agencies are generally not allowed to recommend a specific consultant, asking them questions such as the number of delineations they see from a firm, how responsive they are to information requests and the complexity of the projects they have worked on might be fair questions to ask.

Here are some recommendations I would give if you need to hire a wetland consultant:

1. Look for versatility – not just within an individual consultant but within a firm. What starts off as a relatively straightforward project can sometimes evolve into something much more complicated where specialized expertise in related disciplines (i.e., regulatory issues, threatened/endangered species) may be helpful or necessary.  

2. Beware of consultants that have a reputation for arguing with regulatory agencies. You might find yourself caught up in a battle between your consultant and agency staff while money and time tick away. Expect and demand honesty and accountability.  

3. Hire someone who will be your advocate. Your consultant should be as concerned about your rights as a landowner as you are. Steer clear of “preservationist” attitudes that believe your rights are less important than preservation of the resource.

4. Ask for references. Any consultant worth their salt should have no problem supplying you with several names that you can call to inquire regarding their experiences with a consultant.  

5. Get more than one bid. Keeping in mind some of the foregoing advice as well as cost, choose the one that matches best with your needs and expectations. Compare apples to apples and ask questions once you receive bids so you know what is/is not included in the price. Also be sure that the consultant you choose is properly insured.

 A Place to Explore

Fergus Falls is called “the gateway” to Otter Tail county, which is sometimes called Minnesota's “Lakes” area. More than a thousand lakes fill the region – in fact, there are more lakes in Otter Tail than in any other single county in the United States. One tenth of all the lakes in Minnesota are here. Fergus is the gateway because it is the largest town in the county, and it sits on the interstate just two and half hours from the Twin Cities. If you, like Joe Whitford, are looking for an ideal spot, a new community, or perhaps a lake home or cabin, then Fergus Falls is the place to begin your exploration.

If you are interested in dry activities as well, you can find a lot to do in Fergus Falls.  The town is filled with unique shops, art galleries and a variety of restaurants – both locally owned, and the national chains. You can stroll the river walk, which follows the Otter Tail river right through downtown. The Central Lakes Bike Path begins in town, and runs southeast to Osakis. It offers 55 miles of fourteen-foot-wide paved trail for bikes, in-line skaters and walkers. Running through woods, across streams and through fields, this trail is a haven for wildlife, and a terrific way to spend a day or two discovering the area.

Everyone knows that the real-estate market these days is “soft.” What that means is that it is a little tougher to sell a place for the money you want. But what many people overlook is that this is the best time to buy. Lakeshore property holds its value over time. And with the Lakes country being what it is, perhaps now is the time to see what is out there.

One of the great things about Fergus Falls is that it is large enough to provide the lake country with the commercial resources it needs, while, at thirteen-thousand people, it still feels like a small town. As Pam Partain of the chamber of commerce says, “It feels like home, whether you live here, or are just visiting.” Don't make the mistake that James Fergus made. Come see Fergus Falls, and explore the area for yourself. Who knows, maybe you'll even find a new home.

Clash of Forest and Prairie

Geographically, the area around Battle Lake mirrors that ancient military conflict.  Even as the forest Indians fought the tribe of the plains, it is in this exact region of Minnesota that the trees begin to give way to the great plains that roll on for a thousand miles across the Dakotas and on into Wyoming and Montana. In this same region, it is supposed that the massive ancient glaciers of the ice ages halted their march, and retreating, left behind not only some very pretty hills, but also a plethora of pristine lakes. The town of Battle Lake in Otter Tail County is of course, on the shores of one of these.

In Battle Lake, not only do the woods meet the prairie, but also, the water meets the town. There is a new public dock there, where boaters who put in elsewhere on the lake can tie up and walk uptown for ice cream, or a meal at one of several unique restaurants. Afterwards, they can browse the variety of interesting locally owned shops. If you own a home or cabin on West Battle, you could even run to town for errands in your boat!

Throughout the area, the lakes are of course the biggest attraction.  West Battle is a multi-use lake, as are several of the other large lakes near the town of Battle Lake.  There is plenty of room here for a wide variety of watersports. Fishing ranks near the top of the list, with Walleye, Northern, Muskie, Perch and other Panfish all present in plentiful numbers. Waterskiers, wake-boarders and tubers have lots of room here too, as do those who prefer quieter modes of water transportation, like canoeists, kayakers and sailors. There are all kinds of places to swim too. Glendalough State Park is only three miles from Battle Lake, and includes nine miles of undeveloped shoreline. Contained within the park is 335 acre Annie Battle lake which offers a quiet, non-motorized experience including outstanding fishing and canoe-in campsites.

Battle Lake is sometimes known as “the little city with the big heart.”  Maybe that is because it lies in the heart of the Lake Country.  It's only a few hours from the Twin Cities. As the weather warms and the ice melts, maybe now is the time to check it out.

Last July, my husband asked me to reserve some time to take a trip to Crosslake, MN. He was going to be touring some homes and wanted me to be with. I never know quite what I’m getting myself into when my husband wants to take me on a “tour”, as I don’t always have the same vision that he does, but what an experience I had! I vaguely remember the moment that I walked in the front door. However, once I was inside, what I saw was unforgettable. The first thing I noticed was the paint texture on the walls.

“How in the world did they do this?” I asked Neil. 

“Wow… I don’t know!”

“Oh my Gosh, look at these beams. What are these holes from?” 

“These are old beams from a barn. The holes are most likely where those old monster pegs were pounded in. And look at this tin overhang, it’s probably a piece of tin off another old barn or shed.”

“Look at the stonework on this fireplace. It’s incredible!”

“Neil, look at the trim work in this bedroom and bath. Isn’t it gorgeous!” (Neil, sensing the excitement in my voice just smiles)

“Check out the paneling up here in the loft. How did they get this little bit of red worked into the wood?”

Neil smiles, “Siding off the same barn, I’m sure. It must have been a red one.”

As I continued to explore the home, I found myself in awe of the workmanship, creativity and the attention to detail. What an average person would see as junk was artistically “changed” into something exquisite. The wash basin in the laundry room was an old coal bucket set into a huge work space made of reclaimed wood with an antique hand pump as the faucet. There were old wine bottles set into the mortar at the entrance of the wine cellar. No space was left untouched, including the detail worked into the door frame as you left the wine cellar. The rustic feel of the cabinetry and the reclaimed wood blended together perfectly with all of the modern conveniences in the kitchen, right down to the pot filler above the range. The outdoor living area was a wonderful retreat from the wind that day. And the view of the house from the lake… “Wow. Can a home get any better than this?”

Yes! 

Why? Because just like their creativity, the capabilities of Edward K. Anton cannot be confined. It doesn’t matter if the project is rustic, log, contemporary, or modern.   

George and Jill Moore have owned Edward K. Anton for about 4 years. They are a combination of two companies. The first is Edward K. Anton consulting, specializing in project management, woodwork and design. What type of projects? Well, like I said, Edward K. Anton can not be confined. They can put together a vanity, work with you on decorating the interior of your home, do design work in a specific area, or work with your builder to create your home in its entirety, just as unique as you are. One year ago they added Edward K. Anton Wood Products to their business, which specializes in cabinetry. Everything they do is 100% their creation. “We really shine when someone wants something out of the box!” says George. George and Jill do the majority of the design work, but are excited to have a kitchen and bath designer on staff as well. The goal of Edward K. Anton, no matter how big or small the project, is to give a great value and provide the best product for the money.

As the Moore’s are considered a great husband and wife team, their “team” would not be complete without Jill’s brother, Matt, and the seven additional people that make up their staff. As a matter of fact, Edward K. Anton wouldn’t be complete without Matt’s contribution to answering the question of  “who is Edward?” Creativity doesn’t just stop at the design table. Edward K. Anton is the combination of George, Jill and Matt’s middle names. 

When a project comes to the attention of Edward K. Anton, it will undergo a basic three step process from start to finish. First, George takes a concept or idea and puts it together on paper. “I can express an idea much easier on the drafting table than I can in words” George admits. Once the idea has been communicated on paper, George takes the draft to Jill. Jill is the practical side of the design. “I make sure that the floor plan makes sense, that there is enough storage, and so on”. George laughs and says, “She makes sure it’s not too masculine.” Once the design reaches its final stage it goes to Matt. Matt breaks the design down and figures out what products are needed and then finds them. Once he has done that, he creates a timeline to coordinate with the contractor of the project. This is a huge attribute to the success that Edward K. Anton has had. “What has impressed the contractors we’ve worked with the most is our efficiency,” George states. “Often times, clients just don’t know exactly how to piece some of the intricate details together, which can slow the project down.” Edward K. Anton is a tremendous asset to the client when it comes to choosing beams, woodwork, lighting, stonework, etc. They are also a tremendous asset to the builder by then making sure all items are on site when the builder needs it. Currently, George, Jill, Matt and staff are working with Northway Construction out of Baxter, MN. As a builder, Steve Northway is looking forward to working with Edward K. Anton. “When I first got together with George, I wasn’t quite sure what they really did. But after touring one of Edward K. Anton’s projects, we found that when we compared our company’s strengths to their company’s strengths, we complemented each other very well.” In addition to Northway Construction, Edward K. Anton has worked with Lands End, Lake Country Builders, and Glenz Construction.

George and Jill love what they do, and it shows. George’s individual strength is in the Wood Products side of the business. He is really loving the addition of the cabinet shop.  Especially now with the economy on the downside, people are choosing to remodel homes verses build brand new homes. New cabinets can totally change a space, whether they are the everyday cabinets, the rustic, or the “all-out, one of a kind” cabinets where George really has fun. Outside of cabinetry, his creativity can take a tree stump and turn it into an incredible bathroom vanity. Or give him a building that is totally falling down and he’ll take the mess and turn its resources into small little masterpieces. Jill excels in taking simple, ordinary stuff and turning it into something more as well, in a decorative sense. This is a concept passed down from her Grandmother. “My Grandmother didn’t have much, but was able to do amazing things with what she did have. Whenever anyone in our family needed help decorating, we called my Grandmother! She’s my inspiration.” Remember the wash basin with the antique water pump in the laundry room? George isn’t the only one who excels when working outside of the box! Perhaps you are like me, with a husband who can’t seem to part with that ugly brown sofa. I’m convinced that Jill could transform even it, to gracefully fit into our space. “Creating something that works together requires a lot of elements combined with a lot of layers,” says Jill. She’ll go with you to the lighting shop, the furniture store or the paint store. Jill has a unique ability to create cozy spaces, full of depth and richness, and it’s her goal to make sure that your home is perfect down to the very last detail.

Edward K. Anton is located on the east side of Hwy 371 in Brainerd, MN, just south of Crow Wing Power. George and Jill want to invite you to stop in to their showroom anytime. If you don’t find yourself in the Brainerd area, visit their website at www.edwardkanton.com to view photographs or to take a virtual tour of  some of their work. Take it from me… You’ll walk away with ideas that you would not have been able to dream even possible on your own.

Minnesota’s lakeshore property owners face a significant challenge to their right to the use and enjoyment of their lakeshore. Most owners are currently unaware of proposals to discard “ excess” dock sections, boatlifts, and potentially, watercraft.

As required by the legislature, the Minnesota D.N.R. is proposing revised regulations governing the placement of “private structures” in the public waters. Although resulting from concerns regarding the growth in number and size of dock platforms, the D.N.R. established a Private Structure Advisory Group to advise the D.N.R. Comissioner on the scope of the new regulations. Property Owners Protecting Useful Lake Access Rights, or P.O.P.U.L.A.R., represented lakeshore property owners on the advisory Group. Representative of the dock industry and real estate industry also served on the panel. However, most of the Advisory Group was made up of D.N.R. staff and environmentalists who expressed a desire to minimize human impact on Minnesota waters.

To date, the D.N.R. has failed to justify any wholesale change in the rules and, in fact, acknowledges  that the status quo is not the problem. Rather, concern is expressed over future unchecked lakeshore property development. P.O.P.U.L.A.R. argues strenuously for the inclusion of “grandfathering” provisions, allowing lakeshore property owners who purchased and lawfully utilized structures prior to the adoption of restrictive regulations to retain and maintain their property, including sufficient dockage for the watercraft they purchased.

There will be public hearings on the proposed regulations in August. With the support of lakeshore property owners, P.O.P.U.L.A.R. will publicize the hearing, arrange for testimony and demand that any new regulations be justified in light of actual need, economics, property rights and reasonableness.

Please keep informed by visiting P.O.P.U.L.A.R.’s website: www.protectlakes.blogspot.com

Spring is here in full force and its time to use the beautiful, bug-free weather while it lasts! I’m sure we won’t have many weekends before the mosquitoes appear and if you are like me, your motivation for gardening is at its peak right now! The following list has simple, easy to do tips. Each item should take half an hour or less to do, that is, depending on the size of your yard! Try to keep your plantings simple and it will make for an easy-to-maintain landscape all season. Take a little time to inspect your gardens, your lawn, and your trees now for insect or disease damage. It is also much easier to “nip it in the bud” than to fix a major problem in the heat of July or August!

 
1. Sprinkle a pre-emergent in your borders & gardens to keep those pesky weeds from sprouting.  Use something like Preen or corn gluten (natural pre-emergent).

2. Give your lawn a boost with some fertilizer (minus phosphorus if you live in the metro area) or add some seed to thin spots.

3. Put a wire cage around your peonies before they get too large!

4. Trim your evergreen shrubs or trees while the new growth (candles) are still soft. Just a trim though, save the heavy pruning for winter when bugs and diseases are less prevalent.

5. Stick a few flowering annuals in for color and a focus point near your home’s entrance. The bright colors of annuals naturally draw attention so use it to your advantage! White flowers are especially nice in areas used at dusk-they seem to reflect the sun’s last rays and catch the moon’s reflection beautifully.

6. Schedule an appointment with a professional designer for some long range planning in your yard. Having a plan gives your yard a strong back bone that is easy to use and maintain. It will also give you some direction if you only want to do small projects each year!

Becky Chudek, former Master Gardener, now designer and gardener extraordinaire for Inspired Design Landscapes Inc.

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

All Aboard!

There is some symbolism in the restored railroad. Like the train ride, a trip to Spooner is a unique blend of history and scenery, comfort and authentic Northwoods charm. And it may just be that Spooner and the surrounding area is the train that will take you to your dream vacation spot for years to come.

Shirley Rausch has been in Spooner since the 1970s.  “Just driving through, it doesn't seem like a vacation area. But when you hang around, you find out what a great place this is.”  Rausch has in the real estate business there for twenty-five years. In her opinion, Spooner was only “discovered” by Twin Cities vacationers in the early 1990s. “There are a lot of lakes and a lot of woods,” she says.  She's right. Washburn county is still almost two-thirds forested.  “And so you have a feeling, so to speak, of being in the wilderness. Much more so than in a place like the Brainerd area. This area is not that touristy. It has maintained a lot of its wild and rural atmosphere.”

Spooner and Washburn County have also been good about helping folks to access that wild and beautiful atmosphere. Again, making use of the steam-and-steel past, 96 miles of old railroad bed has been converted into the Wild Rivers Trail, a glorious boon for hikers, mountain bikers, horse-riders, ATV-ers and snowmobilers. And of course there are the lakes.  Spooner Lake, just outside of the town, is worth a visit. Shell and Long lakes are also worthwhile. But these are just the big ones. In fact, six percent of the county surface is water, and there are 257 lakes with names, as well as 659 other unnamed bodies. If you want to water ski, you can do it somewhere near Spooner. The same goes for sailing. Ditto for fishing.  You get the picture.

With the area so rich in terrific lakes, what is not commonly known is that there are great thrills to be had near Spooner on moving water. One of the best-kept secrets of Northwest Wisconsin is the Namekagon River, and one of the best places to begin your exploration of it, is from Spooner. The Namekagon is part of the Upper St. Croix National Scenic River System. Much of it runs through a protected corridor, where a large swath of forest on either side keeps it remote from farmland and towns, and road access is limited. The river is beautiful along its entire length, but the most remote and pristine stretch begins just below the dam, a mere seven miles north of downtown Spooner. The fishing here is incredible; the stream is packed with big pike, hungry walleye, muscular smallmouth and even the occasional trout.

Speaking of trout, that is another little known fact. Ninety-seven miles of trout streams run through Washburn County. These aren't hill-type streams like you find further south in Wisconsin. For the most part they are quite narrow and remote, running through marshy areas; but if you have patience with snags and thickets, the reward is finding gorgeous brown and brook trout where only a few people fish in a given year. Watch out though, bear and coyote frequent the same streams.

With more than 2600 people, Spooner is the largest town in Washburn county. It's big enough to have the things you need, but not too big to have lost that good Midwestern hometown feel.  One of the most heralded town events is the Heart of the North Rodeo in July. They even have a Cowboy Church Service in the arena the weekend of the Rodeo.

Like in a lot of tourist towns, things have slowed down a bit when it comes to Real Estate. Shirley Rausch's company is Wilderness Lakes Real Estate. “At the end of last year it was kind of like standing in an empty room and hearing echoes,” she says. However, she feels it has begun to pick up a little bit recently. For many, the best chance to get into the market might be now, while things are slow. Some vacation homes are being priced tens of thousands of dollars lower than they were in the recent past.

Maybe the echoes Rausch heard were the distant sounds of the last train leaving the station in Spooner many decades ago. If so, that is good news, because  Spooner has navigated the waters of change before, and will undoubtedly rebound as one of the premium places to own your lakeshore dream.

Toe-riffic!
Diane Dryden of the Shell Lake Chamber of Commerce says that you can stand in Shell Lake up to your neck, look down, and count the hairs on your toes. She doesn't say why you would want to count your toe hair while up to your neck in water, but her point is, in a region that is already rich in pristine natural lakes, Shell Lake is the clearest and cleanest of them all.

In terms of water clarity and purity, Dryden insists that Shell Lake could stand toe-to-toe with even Superior. When questioned about this she admits, “Well, it's a teensy bit warmer than Lake Superior.” Try thirty or forty degrees warmer.

The Jewel of the Town
The lake is the jewel of the town, and one of the biggest reasons to visit. If it can be done in or on water, you can do it at Shell Lake. There are kayaks, canoes and pontoon boats for rent.  If you brought your own vessel, there are boat ramps and plenty of public access. People water ski, sail board and sail. And the fishing isn’t bad, either. With about two-thousand, six-hundred acres of surface area, there is ample room on Shell Lake for everyone. 

Shell Lake is also for swimming, or just standing in the water, looking at your toes. The town maintains Memorial Park – a terrific public place from which to enjoy the water. There is a municipal beach here, large, sandy and equipped with swimming rafts. It is staffed by lifeguards in the summertime, and swimming lessons are also available. The park also features playground equipment, new in 2004, and a unique log-pavilion which can be rented.

Further down the shore is the municipal campground, featuring eleven on-water camping spots, with a total of forty-one sites. Water and electric hookups are available on all sites, and clean hot showers can be had in the bathhouse. You can clean your fish too, at the fish cleaning station. The campground is within walking distance from the beach, and also from downtown Shell Lake. In between the campground and memorial park is the Shell Lake Pavilion, which includes a covered stage. In the summer months there are live concerts here every Tuesday night.

Washburn County
Shell Lake is in Washburn county, where twenty-nine percent of the land is publicly owned, while another six percent is made up of surface water. Most of the remaining area is still forested, primarily in aspen. As it is all over Northwest Wisconsin, there are plenty of ski and snowmobile trails available in the winter, with hiking and biking in the summer. The ratios of  public land, water and forest make for a good balance when it comes to opportunities for finding that lake-home, or Northwoods cabin, in an area that is not crowded and is only one hundred miles from the Twin Cities.

A Friendly, Hometown Community
When it comes to Shell Lake, the lake itself is what brings people there, but don't forget, thirteen hundred people live in the town also. They enjoy community drama presentations at the Erika Quam memorial Theater. They also maintain a fabulous museum of woodcarving, that is well known throughout the area. The Shell Lake Arts Center draws students from all over, to various camps and workshops. The educational opportunities offered by the arts center are impressive, and include: Rock Band Camp, Jazz Camp, Show Choir Camp, Trumpet Workshop, and the Dr. Eugene Rousseau Yamaha Saxophone workshop.

The point is, Shell Lake is a great place to visit and enjoy the lake – but it is also a community. Jenna, who answers the phone at the AmericInn Lodge & Suites in town, says that one of the best things about Shell Lake is its friendly, hometown atmosphere. If you dream of owning that vacation home in the lake country, or of retiring to a quiet, down-home place, you could do a lot worse than to investigate Shell Lake. While you're there, don't forget to examine your toes!

The five steps include:

1. Understanding your vision in cabin succession goals.

2. Communicating with family members about the cabin.

3. Decisions and legal drafting.

4. Funding your cabin succession plan.

The most important thing that a cabin succession plan can do is help you avoid a “family cabin feud.” You may know of other people who have had issues in passing the cabin down to the next generation. For example, parents may give the family cabin to three siblings as a gift, but one of the siblings wants to be bought out. However, the other two siblings who want to remain using the cabin cannot afford to pay several hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out the third sibling. Another issue can arise if there are implied understandings among family members as to who should or should not be allowed to use the cabin. For example, parents may give the family cabin to one sibling with the implied understanding that the two other siblings should be allowed to use it whenever they want. You can imagine what types of problems this causes when there is no framework around which to determine how often the other siblings get to use it or whether they have a legal right to use the cabin at all. Oftentimes, people think it is a good idea to pass the family cabin down to their children as joint tenants or tenants in common. Tenants in common means that each person owns equal shares. If there are two children, each child owns a 50% interest in the property. Joint tenancy means that the surviving person gets to take the entire property. If you deed a property to your children as joint tenants, and one of your children passes away, the surviving child takes the entire property. This can have the negative effect of excluding the family members of the deceased child, and only giving this very significant and valuable asset to one of your children's families. When property is owned in tenancy in common or joint tenancy, the property can be threatened when a child has creditor problems, a messy divorce, or wants to sell the property. A joint tenant or tenant in common can always file a lawsuit called a partition action. In a partition action, the property can be ordered to be sold by the court. A cabin succession plan helps alleviate these problems by putting a clear structure in place for the family members to follow. There are two main ways to establish a cabin succession plan. One way is through the use of Cabin

True North
If you talk to someone from Fergus Falls or Brainerd they might be slightly offended if you refer to their home as “Northern Minnesota.” They have a point. Geographically speaking, a lot of what we call “Up North” is merely on the northern edge of central Minnesota.  But you will find no such modesty when speaking to folks from Bemidji. They truly are in Northern Minnesota, and they know it. Call them in spring when the ice is breaking up on Lake Minnetonka, and you’ll get an earful about just how far “up north” they are. Their own ice will be two weeks or so behind.

Two particular things about Bemidji make it a Minnesota icon. First, the city is the home of Paul Bunyan, and his Big Blue Ox, Babe. In 2003, Midwest Living reported that the statues of Paul and Babe in Bemidji were the most photographed landmarks in the entire Midwest. In fact, in a 2006 article from Newscom, Kodak Company reported that the Lumberjack and his Sidekick were photographed more than any other statue (or group of statues) in the United States, except for Mount Rushmore. Right next to the pair, is a museum containing some of their personal effects, which are quite impressive in size.

The second iconic aspect of Bemidji is that it is the first city through which the Mississippi river flows on its 2,340 mile journey from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. In fact the name of the city (and of the lake) is taken from an Ojibwe word that roughly means, “lake that crosses a river.”  And indeed, the great stream flows into Lake Bemidji in the south, and out again on the lower east side. Not only that, but Bemidji is one of the most convenient places from which to explore nearby Lake Itasca State park, which contains the actual headwaters of the river.

Diverse Recreation
Doug Fuller is the owner/broker of First Realty GMAC in Bemidji. “One of the greatest draws to our town has got to be the quality and diversity of recreational activities here,” he says. It’s hard to argue with that statement. Bemidji and the surrounding area supports an incredibly diverse array of recreational activities. It is one of the best places in the state to hook up to some of Minnesota’s 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails. Two of the  major Minnesota Interconnecting Trails System routes cross here, one running North-South (MITS-71), the other East-West (MITS-2). The MITS-71 could take you anywhere from Brainerd to International Falls and even to Winnipeg, with innumerable spurs and off-trails in between. You’ll pass through ancient forests, over lakes, and into quaint small towns.

For those who prefer a slower traverse through the snow, Bemidji plays home to eight different cross country ski trails, with a total of more than one-hundred and sixty kilometers of groomed snow. Twelve miles from town, Buena Vista Ski Area features slopes for downhill skiing and snowboarding, including 16 runs, two terrain parks and a tubing park.

As the weather warms, trail activities switch to biking, rollerblading and hiking. There are eight miles of paved bike trails in and around the city, which can also be used for walking and rollerblading. State forest trails and old logging roads are available for mountain biking.  Hiking trails can be found in area parks like Lake Bemidji state Park, Itasca State Park, Three Island County Park and in the Chippewa National Forest. These areas also feature swimming, interpretive centers and campgrounds. Bemidji itself has nineteen designated parks with additional picnic areas, swimming beaches, playgrounds and more.

The burgeoning sport of geocaching is alive and well, in and around Bemidji. If you haven’t heard of it before, geocaching is a sport where a small “cache” is left in a waterproof container. The cache may be a logbook or small trinket. The one who leaves it uploads a link to the cache location on GPS and others try to locate it and record their success and experiences online. Bemidji is already home to more than 225 caches within a twenty mile radius, including some labeled, “Paul’s Pocket,” “Muggle Proof” and “Lake Bemidji State Park: Overlook.”  To find a cache near Bemidji, go to www.geocaching.com and enter zip code 56601.

Three major ecological biomes come together near Bemidji: conifer forest, deciduous forest and native prairie. This makes the area, among other things, a thrill for bird watchers. More than 200 species of feathered friends can be found nearby, including  snowy owls, boreal chickadees, rednecked grebes, northern shrikes, loons, northern goshawks and prairie chickens. The largest nesting population of bald eagles in the continental United States is found here. Different species can be found all year round, and the natural beauty of the environment makes it a treat to spend hours in bird observation.

Have you noticed that the lakes have not yet received any attention? The point is, you could spend days and weeks in the outdoors around Bemidji without even going out on the water.  But this is northern Minnesota, and though it should go without saying, we’ll say it anyway:  there is an abundance of excellent lakes nearby. In fact, if you wished to fish on a different lake every single day, with no weekends off, it would take you a year and one month, but only if you agreed to stay within twenty-five miles of Bemidji. The fishing is excellent, featuring all major species of game fish: Northern Pike, Walleye, Muskie, Bass, Perch and panfish. If the sheer number of opportunities is overwhelming, the town is home to at least thirteen fishing guide services and numerous bait shops, which can help get you started.

Fishing, of course, is only part of the story. You can waterski, sail, kayak, canoe and swim also. There are nine canoe routes featured in the nearby Chippewa National Forest. One popular canoe trip is to float the first fifty miles or so of the Mississippi river, from its source in Itasca, to Bemidji. The banks are sparsely populated, and the wildlife and fish are abundant.  It should take two or three days, and there are designated campsites along the way.

Diverse Town
Bemidji is far more than just a tourist town, according to Doug Fuller. “We are essentially a regional center in terms of services and education, but we still have the feel of a nice small town. We pretty much have it all.” Cindy Habedank, of the Visit Bemidji organization, would agree. “There is something here for everyone,” she says. “There are outdoor activities all year round, as well as museums, shopping and a very active community drama organization: The Paul Bunyan Theater.” 

One thing that is not well known is that Bemidji is a vibrant center for the arts. “There are as many artists here, per capita, as in the Twin Cities,” says Habedank. Several galleries in town, as well as other businesses, display the work of local artists and offer it for sale. Other types of artists thrive here as well. In addition to the theater performances, Bemidji hosted twelve musical performances during February alone. With the University and a few other post-secondary schools, Bemidji is backwoods, but not backwards.

Opportunities In and Near Bemidji
Doug Fuller, whose company has been in business for fifty years, notes that cabins and lake homes in the Bemidji area are often half the price of similar listings elsewhere in the state. He thinks of lakes in terms of “tiers”. A tier one lake would be that perfect spot with excellent fishing, hard sand bottom and old growth trees, the most desirable and ideal type of lakeshore. Tier two would still be a good fishing lake, with maybe less than ideal shoreline, and perhaps further from town, or off the beaten path. Tier three lakeshore property would still be on the water, but with other drawbacks not found on a tier 1 or two piece. Fuller notes that there are properties available on all three types of lakes, with of course, the better prices being on the lower ranked types. He also notes that not all lake shore dwellings are equal. A summer family cabin, for instance, is a different proposition from a second home with all the amenities.

Fuller advises people who are interested in lakeshore property to do their research. “Spend a lot of time on web sites like lakeshoredreams.com,” he says. “Google ‘Bemidji Real Estate.’” Above all, he recommends finding a good Realtor. Of course he would say that, considering his business, but he’s also right. Connecting with someone who understands your goals and is willing to work with your agenda, should be a top priority when considering a purchase.

The mighty Mississippi makes it home, at least some of the time, up north in the Bemidji area. Maybe you should consider doing the same.

With so many diets on the market why do so many people still struggle with leading a healthy lifestyle and weight problems? I believe it is because the weakness with most weight loss programs is that they only focus on eating healthy.

A healthy lifestyle depends on a number of factors:

• stress
• diet
• weight
• exercise
• hereditary factors

If we only focus on what we eat, our weight usually see-saws because all we are doing is “dieting” and to many people the word diet is synonymous with deprivation. We need to stop thinking about diets equalling deprivation but rather look at health, wellness and happiness. In other words to improve our health we need to modify our lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle cannot guarantee health, however it can reduce the risk of:

• high blood pressure
• heart attack
• diabetes
• bloating
• lack of energy etc

Often, when illness strikes we rely on our doctors to “cure” us. We get medication to take but often the medication is treating the symptom and not the cause. What we fail to realize is the role we can also play in the cure.

I always find it so sad when one hears about people who on hearing that they have a serious health problem, change to a healthier lifestyle, often when it is too late. We have to go back to basics and take an active part in the maintenance of our health. We need to look at preventing illness and promoting our health.

The solution is to lead a healthier (and more balanced) lifestyle.

To lead a healthier lifestyle (for your body) you need to look at:

• Nutrition - the food you eat (the choices you make and the quantities you eat)

      And

• Exercise - Diet cannot be looked at in isolation, we also need physical activity. You need at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 - 4 times a week.

So rather than going on yet another diet, change to a healthier lifestyle! It’s much more fun - and has so many health benefits!

Roger Reger is a certified personal trainer who is dedicated to helping people reach there health and fitness goals. Any Questions for Roger you can email him at rogerreger008@yahoo.com or he can be reached at 763-913-6488.

Not Quaint, but what you need

For the many vacationers in Wisconsin’s north, anywhere from Spooner to Hayward and other points north and west, the place to go for the stuff you need is Rice Lake. It isn’t known as a place to go for tourism, but is it is a place the tourists go, because it is close to some beautiful vacation country, and it is a town that has everything you require.

Karen Heram, executive director of the local chamber of commerce, concurs. “We are more of a retail hub than a tourist destination,” she says. “We have some terrific shops here.” Indeed, Rice Lake has many of the national chain stores. If you want to buy in bulk for the cabin, there are Shopko and Wal-Mart. But Heram also points out some unique retailers.

Bear Paw is a well-regarded sporting goods store, selling fishing and hunting equipment, as well as clothing. Inside are some beautiful mounted animals and an outstanding gift shop.  Thyme Worn Treasures is a gift shop downtown, “A delight for the ladies,” says Heram.  Even so, part of that store is a coffee and sandwich shop, where the men can enjoy themselves too.

Trail Hub

The Wild Rivers snowmobile trail starts in Rice Lake and runs 62 miles, almost all the way to Superior. Also beginning in Rice Lake, the Tuscobia trail runs for 74 miles to Park Falls. It is open, depending on the season, for ATV-ing, snowmobiling, canoeing and hiking. Part of the Tuscobia also doubles as a portion of Wisconsin’s 1,000 mile long Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

There are several other, smaller trails near Rice Lake. These include the Cat Tail, Cedar Side and Pipestone Quarry trails. They are variously open for snowmobiles, ATVs, hikers, snowshoers, mountain bikers and skiers.

Of course, while Rice Lake doesn’t have the tourist reputation of its northerly neighbors, there are fish to be found in the lake of the same name, as well as in the other waters close by.  And it isn’t as if you can’t water ski, canoe or swim there either.

All things considered, in your travels to Wisconsin’s North Country, Rice Lake is worth a stop.  And while you are there, be sure and get some milk and bread.

Back in the old days, when Cumberland was near the end of the rail line, they used to say that it was the stop for “Cumberland, Hayward, Hurley and Hell.” To put it nicely, Cumberland was a rough town. The roughest of the bunch was a saloon keeper named Paulson. When the city fathers brought in a Marshall from St. Paul to clean things up, the lawman's first act was to challenge Paulson to fist fight. Paulson agreed to leave town if he lost the fight. According to local lore it was classic knockdown, drag out bout, but in the end, Paulson, who had been known as the “King of Cumberland,” was beat. He kept his word and left town. 

Ever since then, according to locals, things have been improving. The hell-raising logging boomtown has become a stable manufacturing and agricultural community, and a sought-after tourist destination. These days, Cumberland is proud to host the annual Rutabaga Festival, and if that doesn't tell you things have changed for the better, then nothing will. This festival is all about good family fun – a hot-pepper-eating contest, races, games and a parade. A town that cel