Tim Kelm won a bid for 57 acres of stumpage from Beltrami County land in December, but then couldn't fulfill the contract because of treatment for cancer. Because of the outreach by his fellow loggers last Saturday, he didn't forfeit the bid. With the help of his colleagues and neighbors, Kelm kept to the contract and harvested 550 cords of wood. The cutting bee, an example of Northwoods cooperation, shows the character of rural America. We take care of each other.
The oval is ready -- 1,000 meters around on Lake Bemidji -- and speed skaters and community area members who would like to test themselves can take to the ice this weekend. Blessed with reliable ice, Bemidji is a homing place for winter sports. A reporter from the state of Virginia called the Bemidji Pioneer last week, before the southeast snowstorm hit, to ask what we in the Northland do to prepare for blizzards and combat cabin fever. Well, we go outside and play. We snowmobile, ski, skate, ice fish and host winter festivals. We don't close everything down. Of course, we enjoy our weather. Winter is fun.
What a way to spoil a party and embarrass your country. More than 200 masked Olympic protesters splattered red paint and smashed windows of a Vancouver, British Columbia, department store Saturday on the first day of competition at the Vancouver Games. Protesters threw metal newspaper boxes into the display windows of Hudson's Bay Company, where Olympic souvenirs are sold. Guards stood in front of the broken windows, which were cordoned off with yellow police tape while Olympic tourists snapped photos. So, along with their memories of beautiful figure skaters and flying ski jumpers, visitors will have souvenirs of mayhem.
Minnesota has more winter Olympians competing in Vancouver, British Columbia, than any other U.S. state, and among them is Bemidjian Natalie Nicholson, on the Debbie McCormick curling rink. Bemidji State University women's hockey goalie Zuzana Tomcikova also plays for her native Slovakia. Bemidji has scored in the winter Olympics in the past, and for our city to be doubly represented at the 2010 Olympics is, again, amazing.
