When Jane Jesperson heard about the Agricultural Commissioner’s challenge to raise 500,000 pounds of food, she got busy. “My daughter has worked with the homeless in Portland,” said Jesperson. “They have gardens there and I felt called to start a garden.”

With the help of 15 other ladies, the Friendship Garden has thrived in its spot in the Bismarck Community Gardens. “We voted on what to plant and take turns weeding,” explained Jesperson. “Two ladies take two week periods to go down and take care of the garden.”

The women planted the onions, carrots and potatoes in the rain. They received many gardening tips and their plot is producing a bumper crop of vegetables.

The group plans to distribute the produce to local non-profit organizations. Jesperson already has a plan for harvest: “We will get together for Stone Soup and then all go down to harvest.”

The Friendship Garden, by Don Walz

Coming from a Salvation Army Advisory Board meeting
The treasure, I found going to the Community Gardens
Five smiling friends working in their garden plot
Looking for a camera operator

Smiling faces and dirty hands, coming away from the garden
All fenced in, planting complete, feeling good
Now God will make it grow, with Sun and Rain showers
Gratitude for being able to care for this plot with friends

Relationships blossom
Finding togetherness, doing good, inspires one another
Feeding the hungry by giving to the food pantry
Harvesting will be a delight, bringing fruits from the Friendship Garden

Friendship Garden, one of many in the Hunger Garden
So fitting to be part of a caring community
BEST HARVEST OF ALL IS BONDING WITH FRIENDS

Beauty of God’s creation

Friendship Garden

We finally put the next issue to print today. We have some great relationship stories to share and I really love the recipe page.

We are also introducing our “Who Inspires You” contest. This is all about finding some great stories to share. That is what Inspired Woman is all about – sharing stories that warm the heart. I hope you will be inspired.

What will they think of next!

This weekend was one I wished would never end. It was a gathering of friends and full of laughter, some tears, reminiscing and lots of great food.

As I sat and watched the designated ‘chefs’ last night, I had an idea! Why not write down their recipes and use them in the next issue of Inspired Woman? And so, I did. The Lavash was amazing, the Salad so full of flavor and the Pesto Pasta (as Uncle Jim would say) to die for. You will love them all. And, they are very easy to prepare.

The only thing missing was dessert and I can’t believe I didn’t bring any chocolate along. Not that we needed any more calories, but it would have topped off the feast quite nicely.

A little more information about this weekend – a few of us from high school got together at my friend’s cabin on Lake Metigoshe. We all have/or are turning 50 this year and decided we should throw ourselves a party.

The weather was perfect. We cooled off in the water, had a thunderstorm roll through, roasted some marshmallows in the rain and danced to Earth Wind and Fire. The memories will last forever. I only wish this weekend could have.

Whether you like them gooey or cakey, nutty or plain, frosted or dusted with powdered sugar, it is hard to resist a rich chocolate brownie. No doubt you have your favorite recipe, maybe the one you got from your mom or grandma, and you’ve been using it for years, but there’s always room for improvement, right?

Every good baker will tell you if you use good ingredients you have won half the battle. Most brownie recipes call for melted butter. The best butter to use in dessert recipes is unsalted butter. It tends to be fresher and more predictable than salted butter. Several companies known for good quality chocolate (Ghirardelli and Scharffen Berger, for example) make excellent cocoa powder. Hershey’s offers a “special dark” cocoa with a richer chocolate flavor than their traditional cocoa powder. Many brownie recipes call for either espresso powder or left-over cold coffee, both of which will enhance the chocolate flavor. For a special dessert following a Mexican meal, add a few teaspoons of cocoa chili blend to your brownie mixture. This is a McCormick product that includes chipotle peppers.

Move beyond walnuts and pecans to add decadence and crunch. Stir in mini peppermint patties, melted caramel, peanut butter dollops, raspberry preserves, chopped pretzels or macadamia nuts. Ubiquitous chocolate chips can be upgraded by using chocolate chunks or mini chocolate baking bars, toffee bits, peanut butter chips, butterscotch bits, or swirled morsels.

Always use the pan size recommended in your recipe, especially for brownies, which are notorious for developing over-done edges. They’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out barely moist. To ease removal from the pan, line the pan with foil slings. Grease two strips of foil well, press them carefully into the pan letting the ends extend beyond the edges, and once the brownies have cooled slightly you can easily lift the entire batch from the pan.

Specialty pans can be used to make brownie pops. Insert sticks mid-way in the baking process so the brownies can be dipped in melted chocolate and eaten like lollipops. Without a stick, the pops are a simple version of a petit four and portion control is facilitated! Small pans, such as a muffin pan or a shortcake pan, create lovely individual servings that can be topped with ice cream and hot fudge.

Cut brownies made in a traditional baking sheet with tall cookie cutters or a specialty combo cutter that will cut several triangles or ovals with one cut. Once the brownies are cut and the crumbs are brushed off, place the cut-outs on a cooling rack sitting in a baking sheet. Prepare a chocolate ganache that can be poured over the brownies for a smooth, glossy finish.

Before the ganache fully sets, sprinkle with toasted coconut, toasted chopped nuts, mini M & M’s or sprinkles appropriate to the occasion.

One of the easiest toppings for a pan of brownies is a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Use a fine mesh sieve to create a light top coat. For a special touch, before dusting with powdered sugar place a stencil, such as a lacy paper doily, on top.

Brownies store and pack well. Bundle up a few and pass them along to someone you appreciate – your mailman or UPS deliverer, barber or beautician, mother-in-law or son-in-law, co-workers or boss, neighbors or book club friends – or anyone you want to surprise.

Ganache

Heat 2/3 c heavy cream to simmer. Pour over 4 oz bittersweet chocolate cut into chunks. Whisk until smooth. Small quantities of various flavorings, such as peppermint extract, can be added. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and pour over cut-outs. Spread with off-set spatula to smooth and cover edges. Refrigerate to set.

The world is filled with causes, and folks hop on board with a humanitarian spirit – whether working behind the scenes to plan an event, participating in a sponsored walk /run or as a recipient of the monies raised. Locally, groups brainstorm for ways to help their event stand out as well as to raise significant amounts of funds for various causes. Here are just a few.
1) To celebrate lives of people who have battled cancer, to remember lost loved ones or to fight this disease, teams raise money throughout the year as they gear up for a 12 hour walking event each spring. Nearly seventy teams competitively strive to raise the most by hosting local rummage or brat sales as well as gathering cash donations, goods and services.
The ‘Begging for a Cure’ team raised more than $24,000, then joined other teams to set up booths, camp out and walk the opening survivor lap on June 5, 2010 with 250 survivors and more than 700 participants. Because cancer never sleeps, Relay for Life teams share the responsibility of maintaining at least one walker on the track at Century High School – at all times through the night. Total dollars raised: $289,000 – with an additional $60,000 in ‘in-kind’ scholarships. The American Cancer Society utilizes the money raised from this event to bring programs and services to patients throughout the state, such as wig or prosthesis programs or volunteer and advocacy programs for local legislators to request federal monies for research. *Information: SaraHaugen, 250.1022.
2) Every spring, riders pump legs as they compete – atop stationery bikes – in order to give 82 cents from every dollar raised back to children and families of cerebral palsy. Home renovations, van repairs/modifications, wheelchairs and accessories, therapy and medical services are necessities to individuals with cerebral palsy, and are not always covered by their insurance plan. To bridge the gap in these expenses, the Medcenter One Foundation holds the Great American Bike Ride (GABR) bringing 1,000 sponsored riders to Century High School to pedal for twenty-five minutes each. Teams raised $225,000 during the April 10, 2010 event. *Information: Tressie Wiley at 323.8452 or Bruce Klootwik (committee chair) at 223.6991
3) The Sam McQuade Sr./Budweiser Charity Softball Tournament brought $76,000 to sixty local charities in 2009, after softball teams from thirteen states played ball in Bismarck. Teams pay entrance fees, spectators pay gate fees and folks donate money at this annual event. The first tournament attracted 103 teams, and this year, a record-setting 472 teams competed in the 35th Annual event. Over the years, the Budweiser Clydesdales have made occasional appearances, as teams and spectators bring money into the community for food, lodging, and shopping. *Information: Shannon McQuade at 223.6850
4) Sponsored by the Missouri Valley Optimist Club, the Kroll’s Diner Bismarck Marathon benefits a number of area charities. 2010 charitable organizations include: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Bismarck/Mandan, YMCA Strong Kids, Charles Hall Youth Services and the ALS Association. Held each September, runners take their mark as well as cross the finish line at Sertoma Park. Whether running the 5K, full marathon, a half marathon or a relay, runners are attracted from across the US and Canada to set personal records or might be used as a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration fees range from $20 5K walk/run – $210 for mail in relay team registration. This year, the Kroll’s Diner Bismarck Marathon will award $1500 to any man or woman who establishes a new marathon course record and $250 for a half marathon record. *Information: www.bismarckmarathon.com .
5) A Thanksgiving tradition for many, the Turkey Trot encourages families to get up and get moving before they tackle that turkey dinner. Beginning at the Bismarck Elks Club, this event offers turkeys or pumpkin pies to winners of prize categories. Since it’s geared to be a family affair, both a 5K and 10K run are offered as well as a 5K competitive walk and a ‘fun walk’. Over $50,000 was raised in 2009, by a record-breaking 1249 participants, making this a very worthwhile event for the Cystic Fibrosis Association of North Dakota. *Information: Ken Karls at 222.3998
6) The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk (R) puts walkers on either a one- or three-mile route to participate in a fight against Alzheimer’s. The goal is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, care and support. Generally held in September, this walk/run takes place at Sertoma Park. *Information: http://memorywalk10.kintera.org .
7) The Mandan Dakota Lions Club raised $2800 in their first annual Strides Walk for Diabetes on May 22, 2010. The club fundraised and sought scholarships from area businesses in order to raise diabetes awareness as well as to bring money to children of diabetes. Funds are used to help pay for admission to Camp Sue (diabetic children’s camp at Park River) or to help pay for low vision machines or other vision impairment technology devices. Held at Fort Lincoln State Park, participants walk or run a 3K or 5K. *Information: Steve Moore at 663.2333
Medcenter One Women’s Health Center holds an annual Arthritis Walk. 150 participants raised over $20,000 earlier this year as they walked or ran the 5K. Monies raised go to fund educational seminars or offer programming (aquatic, land-based or self-help) to the community. *Information: Kelly Brekke at 701.388.1988
9) Raising money for teacher mini-grants or Bismarck Public School PTO’s, participants in the Apple Dash Run/Walk 4 Education raised $12,000 in September for the 5K walk or run. Held at Hughes Educational Center and utilizing the Tom O’Leary walking trail, the Bismarck Public Schools looks forward to this family event – by bringing in music, magic, tacos in a bag and inflatables to culminate this family night out. Additionally, a ½ mile walk and a 1-mile walk/run are offered. *Information: http://www.bismarckschools.org/district/alumni-association/bps-foundation/apple-dash/
10) Caregivers, cancer patients and survivors celebrate life each fall at Bismarck Cancer Center’s (BCC) Applefest. Held each September, families come together to enjoy hayrides, entertainment, food, carnival games and inflatables as well as a silent auction. Although a fitness competition is not a component / piece of their planning, BCC looks forward to raising community awareness and raised $26,000 as a result of the 2009 celebration to be used directly for ‘Wrap-Around-Services” at BCC for patient and family expenses related to their care. (see related story, pg 15) BCC looks forward to this annual event to bring families, their staff and the community together to celebrate life. *Information: Amy Gross at 222.6100

Anne Mahlum

By Kylie Blanchard

It is easy to think of change in monumental terms and to find inspiration in the leaps and bounds others make in their lives. But sometimes the most defining moments are those when a person simply puts one foot in front of the other and takes the first steps towards positive change.

Anne Mahlum, a Bismarck-native, is making big changes in some of the country’s largest cities with a step-by-step approach to combating homelessness. She is founder and president of Back on My Feet, a non-profit organization that promotes self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging individuals in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.

Founded in 2007 in Philadelphia, the organization now has chapters in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Boston; along with plans to expand to Chicago in the fall. In June, Mahlum also announced the first three of five expansion cities for 2011: Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

For many years, running has been a key component in Mahlum’s life. She has completed nine marathons and has a goal to run a marathon on every continent. “Running has always had an impact on me and it is something I do everyday. It continues to be the core of what I do personally and professionally,” she says.

Running was an activity she first turned to when dealing with a struggling time during high school. “Sometimes you have to be on the bad roads to get to the good roads,” Mahlum says, sharing one of the many lessons she’s learned from the sport.

While living in Philadelphia, following the completion of her master’s degree, she began to realize running could teach many others the same lessons. On her daily run in the city, Mahlum passed a homeless shelter. Beginning with a smile and wave from a distance, she soon developed a rapport with the men standing outside the shelter.

One morning an idea stopped her in her tracks. With a call to the shelter and support from the community and the media, the city’s first homeless running club began at 6 a.m. on July 3, 2007.

Mahlum gives credit to her North Dakota roots in making the initial contact with the shelter residents and says people are often surprised to hear she reached out to the men outside the facility. “I’m from North Dakota. I wave at a lot of people and talk to people I don’t know,” she explains. “Those are Midwestern values you don’t see in a lot of big cities.”

Back on My Feet now boast a total membership of 850 participants. Of that total, 200 are residential members who got involved with the organization while living at a partnering transitional facility and 650 are non-residential volunteer members. The organization now also has a twenty member staff and a $3.4 million operational budget.

Mahlum says a team approach is key to the residential members’ success in the organization’s programs. Along with running, programs also include job training and educational and housing assistance. “The running component of the program is built around commitment and teamwork, and gets people ready for those next steps,” she says. “It is coupled with a positive support system and there is this pride aspect that sets in. You become a part of this family.”

Back on My Feet teams run together three days a week starting between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. and all members are required to attend each day in order to build a community of love, hope, trust, friendship, encouragement and support within their team. “Running three times a week at 5:45 a.m. isn’t always easy,” notes Mahlum. “But you keep pushing and that is how life works.”

After two months of participation in the program, residential members with at least 90 percent attendance move into the Next Steps phase. Members work with the organization to determine the next steps in their lives and are offered assistance with job training programs, educational scholarships and housing.

Since 2009, 250 Back on My Feet members have enrolled in job training, received employment, or moved out of the shelter. In addition, more than 55 members have completed a half or full marathon.

Back on My Feet is supported by donations, events, and corporate and foundation support. In addition, individuals can support the organization in a number of ways. Back on My Feet merchandise is available for purchase online, with all proceeds going to the organization. “It’s a brand we are building to promote the organizations,” notes Mahlum.

Runners from across the country can also enter any race on behalf of Back on My Feet and raise funds for the organization; and individuals can also make monetary donations directly to the organization. Mahlum has returned to Bismarck to speak at area schools and events, and appreciates the support the community has shown. “North Dakota has been great. It’s been nice to have the support of my hometown.”

In 2008, Mahlum was named one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of the Year. She was also chosen as one of Philadelphia’s 101 Young Connectors by Leadership Philadelphia and was Penjerdel’s Citizen of the Year in 2009. Mahlum regularly speaks on innovative ways of combating homelessness and she recently joined the Board of Directors of Goodwill, Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Mahlum, who in March moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. to lead that chapter’s expansion, says she is inspired daily by the members of Back on My Feet. “I am inspired when I see people trying really hard to do right by their lives,” she says, adding running is a way to show people they can accomplish anything. “I get inspired every time I see someone finish a race or run further than they have before. That is a really defining moment for a lot of people.”

For additional information on Back on My Feet, its programs or how to support the organization visit www.backonmyfeet.org.

From Peter Pan production. Photo by DeAnne Billings

Northern Plains Dance has come full circle. Formed as a dance school in 1998, Northern Plains Dance took a leap in 2001 and became a professional company. “In the summer of 2007, the board decided to turn the focus back to the school,” said Hollis Mackintosh, Director. “We have increased the professionalism, and our main focus now is the training, outreach and major stage productions.”

Mackintosh came to Bismarck in 2006 as a part of the professional company. “I really liked it here, so I stayed when they made the switch,” she said.

One of the ways Northern Plains Dance carries out its professional philosophy is in the way it approaches productions. “We don’t do any rehearsing for our productions in class time,” said Mackintosh. “That time is to learn the technique of the style of dance students are studying.”

The students try out for the productions by auditioning and students can choose to be in a production, or not. “Some students may have stage frightnot be feel that they are ready or be in a sport and can’t make the time commitment,” said Mackintosh. “It is also fun to see how the dancers, who may not be in the same classes, or even know each other, work together, too.!”

The Northern Plains Dance season productions areis a mix of full-length andor repertoire shows. They hire professional dancers as guest artists for two of the three performances at the Belle. “The guest artists become almost like faculty members,” said Mackintosh. “Our students will contact them for advice and that is really what I want when I am looking for guest artists.”

The students range in age from three to twenty-something. Northern Plains Dance offers the “standard” classes, such as Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet and Modern. “We also offer a large range of ‘social’ dance classes,” explained Mackintosh. “We did a wedding dance workshop in May that was so much fun. We also held a Salsa workshop and hold a lot of adult classes through BSC.”

All of the instructors, with the exception of one who teaches three-year-olds, are adults who have a lot of experience and professional dance experience. Some Mackintosh and Carly Schaub, the Education Coordinator both even havehold dance degrees and oversee the syllabus for all of the classes. There is a very high standard of teaching, adding to their professionalism.

Northern Plains Dance also accommodates all levels of dancers. If a twelve-year-old comes in and wants to learn Hip Hop, they will not be placed in a beginner class with three-year-olds. “We started a new class this year and it has been very successful – Teen Beginning Ballet,” explained Mackintosh. “We had a whole crop of young teens that have taken other classes and wanted to learn ballet. We don’t want to put older kids in with the younger ones. Their bodies are different and we want them to feel comfortable.”

Mackintosh feels very strongly about the importance of art in the community. “I feel pretty lucky that I get to see that at all levels,” she said. “I get to see it at the performance level – seeing the audience coming in all excited, seeing the little girls wearing their crowns to the Nutcracker. Then I get to introduce young kids to the art of dance.”

Northern Plains Dance is a 501c3 funded by tuition, ticket sales, donations and grants. To learn more, visit their website at northernplainsdance.org.

Up until about twelve years ago, the Radiation Therapy Center was housed in Medcenter One. Patients from Medcenter One, St. Alexius and the surrounding area were treated there. The machines were in need of upgrading and the cost was tremendous, over 2.5 million dollars. The two hospitals got together and decided it would be in the best interest of the community to have a jointly owned center. The Bismarck Cancer Center served its first patient on October 13th, 1999.

“We feel fortunate to have a very supportive Board of Trustees,” said Amy Gross, Radiation Therapy Manager. “Our board has three members from Medcenter One and three members from St. Alexius. They meet every month, put their differences aside and make decisions based on what is best for the patient. It really works well.”

Having the support of both hospitals also allows the Bismarck Cancer Center to provide top-notch service and keep up with new technologies and treatment options.

The building initially housed one treatment (linear accelerator) machine, but constructed a second bay to accommodate another. “We saw the need, but it was too expensive in the beginning to put in two brand new machines,” said Gross. “We were able to add that second machine in 2007.”

Patients go through a series of steps when they come to the Bismarck Cancer Center. After the initial consultation, the doctor will decide whether radiation therapy is appropriate. If it is, patients will have a CT simulation and treatment plan cat scan ‘simulation’ to determine exactly how the radiation should be administered. After about a week, the patient returns to start their treatment plan.

The Bismarck Cancer Center also provides a variety of wrap-around services for their patients. “A lot of these services are not covered by insurance, which is why our foundation was established in 2007,” said Gross. “We have our REACH Program, and that person meets with each patient within their first week of treatment to check all of their needs: housing, transportation, spiritual, any kind of needs they may have. We also have a dietician available.”

Patients must come for radiation treatment every day, Monday through Friday, generally from four for two to eight weeks. Some patients continue working and drive for treatment from distances over 100 miles away, so the gas costs alone can really add up. “We don’t want to think that a patient would choose not to get treatment because they couldn’t afford it,” said Gross. “We have never turned anyone down because they cannot pay. That is one of the reasons for wanting to make our foundation stronger. It will cover that certain percentage of costs we take care of in those instances.”

The Bismarck Cancer Center provides services to people within a 250-mile radius of Bismarck and has 50-60 new patients consulted each month.

The Bismarck Cancer Center and its recently established foundation are non-profits.
For more information, visit their website at bismarckcancercenter.com

Dr. Johnson is pictured with Dr. Larry Skogen, president of Bismarck State College

by Deb Seminary

Dr. Johnson was in Bismarck June 14th as a speaker for the Renewable Energy Action Summit at Bismarck State College.

IW What do you like most about your job?

KJ I love my job because it is so diverse and so important. I had set a goal that by the time I was 50, I wanted to work another 20 years in something I could be passionate about.
A lot of people don’t have access to energy, both in our country and globally. We are starting to look at projects that will bring electricity to those communities. That is very exciting to me.
Seeing an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, reducing our dependence on imported oil, creating a clean energy economy – it is heavenly to be able to work on those things.

IW What drew you to electrical engineering, I’m assuming you liked Math and Science?

KJ Yes, I really enjoyed Math and Science. And, my dad was an engineer. That happens a lot – when I would ask the kids in school why they were going into engineering, they would usually have a relation of some sort in the field. With the growth of energy and the energy economy, we’re going to need so many more engineers that we can’t just rely on engineers having kids to have more engineers!
This is particularly true for women – there was a National Science Foundation study that said women would go into fields where they can align their work with a social cause. We are working with groups in Nigeria right now that are setting up small solar packs. We are trying to bring solar LEDs and lighting to hospitals and communities that may only have electricity for two hours a day.

IW Do you feel there are some sources of energy that deserve more investment than others?

KJ I think the different sources of energy require different resources. I think, right now, if I were to focus on a particular need, it would be for wind and solar, along with hydro, to come up to capacity. Each area of energy has a role. In particular, we have the end uses – we use energy for transportation, in buildings and industry. The electrical sector will be straightforward to de-carb. It is going to be a harder to do with transportation, because we use a lot of oil. That is where I think a lot of the focus we’re placing on biofuels, on more efficient combustion engines, and also on electric vehicles is useful.

IW Senator Dorgan talked about the day we will all be driving electric vehicles. How long will that transition be?

KJ It will take a while because a fleet turns over about every ten to fifteen years. That is a challenge. What we need to do is make what we have now more efficient – make the internal combustion engine more efficient. We have biofuels (ethanol) and then augmenting that with the hybrid so we get further on the gasoline by re-using the energy within the car. All of those are great strategies.
We also need to drive less. If each of us were to drive 10 miles less per week, that would take almost ½ ton of C02 out of the atmosphere.

IW You have several patents. Is there one you can tell me about that we may use in everyday life?

KJ One of our inventions, if you went to see the movie Avatar, is the glasses. That, along with the projection optics that gave the high quality 3D in Avatar, Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons.
My PhD thesis was on three-dimensional imaging. I’m really proud of the small company I started that we sold to RealD. It is the engineering arm of RealD you will see on movie credits.

IW What or who inspires you?

KJ Definitely my parents. My mom had a passion for education and helping others and my dad had a passion for helping communities through electrification working for Westinghouse.

Dr Johnson offered more energy saving tips during her talk at the summit.
- Replace standard, incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
- Put computer on sleep when you are not using it.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Get an energy audit.