General David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell

Since that induction, Broadwell has continued to add titles and accolades to her bio, the latest being author. Her focus for the past year has been “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus,” which began as her Ph.D. dissertation three years ago. In a few weeks, after she is finished with the initial promoting of her book, she will again become a PhD student, a virtual research assistant at Harvard, and an Army Reservist assigned as an assistant teacher at West Point. “Yes, I wear a number of hats,” said Broadwell. “But my most important title is mom and wife.”

Finding a balance between her professional and personal life is something Broadwell seems to excel at, just like everything else she attempts. “I was driven when I was younger…driven at West Point where it was much more competitive in that women were competing with men on many levels, and I was driven in the military and at Harvard, both competitive environments,” she explained. “But now, as a working mother of two, I realize it is more difficult to compete in certain areas. I think it is important for working moms to recognize family is the most important. It doesn’t mean you have to put all of your dreams, hopes and ambitions on hold. Just find a way to find a balance and, if you can, outsource the non-essential work.”

The following paragraph, written by Donna McAleer in Role Models / Honored Role (part 15): Paula Broadwell – Arc of a Driver, illustrates how the balance may come at a price:
“As a senior Army Captain, Broadwell cleared many of the hurdles to enter into the world of black operations. But despite deep professional satisfaction and a unique opportunity, Paula traded her active duty commission for one in the Army reserves. ‘It was my own inability to balance work and family. I had just become engaged. Entering black ops was a lifelong dream and I questioned the choice for sometime but soon realized I would find my way via other professional outlets, which I truly have! And I am blessed to have an incredible family life, and a sense of work-life balance. The important lesson for me is that you can have it all, just not all at the same time.’”

Broadwell couldn’t have accomplished all she has without extreme discipline and following her dreams. “I always wanted to be a public servant and work in international security,” she said. “I was just following my passion, I found a way to do that through the military, and now through war correspondence and book writing.”

THE BOOK
When Broadwell began to pursue a Ph.D. in 2008, her dissertation was to conduct a case study of Petraues’s leadership. After two years she realized there was a book in the making and spent another year embedded in Aghanistan observing Petraeus and his team.

What follows is an embed scenario and excerpt from the preface of “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus”

Broadwell spent quite a bit of time with this unit in the Arghandab, Kandahar Province:
An eerie calm fell over Bakersfield as the first of Flynn’s soldiers arrived at first light. Flynn, accompanied by members of his battalion staff and his personal security detail, set out on foot toward Bakersfield shortly before 8:00 a.m., following a convoy of engineers who were clearing the route of IEDs. But as Flynn approached, an IED detonated and the Taliban opened up with a barrage of small-arms fire. Then another IED went off and Flynn saw Specialist Michael L. Stansbery, 21, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, down on the road, injured by the blast. It had ripped his torso in half. A huge cloud of smoke hung in the air. Captain Andrew Shaffer, one of Flynn’s commanders, remembered how, at that moment, time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl. “Medic!” he heard someone shout. Radios crackled with reports of small-arms fi ring coming from the south.

Minutes later, yet another IED exploded, leaving two of Flynn’s sergeants bloodied and dazed. Then he saw Sergeant Kyle B. Stout, 25, of Texarkana, Texas, in the choking black smoke, gravely wounded on the road. His face was frozen, mouth open. There was a blank look on his face. Three limbs were gone. Shaffer knelt beside him and forced a tourniquet over exposed bone and pulled it tight on flaps of skin and muscle. He remembered thinking how strange it was that Stout wasn’t bleeding—his body was “shunting,”instinctively cutting off blood flow to its extremities in a last-ditch effort to protect its vital organs. Flynn knelt by his side and tried to talk him back to consciousness. A call went out for medevac. A Black Hawk helicopter soon landed in a field fifty meters to the northeast and evacuated Stansbery and Stout from the battlefield…
Flynn learned later, as the fighting raged and they maneuvered soldiers across the battlefield, that Stansbery, Stout and Pittman had died of the wounds they suffered in the opening moments of the battle. It soon became clear to them how important this simple crossing was to the enemy.
The fighting continued for five days before Flynn’s soldiers finally cleared the objective.
***

(from Preface)
I first met General David H. Petraeus in the spring of 2006, when I was a graduate student at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. After two tours in Iraq, including command of the 101st Airborne Division during the 2003 invasion, he was visiting Harvard to speak about his experiences and a new counterinsurgency manual he was developing as the three-star commander of the Army’s Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. It would get its first real test run a year later, during the surge in Iraq, with Petraeus himself in command.
 
I was among the students invited by the school to meet with the general at a dinner afterward, because of my military background. I, too, was a West Point graduate, and I had been recalled to active duty three times to work on counterterrorism issues in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. I had since joined the Army Reserve and begun graduate studies with the intent of returning either to active duty or to the policy world. I introduced myself to then–Lieutenant General Petraeus and told him about my research interests; he gave me his card and offered to put me in touch with other researchers and service members working on the same issues. I later discovered that he was famous for this type of mentoring and networking, especially with aspiring soldierscholars.

In 2008, I began to pursue a Ph.D. in public policy and to conduct a case study of Petraeus’s leadership. A few months into my research, General Petraeus, who was then leading Central Command, invited me to go for a run with him and his team along the Potomac River during one of his visits to Washington. I figured I could interview him while we ran. Soon I learned what Petraeus means when he says, “The only thing better than a little competition is a lot of competition!” My intent was to test him. I’d earned varsity letters in cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and finished at the top of my class for athletics at West Point; I wanted to see if he could keep stride during an interview. Instead it became a test for me. As we talked during the run from the Pentagon to the Washington Monument and back, Petraeus progressively increased the pace until the talk turned to heavy breathing and we reached a six-minute-per-mile pace. It was a signature Petraeus move. I think I passed the test, but I didn’t bother to transcribe the interview. I later
learned that, at the time, he was nearing the end of eight and a half weeks of radiation treatments for prostate cancer.
 
I intended for my dissertation to trace the key themes—education, experience and the role of key mentors—of Petraeus’s intellectual development and to examine these principles in action over his career. But when President Obama put him in charge of the war in Afghanistan in the summer of
2010, I decided to meld my research with an on-the-ground account of his command in Kabul—his last military command, as it turned out. He would again become the face of a highly unpopular war, with a surge of 33,000 U.S. troops deploying.
 
Petraeus had a year to make the gains in Afghanistan that the president would need in order to begin his promised drawdown of forces in July 2011. Every minute counted. He commanded from his fourteen-hundred-person headquarters in Kabul and traveled frequently throughout Afghanistan,
visiting the more than 150,000 soldiers from forty-nine nations, of which 100,000 were from the United States. By the fall he seemed to hit his stride. But every day in Afghanistan was hard, and no one was certain how it would end.
 

Broadwell in Zabul with school boys

This was the story I would report across several months in Afghanistan, observing Petraeus and his team, embedding with combat units, and interviewing dozens of senior officials, officers, soldiers and Afghans. I spent time with infantry, artillery, Special Operations Forces and other military and civilian elements. I reported from the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and the U.S. Embassy. I flew by helicopter to the sandy desert of Helmand Province, the jagged mountains of the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and Kandahar’s lush Arghandab River Valley. I broke bread with Afghan ministers, businessmen and barefoot villagers. I ate MREs and T-rations in the field with our soldiers, some of whom were my former peers or West Point classmates. I traveled with retired general Jack Keane on a theater-wide assessment in February, and I covered Petraeus’s trips back to Washington for his testimony on the war before Congress, his drawdown discussions with the White House, his confirmation hearing to become director of the CIA, and his last week in Kabul. Throughout, I had numerous interviews and innumerable e-mail exchanges with Petraeus and his inner circle.
 
One of Petraeus’s favorite quotes comes from Seneca, a first-century Roman philosopher: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This has been true for Petraeus at many turns; his greatest “luck,” however, might have been the opportunity to lead the world’s finest troopers over six and a half years of deployments since 9/11.
 
I’ve had some luck, too, with this endeavor, and I am grateful and wiser for the journey.

***

”I’m grateful to have had this book writing opportunity and eager to use the book to draw attention to those who have served and incurred battlefield wounds that have changed their lives forever,” said Broadwell. “I’m giving book proceeds to veteran support organizations that help troopers recover, especially from “invisible wounds.” 

Paula is married to Dr. Scott Broadwell; they have two very busy young boys, Lucien and Landon. They live together in Charlotte, NC, and when Broadwell is not on the frontlines, online, or writing lines, they love to run, ski, and surf together.

To order “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus” visit paulabroadwell.com
Visit Team Red White and Blue, a veteran support organization benefitting from the sale of “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus”

“Having a bunch of medals and badges doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve achieved anything, you’ve got to do something beyond yourself to make a difference in life. Seek to be consequential in whatever you do.” ~Paula Broadwell

About the same time, Smith was feeling a need to do something else, something with meaning. “I felt there was something I was supposed to be doing with my life,” she said. “I know now the rescue was what I was meant to do.”

Smith and her husband Steve own and operate a non-profit miniature horse rescue called Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue. Deciding to open the rescue took a bit of time. “I researched for over a year before acting on my dream,” said Smith. “It took me that long to work my husband over to get on board, too!”

But once Steve came on board he has not looked back. The couple find they work well together. Each has different talents and niches with the horses. “I am better as far as training and getting them to relax and adjust to their new homes,” said Smith. “I feel I just understand them and almost hear what they are saying to me.”

When Smith went to her lawyer to set up the non-profit organization, he was very skeptical of the need or demand for this type of rescue. Three days after the meeting, Triple H welcomed their first two horses. The rescue has brought in over 200 horses since 2007 and currently has 22 at the ranch.

When the opportunity arose to buy her husband’s family farm, they went for it and the horse rescue is located there. “We have had a lot of people come out and help with chores and updating the place,” said Smith. “We have volunteer night every Thursday and people can come out and help with chores and walk or groom the horses.”

Triple H has developed strict guidelines for adoptions and had good success with the process. “Most, but not all of the horses are broken and spiritless when they arrive and it can take a long time to get that spark back in their eyes,” explained Smith. “We want to make sure the horses go to a good home. Rescue is so much more than just taking the horse in and giving it food and water. You need to repair and rehabilitate and that can take months.”

Last year, a very special horse, Bella, was given to Alison as a gift. She is not a rescue horse, but she lives on the ranch and shares a pen with her buddy, Lilly. Bella is a tiny miniature horse and children are especially drawn to her. “She does have an attitude, but she knows when she is supposed to behave,” said Smith. “I have taught her some tricks, too. Last year she rang the bell (with her nose) for the Salvation Army and this year she learned to wave.”

‘Big-Hearted Bella Finds a Friend’ is the title of a new book authored by Smith and inspired by Bella. “My goal with the book right now, is to help children and the horses,” said Smith. “I really want to raise money to start a food bank for the horses, stockpile hay or take hay donations.”
She explained: “Many people who may have starving horses this winter don’t want to get rid of their horses – they don’t want to surrender them, but they may not be able to afford to feed them. It would be nice to be able to give them four or five round bales to get them through the winter. I also think it would be great if businesses buy the books and donate them so children who have been affected by disasters, are ill or mentally challenged can enjoy the books for free.”

(At the time of this interview, Bella and Smith were planning on traveling to the Red Cross shelter in Minot to donate some books to the children living there.)

For more information on the Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue, to donate, volunteer or buy books, visit hhhmhr.org. You can get updates on Bella at myminibella.org or visit her on facebook at facebook.com/bella.contessa.

The third weekend in May wasn’t much better, as our son Jonathan graduated from high school, and we also celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. I remember vaguely hearing one of my friends mention the word, sandbagging, at our son’s graduation party. However I was knee deep in the chocolate fountain by that time and didn’t give the discussion much thought at all!

We tumbled into bed early that next Monday night, too tired to care about anything but a decent night’s sleep when the phone rang. I could hear desperation on the other end as one of our friends begged Todd to please come and help sandbag another friend’s home. Sandbag? Was she serious? Was the threat of flooding that real and imminent? I thought to myself. Todd got up to leave and within three days the reality of the situation began to sink in when a group of St. Mary’s High School kids sandbagged our home, too.

This summer seemed so surreal. Everyone was begging for spring to arrive after surviving a horrendous winter, only to be followed by a treacherous summer of sandbagging and trying to stay ‘high and dry.’

Nadine Glur remembers that beautiful day in May extremely well. She was happily planting her first garden in their backyard. Like everyone on that Sunday, she too, was enjoying the warmth of the sun. It was during that afternoon she also received word about the impending flood. “It started out slow but it sure went fast,” Nadine recalls.

Her husband, Doug, came up with a plan, which they both agreed to follow. “I remember random people showed up from our church to help. Doug’s boss also called to see if he could help. The generosity of people was just overwhelming!” Nadine stated. The only time worry set in was when they remained idle.

Plans seemed to change daily as they began the process of building a dike with sandbags. What started out as a two- foot sandbag dike mushroomed into a six- foot high earthen dike. It became apparent that for their family’s safety they would need to leave their home.

When they attended church services Memorial Day weekend, Nadine noticed other members bringing their household possessions to be stored at the church or in other people’s homes. At that point, congregation members urged her to remove their belongings as well. She wondered how that could work with their huge dike already in place. A friend of theirs, who owned a roofing company, had just the answer. He set up a ramp over the dike, allowing them to move their furniture to higher ground.

At that moment Nadine was in awe of the wonderful people in her life! She and her family left their home that weekend. But before she could leave she knew she had one more thing to do. She went into her garage, found some boards and leftover paint, and quickly wrote the phrase, “In God’s Hands.” She then nailed it to a tree in their front yard and it gave her peace. At that moment Nadine thought to herself, “Ok, God, whatever you have, we’re ok with it. We did our best.” Little did Nadine know that her sign would become one of hope and peace for her neighbors and the community as well.

As Nadine was leaving, her neighbor, Isabel Hernaiz-Fernandez, was just returning home from visiting family in Mexico City. She had heard about the flood from her husband, Patricio, and son, Patrick, but nothing could prepare her for the sight she saw when she returned.

“ I came home to a husband who was tanned, thin, and muscular!” Isabel joked. He was extremely busy sandbagging and keeping their sump pumps going. They had not met a lot of their neighbors prior to the flood, but they knew all of them now. Fortunately, their family was able to stay in their home during the flood fight. It was quiet in their neighborhood, and Patricio would take Isabel out for rides on their four-wheeler. Isabel always took her camera along on those rides. “I was angry at the time. I felt so trapped by the river,” Isabel recalled. She and her husband would pray for people and their homes as they passed by them.

One night they came across the sign, “In God’s Hands.” Isabel thought to herself. This family has got it right. It gave her the peace she needed to keep going.

Isabel often waited for the sun to set and would begin to take pictures of nature during the flood. “It gave me a purpose, and it challenged me to look for the beauty in the midst of pain,” she stated.

When Isabel had the pictures developed she was struck by how beautiful nature was even in the midst of the flood. She decided to make the pictures into a calendar. She wondered if there was a way that this calendar could help benefit others who had been affected by the flood.

In discussing her idea with friends, they all seemed very supportive of her idea of producing the calendar to sell and donating the proceeds to area flood victims.

Consequently, the calendars will be on display in October at Bob’s Photo, all Kirkwood Bank locations, and Walkers N’ Daughters Jewelers in the Kirkwood Mall. Proceeds from the Flood Fight Calendar will be given to the local United Way to aid flood victims based on need. The calendars could make a wonderful Christmas gift for friends and family members who want to help those still struggling from the flood damage.

All three of us were amazed by community spirit during this flood fight. People truly worked together to help one another under a very stressful situation. It reminded us of the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” We all agreed that it was a miracle that there was no loss of life due to the flood.

I believe that both Isabel and Nadine responded to the circumstances of the flood with trust and gratitude. They inspired me to look for the beauty all around, whether in a kind face of a stranger or friend, or in the wondrous awe of nature itself.

Shelly Preszler resides in Mandan where the West begins and friendly folk are plentiful.

Newcomers Board planning session

Try something fun, try something new, the Newcomers Club may be for you!

The members of the Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club extend their greetings and hope we have an opportunity to meet you personally at our monthly meetings. The clubs’ goal is to nurture fellowship and friendship, and membership is open to all women in the Bismarck-Mandan area.

Are you new to the area, experiencing a new life situation (empty nester, divorced, widowed, single, married), a new job, job relocation or just need a night out? The Newcomers Club could be what you are looking for.

Our purpose is to help women get acquainted with the city, meet new people and provide avenues for expression of your interests. You do not need to be new to the area to be a member. New people bring new ideas, enthusiasm and new personalities to our club – consider sharing them with us! Currently we have 106 members and are always looking for more.

Our club dates back to the 1950’s, starting out as the “Welcome Wagon” visiting new residents of Bismarck in their homes and giving them information. We became a non-profit organization in 1966, and changed our name to Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club in March 1993.

We meet at 7:00 pm the first Tuesday of each month, September thru May. Our schedule changes in November and December. Our meeting location is the Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 1143 N 26th Street, Bismarck ND (north entrance).

We have covered various subjects during our meetings, including women’s health issues, vacations outside the United States, women-owned businesses, gardening, birding, Dakota Stage productions, self defense, home decorating ideas and becoming an outdoor woman.

Our club also hosts events, such as a Bunko Bash, game night, flower planting, food drives, Christmas gift bags for residents of a local nursing home and donations to needy charities.

Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club holds a Charity Bucket Raffle in March. The event was started in 1954 to help various charities within the Bismarck-Mandan area. The raffle is our main fund raiser of the year, and we have helped some truly worthy causes and had a good time in the process. We receive donations from area businesses and club members, raise money by selling tickets and draw the lucky numbers! The event is open to the public and is located in the Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 1143 North 26th Street Bismarck ND. The date for next year is March , 2012.

Some of the charities that have benefitted from the Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club include: Parks and Rec, Red Cross, School of Hope, Girl Scouts, Dakota Zoo, YMCA, Charles Hall, Abused Women Resource Center, Central Dakota Humane Society, Ruth Meier’s Hospitality Home, Veterans Memorial Library, Welcome House, Bismarck-Mandan Food Pantry, Carrie’s Kids, The YES House, Tracy’s Sanctuary House, Sporting Chance, Manchester House, Christmas in April, Ronald McDonald House, Amber’s Dream and Cystic Fibrosis of ND.

We invite area ladies to join and have some fun. For information on the Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club and its activities please contact Irene Hoff (701-255-6693) or Irene Rankin (701-224-6755).

“Special Interest Groups” meet once a month September thru May, and some meet all year long. They include: Blizzards (ice cream anyone), Book Club, Bunko I, II and III (dice game), Creative Crafters, Couples Marathon Bridge, Get It Done (sewing group), Evening Social (meals, attend plays etc), Game Gals (board games and cards), Ladies Daytime Bridge, Ladies Marathon Bridge, Out & About (attend social functions around the area), Out to Lunch Bunch, Pinochle I and II, Sew N Sew, Show Biz (movie anyone), String Beads (learn to make bead jewelry), Texas Hold’Em, Winers (wine tasting), Winers II and Yakity Yaks (coffee group).

Irene Hoff is President of the Bismarck-Mandan Newcomers Club.

Schultz is probably best known for hits such as “Remember Me,” “He’s My Son” and “Letters From War.” He hinted that concert-goers will hear a wide variety of his music.

“This is a special date,” said Schultz. “ I just had a ‘Best of’ record that came out, I will be doing a lot of songs from that. But there is an opportunity, a chance, that I may do some of the songs we are doing on the ‘Letters From War’ Tour. There is also an instrumental record (Renaissance) I just came out with and we may do one or two of those songs in the show. We may share some of the footage from the ‘Letters From War’ tour, so that would be fun.”

Whatever he includes in the sets, the songs will strike a chord. “I write songs based on real life, songs that resonate with people,” said Schultz. “People can listen to them and think, that sounds like me or something I’ve done or someone I know.”

Many people familiar with Schultz’s music will agree. His songs always seem familiar and have a lot of meaning. They are easy to listen and relate to. His latest album, an instrumental, is a departure from his usual style.

“I had never done an instrumental record before,” explained Schultz. “My wife and I went to Europe, I did some concerts over there. I had just finished writing the book, ‘Letters From War’ and we were standing on the beaches of Normandy, and saw where my grandfather had served in World War II. It was a real honor to be there and as we were standing on the beach I started to get these melodies and I thought, ‘gosh, I think I’ve got an instrumental record in me.”

Welcome House is not the first organization to benefit from a Mark Schultz concert. He has a history of doing concerts for causes.

Schultz was adopted when he was two weeks old, and a few summers ago pedaled from California to Maine to raise money for the James Fund that aids widows and orphans. Along the way he would do concerts as fundraisers and raised over a quarter of a million dollars. “It’s always good for me to help organizations that are trying to help other people,” said Schultz. “It just feels right to me.”

Welcome House has seen an increase in people needing their services due to a variety of reasons, including the oil boom and flooding. They recently opened a shelter in Mandan, which is already turning people away.

Purchase concert tickets at Dan’s Supermarkets and the Rainbow Shop.
For more information on Welcome House visit welcome-house.net.

An immense number of sandbags were filled and hauled, hundreds of houses were cleared of precious belongings, and miles of protective structures were built through an enormous community effort in preparation for the Missouri River’s unprecedented flooding.

Although the physical effects of this historic event are at the forefront of the flood fight, many displaced and disrupted individuals, families and neighborhoods are also dealing with the mental strain of the flood.

“Disasters such as floods tend to increase stress levels for prolonged periods of time,” says Dr. Mark Doerner, a clinical psychologist with Medcenter One’s Mental Health Center. “This may first have increased when the initial predictions of the flooding started to circulate and could continue through clean-up. It could possibly last for some time afterward for those who lose property and possessions and will experience the stresses of grieving and rebuilding.”

Dr. Doerner says high levels of stress can take a toll on both the mental and physical health of an individual, and people often exhibit stress in different ways. The signs of stress may include:

• difficulty sleeping
• sleeping too much
• change in appetite
• weight loss or gain
• difficulty concentrating
• feeling irritable or on edge
• feeling disorganized or overwhelmed
• feeling anxious or afraid.

“Some people may feel empty, apathetic, defeated, or say they feel nothing. Others may be more angry than usual, argue more often, or stay angry longer,” says Dr. Doerner. “Many people experience a combination of these signs, and sometimes the signs change over time.”

He says it is important to find appropriate coping mechanisms to ensure the individual’s continued well-being. “Stress is a normal response to an abnormal situation,” says Dr. Doerner. “The first step to addressing a problem is to admit there is one. The next step is to identify what causes the stress and how stress affects a person mentally and physically. Then, it’s time to start doing things to reduce stress.”

This process is important to giving both the mind and body periodic breaks from stress. Dr. Doerner encourages those impacted by flooding to also remember to get adequate rest, continue with a routine and maintain close relationships.

Family and friends are important resources in dealing with stressful situations, says June Lehr, a home health nurse with Custer Health. “It’s very important to find someone you can talk to; a non-judgmental, good listener.”

Lehr herself has been displaced by the flood, having been evacuated from her home on Hoge Island. She says many people have made a difference in her coping with the flood’s impact on her life. This has ranged from friends simply asking her how she is doing to strangers offering to make her dinner in their home as a reprieve from living in a hotel.

“Sometimes we don’t think our smiles or greetings are making a difference, but they can make a big difference during times of crisis,” she says. “I don’t know why I am still standing, but I attribute that to my faith, my family and those surrounding me.”

Lehr says she has focused on keeping herself busy which, for her, means working as a nurse. “It has really been helpful to me to continue to help others.”

Dr. Doerner says one of the most important steps people can take to help those impacted by flooding is to listen. “It’s ok to ask if they want to talk about it,” he notes. “Many of us are reluctant because we don’t want to provoke any kind of pain in people we care about. Trust they will talk about it if they want to and know that talking about it, and being heard, is some of the best medicine available.”

Lehr says this type of help can also be found if an individual reaches out to a primary care provider, clergy or support group. “It is just important people know they are not alone in feeling this way and there is help out there.”

In addition, immediate help is available by calling 211 and asking for information about mental health counseling. “The important thing is to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling,” says Dr. Doerner.

Mental health in times of crisis is just as important as physical health. “Our minds and our bodies are inseparable and intertwined,” Dr. Doerner notes. “Most people won’t wait long to see a doctor if they have a chronic ache. Why not get some help when you’re feeling uncomfortably anxious, sad, scared, or angry? Your mental health is at least as important as your physical health, maybe more so.”

Children are also affected by stressful events and Dr. Doerner says the stress experienced by children is directly related to how the important adults in a child’s life are being affected by their own stress.

Young children may have difficulties separating from caregivers and be more emotional or demanding. Children in elementary grades may have more anxiety, sleep problems, mood swings, and be less consistent in their behavior. Older children may exhibit many of the same signs of stress seen in adults.

“Most children can be expected to have less knowledge of and less experience with ways of coping with stress than an adult,” he says. “On a positive note, most children can learn effective stress-busting strategies rather quickly.”

Dr. Doerner says the ultimate goal in a time of crisis is to find and use healthy ways to manage stress. “Sometimes disasters, no matter what form they take, create opportunities for us to improve ourselves over time,” he notes.

Lehr says it is also important to remember, as a community, everyone is dealing with the stress caused by the flood and needs to support each other. “We’re all in this together,” she says. “Although some people were not affected directly, we all need to be here together.”

For additional information contact the Medcenter One Mental Health Center at 701-323-6543 or Custer Health at 701-667-3370.

Mental Health Resources
There are many mental health resources available in the Bismarck-Mandan area. The following are just a few of those in the community:

American Red Cross West Dakota Chapter
701-223-6700

Archway Mental Health Services
701-530-7300

Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health
701-355-1540

Medcenter One Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center
701-323-5626

Mental Health America ND
701-255-3692West Central Human Services
701-328-8888
701-328-8899 (24 hour Crisis line)

Website Resources for Information and Support
apa.org/helpcenter
ag.ndsu.edu/flood
LiveYourLifeWell.org
medcenterone.com/flood2011
redcross.org
redriverresilience.com

IW: The ‘2 Friends Tour’ is not the only thing you are doing this year, you are also touring on your own, correct?
AG: I am touring more this year than I have in a long time, part of that was the inspiration to tour with Michael. Last summer we did a show together in Detroit and enjoyed it so much, that night we got our calendars out and said, ‘how soon can we do this again?’
I looked at the calendar a couple weeks ago, and realized I had 70 shows between now and the end of the year. I haven’t done 70 shows in a year since Vince and I were married.

IW: Is there anything you ‘never leave home without?’
AG: I think I’ve left everything! I would like to say my guitar, but I actually went to film a concert, got to the airport and forgot my guitar! One of the crew lived close to the airport, so he ran and got his guitar, so I borrowed his.
I figure just showing up is what matters! You can just about borrow anything else – clothes, a bible, you can borrow a guitar, but you can’t not show up.

IW: Your latest CD, ‘Somewhere Down The Road’, is a wonderful collection of songs that a lot of women can relate to. Was there a specific message you were trying to convey when you recorded it?
AG: My intention with this last record was to do a collection of songs that describe the journey of life. We are seeing our children grow up, celebrating good times and hard times.
My mom, who passed away in April of this year, when I think about her, I think about her approach to life. It was never, ‘life was going to be easy,’ but during a tough time it was, ‘well, I guess now we’re going to see what God’s mercy looks like from this angle.’
She was always so encouraging. When I was a little girl, she would say things like, ‘Amy, if you can learn to be loved by the Holy Spirit, your life will be more exciting than any secret agent you’ve ever seen.’

IW: What is the format of the concert, do you sing alone and together?
AG: There is no opening act. Michael and I have two different bands. I host the first half of the show and he hosts the second, but we share time together on stage.

Editor’s Note: Grant said there would be a mix of old and new favorites, as well as songs that have made it big on the Pop charts.

Her love of horses encouraged Mandan cowgirl Britany Fleck to start competing early. As she moved cattle and helped out at home, she started riding in youth rodeos. Stepping through the ranks of youth rodeo through high school and college, she dreamed of one day riding professionally. Fleck also began to realize the importance of developing a strong partnership with her horse. “You have to be in sync with them to be tough in competition,” she said.

While in college, Fleck trained her horse ‘Rootie’, fostering a strong relationship between the two of them. Stepping up to the plate to care for a horse requires dedication. In addition to riding and brushing her horses, she waters them, feeds them and cleans up after them; all keep Fleck moving and help to keep her fit and physically prepared for this lifestyle.

“From carrying water buckets and lifting bales to cleaning stalls, cleaning the trailer and riding, horse care is hard work,” Fleck said. “As we travel [to rodeo competitions], we are faced with locating and purchasing hay, which can be both challenging and expensive while we’re on the road.”

Horses need regular exercise and proper nutrition, particularly when competing. While Fleck works out at a gym and takes a daily vitamin, her horse relies upon her for regular workouts and supplements. Rootie has hay in front of her all the time, takes a platinum performance supplement, chomps on omelene grain and takes in ample water. Along the way, Fleck changes up the routine, ensuring Rootie is in optimal health. And she shares what she learns with cowgirl Kennedi Kautzman.

“In rodeo both the horse and rider need to be healthy,” Kautzman said. “The real athlete is the horse, so as riders, we treat them like an athlete by conditioning and feeding them properly. They take nutrients and vitamins, just as we do. It’s a huge team effort between rider and horse.”

Kautzman knows how to work hard physically. She regularly walks out and back to catch the horses at pasture before carrying five gallon buckets of water to each of five horses. Five-mile lawn trots (daily) as well as carrying grain, exercise both the rider and horse. And she’s not nearly finished with her chores.

“Kennedi goes directly to the barn after school each day,” mother Jodi Kautzman said. “She cares for each horse then practices each individual event with her own. When she practices goat tying, she rides up, dismounts, runs to the goat, ties it off and keeps moving. There isn’t a lot of down time for her, no time to get in trouble.”

Kautzman pays attention to staying nutritionally sound as she travels. Staying hydrated is her first priority, with plenty of water and sports drinks. “We eat a lot of meals right in our living quarters instead of always eating out as we travel,” she said. She works hard with her horses year round, yet enjoys swimming and hanging out with friends in the summer in addition to volleyball and basketball seasons.

Despite the competitive nature of rodeo as a sport, Kautzman finds she has a true role model in Fleck. “She’s become such a good friend to our family and we trust her to know how to best keep horses healthy and which feeds work best,” Kautzman said. “She’s such a great cowgirl that inspires so many cowgirls out there. I find that I’m aspiring to be like her.”

Fleck and Kautzman have become friends and spend time together when at home. Fleck rides professional rodeo and currently holds the 15th position in the world for barrel racing. As a career, she’s riding and traveling with Rootie year round across the nation and into Canada, and hopes to find herself at Las Vegas for nationals.

Kautzman is right behind her. Stepping stones take area youth from the Mandan Horse & Saddle Club to the junior high and high school levels. She’s preparing to enter the North Dakota High School Rodeo Association this fall as she enters high school.
Both young women are determined to stay healthy, ride and compete at professional levels. Kautzman’s hard work is paying off – she’s the 2010 and 2011 Girl’s All Around State Champion, 2009, 2010, 2011 Barrel Racing State Champion, 2010 Pole Bending Champion, 2011 Girl’s Goat Tying State Champion and 2011 Ribbon Roping State Champion (with partner Trey Huber). As a woman in professional rodeo, Fleck is limited to barrel racing, where she is placing in world ranks. Their hard work and dedication to both their own health and that of their horses is paying off. These gals are living their dream and focusing to achieve their ultimate goals in rodeo. For Fleck, that’s making it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas; for Kautzman, it’s the National High School Rodeo Association.

What is the difference between an artist and a crafter? A debate lies therein. Some might say that an artist creates what you put on your walls to decorate your home or workplace whereas a crafter creates functional art, something handmade that you can wear like a skirt or a handbag.

Genevieve Fisher, who owns Diva Dimensions and will vend for her fourth season at Urban Harvest this summer, believes that we are all artists. We just need the confidence to find and do our art.

About vending at Urban Harvest, Fisher says, “Everyone is afraid that their stuff isn’t good enough or thinks their stuff won’t sell. Don’t give up. Just jump in and do it.”

An open-air street market in downtown Bismarck, Urban Harvest is held six consecutive Thursdays beginning July 14. The market features the work of local artists, crafters, food vendors and service providers and is currently accepting vendor applications.

The goods
While many Urban Harvest vendors are continuing traditions passed down over several generations, others are entrepreneurial HGTV junkies. What they have in common is you won’t find any idle hands among them.

Andrea Ficek has been vending at Urban Harvest since its inception in 2005. She describes her style as “hip granny” and for good reason. Her grandma, who lived on a farm near New England, N.D., taught her how to sew. A quilter, she would set Ficek up with small sewing projects like working on a quilt square, embroidering a dishtowel or doing cross-stitch.

“After I learned how to sew, I wanted to put my own spin on it. I started making A-line skirts and handbags. I make pouches, jewelry, hats and headbands.”

Ficek continues, “I also like to create functional things like bags or things to keep you warm. My signature things are probably hats. I’m getting more familiar with knitting and lettering which is fun because you can make it more personalized.”

In the same vein, Fisher says she attended her first arts and craft show with her parents, who were tending their booth, when she was one month old. Over the years, Fisher’s mother taught her various handiworks such as sewing and embroidery and her father taught her how to paint.

Integral to Fisher’s art is upcycling, a national trend that gives new life to otherwise discarded items. One of her signature items is a project bag, a trendy duffle bag with lots of pockets for carting scrapbooking supplies, knitting projects or craft items from site to site. For one bag, she used an old necktie, an outdated sweater and several fabric remnants inherited from her grandmother to complete the project.

Another of Fisher’s signature items is a one-size-fits-all wrap skirt that can be worn as a dress or a skirt. Primarily using silk saris brought back from India and given to her by a craft show friend, each wrap skirt is a one of a kind.

Pam Berge owns P.S. Retro, a furniture upcycling business. A self-described HGTV and garage sale junkie, ideas are not the problem, it’s time! Berge is also co-owner of Nightlife Music with her husband Rick, works at the Waterford retirement community and DJs on the weekend. A grandmother to boot, this woman does not like sitting still. Vending at Urban Harvest is a great fit for her.

“My hobbies got me into [upcyling furniture]. I love rummage sales. I found this cute little side table. I painted it light blue and put a new knob on it. I used a little wallpaper. It turned out so cute!”

Berge retrofits weathered benches and can turn a forgotten end table into a dog bed. She’ll dress up a chair with a fresh coat of paint and use a funky fabric as a seat cushion. One of her specialties is transforming old coffee tables into ottomans.

“It’s so easy!” says Berge. “The key to my stuff is that people could do it on their own, but they don’t have time and they don’t want to. It’s like baking. I don’t like to bake. That’s why you have bakeries!”

The experience
Working on Medcenter One’s oncology floor is Fisher’s full-time job, doing alterations on the side brings in extra income, and Urban Harvest she says, “is just fun.” Even better, Fisher makes good money at it. “It’s lucrative for me,” she says.

Ficek looks forward to the Urban Harvest feeling. “I really like being downtown,” she says. “It just feels special. You just get to sit in the middle of the street all day. I usually bring a little project to work on while I’m there. The music and the people…the feeling of community is really nice.”

“It’s a really great community experience,” concurs Alice Ospovat, a tie-dyed clothing vendor at Urban Harvest since 2007 and co-owner of Parallax Computer and Games in Bismarck. “I am kind of a shy person and I wasn’t sure I’d be good at selling. It’s been really good for me.”

Berge got a consignment deal with One World Boutique on her first day vending at the market. The owner, Monte Schmidt, who has stores in Bismarck, Fargo and St. Paul, came up to her and said, “I want, that, that, that and that. And the rest of it, when you’re done, I want you to bring down to my store.”

“’What store?!’ was my response and ‘who is this guy?!’” she laughs. With consignment items in Schmidt’s Bismarck and Fargo stores with plans to get into his St. Paul store, vending at Urban Harvest provided Berge with a valuable connection. “Unless you have your own store, how else do you get this out to the public?” she adds.

Furthermore, despite drawing smaller crowds than the Downtowner’s annual street fair or Mandan’s Art in the Park, Berge says that Urban Harvest is just as lucrative for her.

“I did better [at Urban Harvest]. I gave out so many business cards. I had such a good response from the people who came to look. I got so many calls. Everyone was so positive.”

How to prepare
Getting ready for the market is about finding time to create. Berge produces slowly during the winter one piece at a time in her basement and then mass-produces when she can work barefoot in her yard not having to worry about paint fumes. Ospovat finds time in the evening after her kids are in bed or on weekends when they can help.

Ficek says she tries to build up a stock beginning at least a few months before hand. “One summer I actually just vended at Urban Harvest and was able to live on that.”

According to Ospovat, “Urban Harvest is how we got the tie-dye business started in the first place. Urban Harvest is the main thing I do every year.”

Even though Ospovat sells a lot, she is still learning the business. For example, she’s learned not to buy too much inventory because fashions change. She says, “The things I think are going to sell don’t necessarily sell. I’ve also learned that I always sell out of 4T dresses.”

About getting ready for market, Ospovat shares, “One of the advantages of tie-dye is you can do it in a short time. In one evening, three to four hours of work, I can make 20 to 30 items. In five to 10 evenings, I’m ready.”

Berge says she brings about 30 pieces to each market because that is how much she can fit under her tent. She explains she notices patterns from week to week and prepares for each market accordingly. “The things that sold, I’d run with that. Oranges and purples – the retro colors – were big sellers.”

Ficek, who was 20 when she started vending at Urban Harvest, is committed for her seventh season. A loyal participant, she says, “As long as I live in Bismarck, I will vend at Urban Harvest. An all-local market is such a good idea. I just want to see it continue.”

Amanda Mack is a local writer who perpetually buys 4T tie-dye dresses at Urban Harvest each summer.

Amber Des Roches was just 11 years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia, and she spent four years in and out of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital. While undergoing treatment, Amber envisioned a place where children could escape from their illnesses and be comfortable as opposed to a regular hospital setting.

“She had a lot of imagination, (and) could dream up a lot of ideas and stories,” said John Des Roches, Amber’s dad.

Despite a courageous battle with cancer, Amber died just days before Christmas in 2007. In the face of unbearable grief and sorrow, Amber’s family was reminded of how the teenager often talked about transforming the Medcenter One Children’s Hospital.

The Des Roches family brought Amber’s journals, which outlined her plan for the hospital, to Medcenter One. It was then that the ideas Amber dreamed about were put in motion.

“The Medcenter One leadership team had a plan for the Children’s Hospital, and then along came Amber and her dream and her inspiration,” said Dr. Craig Lambrecht, Medcenter One president/CEO.

Amber’s vision largely revolved around the story of Peter Pan, hence the pirate ship nurses’ station and similar motifs in the project.

The ship, created by artists Hans Gilsdorf of Detroit Lakes and Dwight Williams of Fargo, is built so the desk is at children’s eye level. Portholes dot the ship’s hull, and each porthole features a different hands-on activity for children, such as a marble maze or a three-dimensional scene where children can move an alligator back and forth to sink a small ship.

“It’s exciting,” said Randi Schaeffer, Medcenter One Children’s Hospital manager. “Amber shared with us the dream she had for all children. And thanks to her vision, it has become a children’s center like no other.”

Ever since Schaeffer started working as a pediatric nurse 35 years ago, she’s had a vision of what the perfect environment to promote healing for children would be.

“When children’s fear of the unkown is addressed and a trust relationship is developed in an environment that is developmentally appropriate, that fear turns into a positive lifetime experience. Schaeffer said

“The power of distraction can reduce pain, eliminate fear and promote healing,” said Dr. Rafael Ocejo, a Medcenter One neonatologist and pediatrician. “It has been proven through research that children whose minds are occupied recover more quickly than those who are simply provided medical care in a sterile, unimaginative setting.”

Being a child herself, Amber knew the importance of understanding children’s needs. Her vision for how to best care for children sparked overwhelming community support for the project.

“This is exactly what fundraising should be,” said Carrol Meyers-Dobler, the executive director of the Medcenter One Foundation. “It’s not about raising money. It’s about making dreams come true.”

When its transformation is completed, Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will feature family centered rooms that will provide ample space for parents to stay overnight with their children, a sea-themed treatment room that will give children the illusion of swimming underwater, a large play area, a room with electronics and other activities for teenagers and the Meddy Bear Night Sky with fiber optic stars and shooting stars.

Amber’s dream has brought magic to the Medcenter One Children’s Hospital. Her vision will help children and their families better cope with illnesses and injuries for many generations to come.

“We all knew Amber when she was alive. We all became close to her as we do with all the children that are here,” Schaeffer said. “But Amber we’re getting to know more and more even after she passed away. Looking and reading the book that she was so faithful to, she’s here with us because she’s sharing what she wanted so badly for all children.”

In total, the renovation of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will cost right around $1 million. The Foundation still needs to raise roughly $40,000 of that. To learn more about Amber’s Dream or to make a donation, visit medcenterone.com/ambersdream or call the Foundation at 701-323-8450.