August 2022

Jenna Udenberg When should a leader, event coordinator, business owner, or anyone consult a disability specialist on their project? At the beginning, the middle, the end, or after completion? No. At every single step of concept, design, creation, implementation, and assessment? YES! Over the past year I have collaborated with many local organizations who have asked for my expertise in all different stages of projects and we discussed the necessity of having a disability specialist from the beginning to the end as well as getting multiple viewpoints to address all access needs.

Jadell Cavallin Here we are in the peak of summer, and I’m pondering the speed it all has gone and is going. Garlic, blueberries and summer veggies are plentiful in our region now.

Brad Anderson VA Benefits Delivery at Discharge The topic this week, Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD), is for all the soon-to-be Veterans. If you know someone in the military thinking about getting out of the service, then please pass this information along.

Forrest Johnson It is primary election day in Minnesota. From the governor’s office to the recall election in Two Harbors regarding Mayor Chris Swanson, there are plenty of candidates to choose from.

The Knife River Heritage and Cultural Center (KRHCC), a grassroots non-profit in the Knife River area, opened its restored rail road depot to the public during the Festival of Sail last weekend to draw interest and attention to its newest historical treasures. These include the “Soo Line Caboose,” which sat right on the railroad track, the Crusader II, a Norwegian Fishing Tug, and the Leif Erickson, the Viking-style ship built in the early 1900s and sailed to Duluth from Norway in 1926-27. The Leif Erickson fell into disrepair until the 1980s when a non-profit organization (SOS-Save Our Ship) was created to restore it. This summer, those efforts have come to fruition with the placement of the restored ship in Knife River beside the Crusader II, under the capable care of the Knife River Heritage and Cultural Center.