Fergus Falls Forum

Upwards of 25 residents, as well as city officials were eager to welcome Dunham’s Sports to Fergus Falls at the store’s 9:00 AM grand opening on Friday.

Dunham’s 20 employees have been preparing the sporting goods store for over five weeks, which is when the first truck arrived to deliver merchandise to the 34,000 square foot store located in the former JC Penny wing of the Westridge Mall.

The employees of Dunham’s stood proudly behind Eddie Wessel, the manager of the store in Fergus Falls, as he cut the grand opening ribbon.

Lisa Workman, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Chamber of Commerce, presented Wessel the store’s first dollar of profit in the form of a plaque. “It’s a destination store,” Workman said, “It’s very exciting to see Dunham’s here.”

Harold Stanislawski, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission (FFEIC) presented Wessel with a pin as well.

After the store’s grand opening ceremony, Wessel, the store’s manager, told Fergus Forum that “We’re very excited to be here.”

Nearly $1 million was put into the Westridge Mall in renovation for Dunham’s, as well. Westridge Mall owners committed $200,000 in equity for the project. The Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission (also known as FFEIC), as well as the City of Fergus Falls both provided a $150,000 loan for the project. Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation, which is based in Detroit Lakes, Minn., has also fronted a $400,000 loan, which is tied to a tax abatement for upwards of 20 years.

During the month of June, Dunham’s had multiple job fairs where they accepted applications for employment, and held interviews with potential employees.

Dunham’s Sports currently operates over 160 stores in twelve Midwest and Northeast states, and the Fergus Falls store is an addition to Dunham’s continued growth in Minnesota.

Dunham’s Sports was founded in 1937 as Dunham’s Bait & Tackle, in Waterford, Michigan, located just outside of Detroit.

Thousands of protesters, including several in Fergus Falls, showed up at Target stores across the country to protest a controversial $150,000 donation that Target Corp. made to an organization backing Republican Tom Emmer for governor.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the controversy started when Target made the choice to donate to MN Forward, a business organization, that is backing candidate Tom Emmer, a vocal opponent of gay marriage, for governor. After the contribution was made public, Target faced complaints from employees and calls for a national boycott by several liberal groups.

Rea Sasseville, a participant in Saturday’s protest in Fergus Falls, said “We want them (Target) to stop using money to fund political candidates when thousands of Americans are unemployed”. Sasseville pointed out that Target’s $150,000 donation could easy hire three full-time employees, in a time when many jobs are being transferred overseas.

Target’s chief executive officer, Gregg Steinhafel, apologized last week, and assured the public that contributions in the future would be closely reviewed by Target’s board of directors.

Target is now in talks with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest gay-rights advocacy group about a possible donation. HRC has given Target high ratings in the past for being “model employers” for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered workers, however amongst the controversy, the HRC is planning on updating their “corporate equality index”.

The Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau has just launched its annual photo contest, which provides an opportunity for photographers to submit their best pictures of Fergus Falls and the Otter Tail County area. The best photographs, as judged by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, will also win a spot in the area visitors guide, which is printed annually.

“It’s often said by Fergus Falls residents that we get to live and work in a vacation-land.” said Jean Bowman, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’re asking people to put that perspective to work for our community and share photographs that will entice others to consider a vacation here.”

If a photo is worth a thousand words, then what better way to show potential tourists the local treasures Fergus Falls has to offer? “We will use the photos in our promotional publications, including the visitors guide, our web site and other printed pieces. We allow (and even prefer) digital photography as well as 35 mm photos to be submitted.” Each photographer may submit up to 10 photographs.

Entries must be submitted by Monday, September 27. Photographs specifically depicting tourist-related activities like festivals, sports, shopping, recreation and dining are most likely to win prizes. Prizes awarded are: $100 for the best overall photograph, and five $50 honorable mentions. Entries will be judged by an independent party. Winning photos will exhibit quality in color, composition, clarity and creativity as well as their ability to tell a story about our area.

Contest rules and entry forms are available in the lobby of City Hall and at www.visitfergusfalls.com.

One of the nation’s leading sporting goods retailers, Dunham’s Sports, is scheduled to open Friday, August 20th, after a ribbon cutting ceremony, according to John Palmer, senior vice president of the Michigan-based company. The store, which is over 34,000 square feet, will be the largest full line sporting goods store in Fergus Falls

Dunham’s carries a wide variety of name brand sporting goods, shoes, and outerwear. Dunham’s will feature a wide variety of merchandise by makers such as Nike, Under Armor, Levis, Callaway, Taylor Made, among others.

In addition to providing a large selection in sporting goods and apparel, Dunham’s also has technicians trained in racket stringing, bowling ball drilling, mounting gun sites, as well as bow/arrow repair.

Palmer also told Fergus Forum that Dunham’s is confident that they will provide the community the best value for a wide variety of sporting goods, and apparel items.

This is no-doubt exiting news for residents of the area. Dunham’s will be occupying the former JC Penny section of the mall, which has been vacant since 2000 when they closed.

Nearly $1 million was put into the Westridge Mall in renovation for Dunham’s, as well. Westridge Mall owners committed $200,000 in equity for the project. The Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission (also known as FFEIC), as well as the City of Fergus Falls both provided a $150,000 loan for the project. Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation, which is based in Detroit Lakes, Minn., has also fronted a $400,000 loan, which is tied to a tax abatement for upwards of 20 years.

During the month of June, Dunham’s had multiple job fairs where they accepted applications for employment, and held interviews. Dunham’s will have roughly 50 employees working that the Fergus Falls location.

Dunham’s Sports currently operates 164 in twelve Midwest and Northeast states, and the Fergus Falls store will add to Dunham’s continued growth in Minnesota.

Dunham’s Sports was founded in 1937 as Dunham’s Bait & Tackle, in Waterford, Michigan, located just outside of Detroit.

After months of extensive expansion and remodeling, the wait is over for residents in Fergus Falls who are eager to shop at the new Walmart Supercenter, which features a full grocery department, as well as expanded merchandise departments.

Community and business leaders joined Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to the grand opening.

The new store now employs approximately 300 associates, including approximately 150 positions added by the expansion. Upwards of 50 associates have worked for Walmart for longer than 10 years, and sixteen of those have worked at the store since it opened in 1991.

Lisa Workman, executive director of the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, said, “We are thrilled to see our local Walmart expanding, and we know this is a sign of more good things to come. We anticipate that the larger store will draw more people into our community, and the additional shopping traffic is sure to benefit everyone.”

As part of the festivities, store associates announced grants totaling $4,000. Recipients included the Lake Region Halfway Home, West Central Area Education Foundation, Pelican Rapids Multicultural Committee, Kaddatz Gallery, Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf, Lakeland Hospice, as well as the Fergus Falls College Foundation.

According to Tim Bosworth, the store manager of the Fergus Falls Walmart Supercenter, last year alone local organizations received upwards of $13,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation. In addition, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed $2 billion to U.S. hunger relief efforts through 2015.

The Fergus Falls Walmart now incorporates bounds of environmentally friendly features, as well. As part of the renovations, Walmart installed a back-up power generator at the store to reduce long-term energy costs. LED lighting has been incorporated throughout the store as well, which operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. Low-flow toilets and faucets have also been installed in the bathrooms which reduces water consumption.

As part of the renovation project, Walmart added an additional 50,000 square feet, which allowed for the addition of a full line of groceries. The store now offers a wide variety of fresh produce, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, as well as organic items. For those on-the-go, the deli will offer hot rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, and a wide variety of meats, cheeses, and freshly prepared foods. Customers will also be able to pick up cakes, freshly made pastries and breads in the bakery. The Fergus Falls Walmart store also has expanded its selection of wine and cold beer.

Among the changes, Wlamart has combined the Site-to-Store pick-up location and photo processing center into a single area near the courtesy desk at the front of the store. Walmart also completely renovated the pharmacy with an open design. The new pharmacy, including health and beauty items, is located across from the stores grocery section. The store also boasts a SmartStyle Family Hair Care salon, an arcade, and Walmart Wireless, which is a company-owned telecommunications store.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save customers time as they shop for everyday necessities at unbeatable prices,” said Bosworth. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

In an interview with Fergus Forum back in February, Bosworth said he’s excited that Walmart will continue to help maintain Fergus Falls’ status as a regional retail center, as well as assist with further growth of our community.

The Fergus Falls Walmart is located at 3300 Highway 210 W., which is across Mabel Murphy’s off of Interstate 94 exit 57, and is opened 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With determination, the participants of this year’s MS TRAM arrived in Fergus Falls on Thursday, July 29^th. Prior to arriving in Fergus Falls, the bicyclists had already ridden upwards of 250 miles.

Their journey began in Alexandria, and from there, went to Little Falls, Pequot Lakes, Wadena, with their last pit stop being in Fergus Falls before ending again in Alexandria.

Anna Kucera, with the National MS Society, said “They’ve really rolled out the red carpet” when talking about Fergus Falls.

During their stay in Fergus Falls, the bicyclists enjoyed the weather; however that couldn’t be said about some of the other days on their tour. According to one of the riders, Dave, they had experienced “hot, wet, windy, and sunny” weather during the duration of the trip.

After hundreds of miles of training, the weather was the last thing that would have stopped the bicyclists, though.

The majority of the 1,000 riders that participated in the event had biked hundreds of miles in preparation of the event. Tess Hohman, a member of the team “Pirates in Tight Pants”, said her as well as other members of her team started training as early as March.

While rain, as well as hundreds of miles of training can wear a bicyclists down, James, a member of the team Revolutions Per MN, who has also participated in this event for 10 years explained, “The inconveniences (of riding) are trivial compared to what people with MS have to go through”.

The majority of participants in this year’s TRAM, as well as past TRAM events, have family and friends who have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). For the participants of TRAM, it’s a great way for them to be able to spread the word about MS and raise funds for research.

Funds raised through MS TRAM help support programs and services for the nearly 10,000 people living with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and drive research for a cure.

Additional information about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is available at the MS Society’s website at http://www.mssociety.org.

An arrest warrant has been issued against twenty-three year old Benjamin James Stavaas, who is accused of slashing the throat of his dog, in Otter Tail County District Court on Monday.

Stavaas, of Battle Lake, was scheduled to make his first appearance in court Monday morning, however, neither Stavaas nor his attorney made it to court.

According to assistant county attorney, Heather Brandborg, the court wasted no time issuing a warrant for Stavaas’ arrest.

Stavaas has been accused of making a seven inch cut on the dog’s throat a month ago, and told authorities he did it because he could not stop the dog from chasing cars. Stavaas’ eight month old German Sheppard/Pit Bull mix survived, and is currently located in an animal foster home.

Stavaas is being charged with two felonies, two gross misdemeanors, as well as two misdemeanors related to incident.

Monday morning, upwards of 20 protesters gathered and demanded that Stavvas receive the maximum penalty allowed, which would be either two years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.

The case against Stavaas has gained global attention, as well. Nearly 1,500 people have signed an online petition calling for Stavaas to receive the maximum penalty (to sign the petition, go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Arrest-Benjamin-James-Stavaas-For-Attempted-Murder-Of-Star). A Facebook group has also been set up which is viewable by going to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=133949789969364

To contact the courthouse regarding this case, send a letter to:

Otter Tail County Court Administration

121 West Junius Ave. No. 310

Fergus Falls, MN 56537

After months of preparation, Lake Region Healthcare and Fergus Falls Medical Group have integrated and are now one organization known as Lake Region Healthcare.

Besides the obvious visual clues such as the new signs going up outside the facilities, integrating has included action behind the scenes as well. Interfacing two major computer systems, combining various departments and clinics that were part of the Fergus Falls Medical Group, including clinics in Ashby, Battle Lake, Westridge Mall, Wheaton, and Valley Clinic, are all in progress. Information for the various departments such as business office, labs, and human resources has also been combined.

“With the integration, Lake Region Healthcare now employs over 800 employees,” explains Lake Region Healthcare CEO Larry Schulz. Implementing the changes with the large number of employees was no small task, but many benefits, though subtle, will be seen by patients.

Marie Murphy, Lake Region’s business office director says now patients who register at the clinic for an appointment won’t have to reregister at the Lake Region Healthcare when they are referred for tests; patients will go directly to radiology, for example, and turn in their paperwork at the desk, rather than stopping at the registration desk first. “I think previously patients assumed that since both entities are in one building that they were working with the same organization and so have questioned why they have to register again,” Murphy explains. “From the patient’s standpoint this should be a time-saving benefit.”

Patients will also be able to talk with either the hospital or the clinic should they have registration and billing questions, since all the records are now on the same computer system. Patients may receive two explanations of benefits forms from their insurance company, but they will receive only one bill from Lake Region, Murphy says.

With integration Lake Region Healthcare is moving toward electronic health records. Electronic health records will eliminate the need for paper charts and enable staff to access a patient’s records from any location within the hospital or any of the clinic’s locations, Murphy says. “The important issue with the move to electronic health records is to simplify the process for the patient and not duplicate all the paperwork.”

Schulz says the need to move toward an electronic health record, getting computer systems to “talk” to each other, and the implementation of provider-based billing have initially created challenges in getting patients scheduled and registered in Clinic Services. “This has also created opportunities for us to design new processes that in the long run will best serve our patients,” said Schulz.

“I’ve been impressed by the resolve of members of our healthcare team to meet the challenges and form one organization to serve the health care needs of our area and strive to become Minnesota’s preeminent regional healthcare partner.”

The cost of a cafeteria lunch within the Fergus Falls Public School system will be increasing starting this coming school year. The decision was made at Monday’s school board meeting, where the motion was unanimously passed.

The increases are relativity low, however. Elementary school lunches will increase by a little over eight percent (a $0.15 increase) which will make the price be $1.70 per lunch. High school lunches will face a near eleven percent increase (an additional $0.20 per lunch) which will cost each student $1.85 per lunch.

Mark Lemke, a Fergus Falls School Board member) pointed out that Fergus Falls Public Schools still have the lowest price per school lunch in the area.

According to the Fergus Falls Daily Journal, elementary school lunches cost as much as $2.25 in Little Falls, and high school lunches approach the $2.50 mark in nearby cities as well.

An increase to the cost of lunch isn’t the only change to the lunch program in the Fergus Falls School District for the 2010-11 school year. Less than a month ago, the administration at the Fergus Falls Sr. High School announced they were ending a long standing policy of allowing Juniors and Seniors.

Plans to develop parts of the Regional Treatment Center (RTC) on the north side of Fergus Falls are moving forward. However, the controversial immersion school for Chinese students is unlikely to happen, after an update was given to the Fergus Falls City Council.

Initially, the group known as Campus Development Group (CDG) had plans to create a cross-cultural learning institute aimed to bring Chinese students to the United States. With the recent economic downturn, as well as changes to the administration amongst the partner colleges, the immersion school is looking unlikely.

The cross-cultural learning institute had plans to utilize the iconic Kirkbride building. If outside investors or the Campus Development Group (CDG) are unable to find a use instead of the originally planned immersion school, that building will be demolished.

The Campus Development Group (CDG) is now planning on renovating the building on Parcel A into townhomes, with additional construction of residential buildings. For Parcel B, the group plans to develop that area into office and retail space.

Photo copyright KirkbrideBuildings.com.