Tag: sioux falls

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We’re Walking for Joe

By John Andrews

As you read this, Joe Andrews is just hours away from pushing a needle into his finger. Joe has Type I diabetes, so regularly checking his blood sugar is a daily ritual. Before breakfast. Two hours later. Before lunch. Two hours later. Before supper. Two hours later. And overnight, but those responsibilities fall with mom and dad. A growing 8-year-old needs his sleep. So no matter what time you read this — 6 a.m., 4 p.m. or midnight — a finger poke is never far away.

And that’s how it’s been, every day, since he was diagnosed in August 2007. In one way that’s a blessing. He has little to no memory of life pre-diabetes. To him, monitoring his glucose levels is”normal.” Still, no one should have to go through life squeezing blood from his or her fingers 10 times a day.

The exciting thing is that soon, people may not have to. Thanks to research being done right here in South Dakota, doctors are closer than ever to finding a cure. The staff at South Dakota Magazine is committed to helping, and that’s why for the second year we’ve formed a team to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

We’ll be going to Sioux Falls on Saturday, January 28, to take part in South Dakota’s annual Walk for the Cure at the Empire Mall. Already over 50 teams are registered with the common goal of raising $300,000 for the South Dakota/Minnesota chapter. Please consider donating to our team. You can do so through our team page. Last year we raised $4,000, but we know we can do better, so we’ve upped our goal to $5,000. With your help, millions of kids like Joe are one step closer to a life without finger pokes and insulin injections.

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Yoga’s Hot in South Dakota

By Rebecca Johnson

South Dakota may not be the yoga mecca of the U.S., but there are classes galore at fitness centers and studios throughout the state. Yankton alone has at least seven yoga teachers, and two of them work right here at South Dakota Magazine. I personally teach a basic, flowing style of yoga — linking poses with the breath then ending class with a guided relaxation. And it’s not just an exercise class — yoga is a 4,000-year-old tradition originating in India that helps to strengthen the body, improve flexibility, and calm the mind. An added benefit for us in the Western world is that it helps to manage stress.

One thing South Dakota has lacked is a hot yoga studio. Hot yoga classes typically take place in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 30% humidity. I tried a workshop once at the Dharma Room in Sioux Falls. I expected it to be a vigorous, powerful class, but was surprised by the slowness and gentleness of the practice. The class consisted of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. The heat allowed me to feel more flexible in poses that normally would have been out of my reach. But, since it was a one-time workshop, I hadn’t been able to have a go at it again.

Now I am in luck. Two hot yoga studios have popped up in South Dakota in the last few months and both have events this weekend. Deena Rushton opened Yogaversity in November. It’s located in the new Old Market Galleria in downtown Brookings. The studio is hosting their first workshop tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the cost is only $20.

Also new to South Dakota is Santosha Hot Yoga at 5003 S. Bur Oak Place in Sioux Falls. Their grand opening is tomorrow with the first class starting at 10:00 am. According to instructor Jennifer Long’s blog, Saturday’s class has a waiting list, but you may still be able to get in on Sunday’s class at 4:30 p.m. I recommend calling 275-YOGA to sign up. All December classes are only $5.

Yoga in a 105 degree setting is not for you? Then try a different type of class in your community. It’s a fantastic way to improve your overall health and you will be glad that you did.

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Sioux Falls Without a Shovel

By Bernie Hunhoff

One of my brothers recently moved with his wife to Sioux Falls to live in a townhouse on South Tomar Road, and I’m worried about him.

I went to see him last week and he showed me the beautiful home with its secret closets and cathedral ceilings. It is wonderful. But then he told me that “they” do all the yard work and scoop the sidewalks. He sold his snowblower and his shovels. He’s even going to trade in his four-wheel drive SUV.

He’s a tough guy. He once outran terrorists in Libya. He knows Judo (or Karate, I can’t remember which). And he can shoot the eyes off a potato at 200 yards. But is he going to be prepared for January?

Surviving winter is all mental. We’ve learned that at South Dakota Magazine from the hardiest survivors of our state. You stockpile all the sweaters, gloves, boots, hand-warmers and hats that can be found. You have enough machinery to clear the airport, or you drink beer with someone who does. And you have access to a vehicle that looks like those contraptions in the Antarctica sci/fi movies.

Then you get it in your head that you can dig and drive your way out of whatever comes.

My favorite story (we’ve told it a 100 times, so just shut up and laugh) is about the North Dakota farmer who lived on the state line. One autumn, the state transportation department came to his door and told him he didn’t live in North Dakota, according to a new survey just completed. “Your land is actually in South Dakota.”

“That’s good,” he replied. “I don’t think I could take another North Dakota winter.”

That man had lost his mental edge. He was probably playing pinochle in a trailer in Texas by the following November.

Don’t worry about my brother. “They’ll” take care of his sidewalk, and we’ll keep an eye out for him, too. But I sorta wish he would have moved to Nebraska if he’s going to go soft.

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Sioux Falls Ghost Buster

By Katie Hunhoff

Ghost-buster Donna O’Dea gets a lot more business as nights become longer and Halloween draws near.”I get people who are just hysterical,” says the Sioux Falls psychic.”They don’t all have ghosts when they think they do. You know how that goes. People hear something, then their imaginations get going, and they don’t have anything more than the wind blowing.” But, according to O’Dea, not all ghosts are in people’s imaginations. O’Dea says that ghosts are all around us. In public businesses and private homes, in the country and in towns. She has seen and communicated with spirits since she was a young girl.”They’re not evil,” she says.”They’re just lost.

When Ann Grauvogl wrote an article for South Dakota Magazine several years ago about O’Dea’s ghost-busting experiences, she accompanied O’Dea on a visit to a haunted cafe in Canton. “We’re taught the spirit lives on,” O’Dea told Grauvogl.”It’s hard to comprehend, but it actually does.” She sees ghosts as earthbound souls.”The body died, but for whatever reason they don’t go to God, go home, go to the light, whatever you call it… They have a life to get to on the other side. They should do it.”

While some ghosts don’t know they’re dead, some are willfully stuck, she said.”Denial is a strong force. They can be in denial for quite a long time.” That’s where O’Dea’s”ghost busting” skills come to play. She simply tells spirits they are dead, and encourages them to move on to whatever is waiting for them next.

Staff at the haunted Canton cafÈ had reported that a deep fat fryer, a grill and coffee makers were often “on” when staff were sure they had turned them off. One employee heard a girl laughing in the basement when no one was down there. A young man who rented a room in the basement saw a bottle tip over, a CD drawer open and the TV shut off. He heard scraping noises and voices, and felt as though someone was watching him.

O’Dea had made an initial trip to the 125-year-old main street building to make sure ghosts, not imaginations, were at work. She returned again with Grauvogl to ask the ghosts to leave. They headed for the basement steps, but O’Dea stopped in a long living room.”There’s a young boy right here,” she said, pointed to an empty chair.”He’s about 17. He’s looking at me like,”Do something about it.” O’Dea sensed that he’d had marijuana and alcohol abuse problems when he was alive.”He doesn’t know he’s dead,” O’Dea says, putting her hands through him to show he’s not alive.”He’s crying now,” she reported. She tells the teenager to go to the light. She watched, then said quietly,”All right. He’s gone now.”

She found four more ghosts in the cafe — two ghosts in the basement were casualties of Indian wars; a U.S. Cavalry soldier killed at Little Big Horn and a Lakota warrior killed at Wounded Knee. She tells them the fight is over and to work for peace on the other side. She called on angels and White Buffalo Calf Woman to lead the men to the light. The most noticeable change in the building, according to the cafe workers, was that the smell in the room, a nasty smell that had lingered for years, was not as strong.

O’Dea has”busted” ghosts who made their presence known by turning on TVs, radios, faucets and lights. Or by flushing toilets and causing electrical disturbances. She also met the ghost of a short man with curly hair who knew he was dead but didn’t want to go to heaven if his wife was there.”Ghosts are every bit as human as you and I, and their stories are as rich and varied as life itself,” O’Dea says.”I just know what I see. The result is when it stops.”

O’Dea has grown a pretty thick skin over the years when it comes to people who don’t buy into the spirit world.”I know they [don’t believe] until they have a ghost of their own,” she said.”Then it’s not so funny anymore.” If you have need for a ghost-buster this Halloween, you can reach her at (605) 361-9774. You can also get updates on her ghost hunts and see photos of haunted houses she has visited at her Facebook page.

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Pouring Pettigrew

By John Andrews

Over a year and a half ago I got an e-mail from Darwin Wolf. The Sioux Falls artist had a sculpture being placed in downtown Yankton as part of the city’s new RiverWalk project. He sent me a picture, then mentioned another piece on which he was toiling at his studio in southwest Sioux Falls: a life-size likeness of Richard Pettigrew, one of the fathers of Sioux Falls and South Dakota’s first full-term U.S. Senator.

The project turned into a feature for our September/October 2010 issue. As Wolf researched his subject, he came to sympathize with the embattled politician, who was shunned by every political party he ever joined. The project became as much about redemption as creating a monument to one of South Dakota’s early leaders who had nearly faded into oblivion.

I spent a morning at Wolf’s home studio, watching as he worked to perfect the Senator’s piercing eyes. And I met others around the city that have researched and written about Pettigrew. All agree he had a contentious personality, but has been treated unfairly.

The Pettigrew monument was tentatively scheduled for installation downtown last May, but uncertainties regarding funding pushed it back. Last week I received notice that bronze will finally be poured on October 7 at Bronzeage Art Casting in Sioux Falls. A launch party is being held in conjunction with the pouring at Cherapa Place, with music by Dan Maher, wine from Renner’s Strawbale Winery and hors d’oeuvres by Buffalo Berries, one of Sioux Falls’ unique downtown eateries.

Since writing the story and getting to know both Wolf and Pettigrew, I’ve tried to remain in touch with the artist. And I’ve followed the Woodlawn Cemetery Association’s quest to refurbish Pettigrew’s mausoleum, which is dire need of repairs. Pettigrew was interred there following his death in 1926. After 85 years, the marble ceiling is sagging and the interior shelves holding the remains of Pettigrew, his wife and his sister are in dire need of repair.

Regretfully we cannot attend the pour. The entire magazine staff is heading to the Black Hills that weekend to attend the South Dakota Festival of Books. But it feels good knowing that Pettigrew is that much closer to taking his place at the corner of Fifth and Phillips, where he can watch over the city he helped mold.

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Big Sioux’s Mighty Flood

Editor’s Note: Here is a story that longtime Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Fred Masek wrote in 1990 about the major floodwaters that swept through Sioux Falls when the Big Sioux River swelled in 1881.

By Fred Masek

This is the story of a Sioux Falls hotel where the guests departed and then the hotel departed. It is the story of a reporter whose apparent assignment was to identify and record the buildings floating by. When a building broke loose from its foundation and floated away, a news account referred to the episode as a”departure.” Sioux Falls experienced a major flood in April 1881 in which 33 buildings, most of them commercial structures, were swept away by swollen waters of the Big Sioux River. A winter of hardship and sacrifices had already preceded the flood disaster. The setting for the 1881 flood began with the big blizzard of October 1880, and continued with frequent snowfalls.

The snowfall of 1880-81 was unprecedented in the history of the Northwest. It was noted in the History of Southeastern South Dakota,”Not only were the snowfalls immense in volume, but they followed each other with provoking promptness and a strife for ascendancy, worthy of a better cause.”

By the beginning of 1881 the railroad was hopelessly blockaded, mail arrived only at intervals and provisions and fuel became scarce in Sioux Falls. The capitalist, as well as the dweller in the sod shanty, was compelled to take his coffee straight. Sugar was a luxury not to be found. Settlers were described as having to”gather their robes around them to keep warm.”

Thousands of ties, piled up for extension of the Worthington and Sioux Falls Railroad, instead were sold at cost to persons in dire need of firewood. Dana Dailey’s History of Minnehaha County reported that during the winter of 1880″Sioux Falls was isolated from the outside world as it would have been if surrounded by a hostile army.”

There were signs of easing on April 9, 1881, when trains reached Luverne, Minn. carrying provisions for Sioux Falls. Teams of horses were used to relay the supplies 25 miles to Sioux Falls. However, the town’s 2,000 residents began to feel new apprehension when thawing of the heavy snow accumulation started. Ice began breaking up April 17, and the river started to rise. By Wednesday, April 20, the flood hit hard.

The Dakota Pantagraph and Independent gave its graphic account of the disaster by referring to floating buildings as”departures.” It appeared that a reporter was perched on the riverbank counting and identifying business places and other structures as they floated by.

The weekly newspaper’s flood story began,”The departure was noted last week of the railroad and two highway bridges, Weber’s Restaurant, Henjum’s and Olson’s Blacksmith Shop, McKinnon and Ross Planing Mill and Sash Factory, the Cascade Mill office, the Queen Bee Mill office, Cochran’s Stable and Gilbert’s Ice House.

“A blockade of lower water set in on Wednesday morning so that the departure of buildings was suspended. But the rise of Friday after midnight caused them to resume. The first to start were Winchell’s dwelling from below the site of the 10th Street bridge and Jensen’s Blacksmith Shop.

“At 2 o’clock Saturday morning, the remnants of the Riverside Hotel moved out after the guests moved out. There were no further departures until 7 a.m., when the Sioux Falls Mill shoved out.

“Just after dinner, Phil Plaster’s Saloon, near the St. Paul Depot, moved off with its full stock of liquors and cigars. Some of the boys overhauled the wreck below the Falls and had a jamboree.”

“The lumberyards started on their trip about 9 o’clock,” the paper reported,”and some of the contents moved off in nice piles.” Scavengers were busy retrieving boards, shingles, planks and lath from the river.

Most ice storage facilities were lost. A telegrapher sent a message to Worthington, Minn. asking that an icehouse and contents be furnished to the Cataract House.

One man saved his dwelling by the good fortune of his occupation. He operated a brickyard. His house stayed in place after 10,000 bricks were loaded on the first floor.

Although 33 buildings were swept away, there were no deaths attributed to the flood. The newspaper reported,”No funeral was provided with a subject by the flood. Fortunately almost everybody was careful enough to avoid peril.”

One light moment was related to a miller’s experience. The miller was fixing a gangway for crossing water surrounding the Sioux Falls Mill. The story was related as follows:”He had stooped for a board and when he straightened up the mill wasn’t there, so he didn’t get aboard.”

Editor’s Note: This story is revised from the March/April 1990 issue of South Dakota Magazine. To order a copy or to subscribe, call 800-456-5117.

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Hot Harley Nights

The 16th annual Hot Harley Nights took place July 8-10, 2011, raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota. With temps in the 90s, the event certainly lived up to its name. But the heat didn’t keep people away – approximately 4,000 people rode in the police escorted motorcycle parade into downtown Sioux Falls. AC/DC tribute band Rock N Roll Damnation wrapped up the festivities. Photos by Rebecca Johnson.