By Andrea Winkjer Collin, Editor, North Dakota Horizons

If this month's brisk weather is bringing you outdoors to enjoy a classic North Dakota winter, the feature in the Winter issue of North Dakota Horizons, should inspire all ice skating enthusiasts.

Our story about Norval Baptie, "The Flickertail Flyer," tells of his speed skating conquests, as well as his travels around the world competing and performing in ice skating shows and exhibitions.  The Bathgate, North Dakota, native, who often returned home, is considered one of the state's best athletes.  

I must confess that I had never heard of Norval Baptie when veteran writer Dick Johnson pitched this story to me a few years ago.  After reading his great article, I am a new member to the Norval Baptie Fan Club. I am inspired enough to get out my ice skates and try to channel some of his greatness at my local ice rink. I challenge you to do the same!  And after viewing the photo below, I'm sure you will want to bring some barrels and try to top what he is doing here!

As Johnson writes, the athletic accomplishments of Norval Baptie put him in the same category as North Dakota athletes Phil Jackson and Roger Maris. Now that you know about him, I don't think you will quickly forget him and his legendary story!

By Kylie Blanchard, Staff Writer 

Bismarck's Buckstop Junction will come to life this weekend during the sixth annual Applefest held Saturday, Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Bismarck Cancer Center Foundation and is run by the staff at the Bismarck Cancer Center as well as community volunteers.

"This is a way to raise funds for our patients to receive the support services the Foundation provides including massage therapy, physical therapy, dietary care, lodging and transportation assistance and charitable services," says Amy Gross, event chair.

The two-day event includes craft and food vendors, live music, carnival games, petting zoo, hay rides, cowboy action performers, apple pie eating contest, church service and guided tours. New events this year include square dancers, goat roping, and bingo. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for students and children six and under are free.

"Everyone is affected by cancer in some way and this event supports a great cause," says Gross. "It is also fun for all ages." For additional information or to volunteer for this event contact the Bismarck Cancer Center at 701-222-6100 or visit www.bismarckcancercenter.com.

Applefest is just one of the many events providing family fun and fall adventure across the state. You can read more about some of these events, including Walhalla's Giant Pumpkin Festival and Bismarck's Papa's Pumpkin Patch, in the upcoming issue of North Dakota Horizons which will hit newsstands soon.

And if you are looking for additional information on the state's fall events and facilities, you can also contact North Dakota Tourism at 800-435-5663 or visit www.ndtourism.com.

But most importantly, get out and enjoy fall in North Dakota!

By Andrea Winkjer Collin, Editor, North Dakota Horizons

As another Olympics competition gets underway this week in London, it’s always fun to pick out some favorite athletes to cheer on to victory.

While the official roster of Olympics athletes does not list any North Dakota natives, here are two athletes and a coach who have ties to our state.

Amanda Thieschafer Smock is celebrating her 30th birthday tomorrow during the opening ceremony for the Olympics.  She is a Melrose, Minnesota, native who now lives in Minneapolis.  Amanda competed in track and field while living in Fargo and attending North Dakota state Univeristy, graduating in 2004.  Her Olympics event will be the triple jump competition.

Amanda’s mother, Beth, is keeping a blog about her experience in London, which can be viewed at Amandasdream2012@blogspot.com.

Katie Ledecky, 15, is the youngest member of this U.S. Olympics Swim Team, and among the youngest of the Olympics athletes in London this summer.

Katie has been raised in Bethesda, Maryland, but her mother is the former Mary Gen Hagan, who grew up in Williston in the 1960s and 1970s. Many swimming enthusiasts remember Mary Gen and her brothers and sisters as the backbone of the Williston Swim Team for many years.
Katie will compete in the 800 freestyle event in London.

Todd Schmitz is a 33-year-old Bismarck native who coaches the 17-year-old swimming superstar, Missy Franklin, and is an assistant coach of the U.S. Olympics Swimming and Diving Team. Schmitz began swimming in Bismarck when he was six years old, and he competed in YMCA and Century High School swim teams throughout high school, breaking several high school swimming records.

He then went on to swim for Metropolitan State College in Denver. In 1999 Schmitz founded the Colorado Stars Swim Club in Denver, and he has coached Franklin since she was seven years old. 

She is expected to compete in seven Olympics swimming events for the U.S. women.

Watching the Olympics every two years, whether they be the winter or summer competitions, are highlights at our house. This year will be especially exciting watching these athletes whose journey to the Olympics has had a tie to North Dakota.

Go Team USA!

By Andrea Winkjer Collin, Editor, North Dakota Horizons

A summer scene near Lewis and Clark State Park in northwestern North Dakota is the cover photograph for the 2013 North Dakota Horizons Scenic Calendar, which is now available.

Williston photographer Rebecca Helm took the photograph, and has another photo in the calendar as well. Joining her are three new photographers, along with others returning from previous years. 

The diversity of the state's scenic beauty is represented through photographs of the Red River,the Badlands, Lake Sakakawea and the countryside near Oakes, Hankinson, Zeeland, Minot and Verona.

Choosing the photographs from the many submitted every year is always a pleasure.  It highlights how beauty can be found across the state, not to mention the talent of North Dakota photographers.

North Dakota Horizons calendars are sold throughout retail stores across the state and are available for online orders at www.ndhorizons.com. They are sold across the country and world, bringing the beauty of the state to all who are fortunate enough to have them on their walls throughout the year.

In the fall issue of North Dakota Horizons we will include profiles of each of the calendar photographers and their adventures in shooting in our annual calendar feature story.  

On Friday, people in the Williston area are invited to meet Rebecca Helm at a reception and "calendar signing" from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Books on Broadway bookstore at 12 1/2 West Broadway. Please join us if you can! 

By Kylie Blanchard, Staff Writer

I started going to Triangle Y Camp, near Garrison, with two of my best friends when I was 12-years-old. From my first week there as a camper, I was completely, 100 percent hooked. The place was magnetic. The energetic counselors and staff; new friends and bunkmates; activities ranging from swimming, canoeing and ropeswinging to arts and crafts and horseback riding; camp games (including the infamous all-camp Capture the Flag); staying up late; pulling pranks; and much more filled my week and began a string of great memories that would get me through the long winter until I could return again the next summer and the next summer and the next summer...

I recently wrote a story for the upcoming summer issue of North Dakota Horizons (which is being mailed out to subscribers this week and will be reaching statewide newsstands soon) on many of the summer camps in North Dakota. I have to admit, I was surprised to discover the hearty number of camps in our state. From Triangle Y Camp on Lake Sakakawea (pictured above are a group of young Y Camp campers enjoying the  camp's swimming pond) and its next door neighbor, Camp of the Cross Ministries, to Badlands Ministries near Medora, the International Music Camp in the Peace Gardens and Park River Bible Camp near the state's eastern border, summer camps span the state. Even more immpressive, many have been in operation for over a half-century. Red Willow Bible Camp, located north of Binford, is actually one of the oldest, continuously running Lutheran bible camps in the United States.

I had an amazing camp experience spanning a total of 11 summers and, after learning there are so many in the state, it floors me to think of the sheer number of kids that have had the opportunity to experience summer camp as well.

I was a camper for a total of three summers before I began to spend my full summers working at TYC. Starting out as a Leader-in-Training, I learned the ropes of being a camp counselor and then moved on to Junior Counselor, Senior Counselor and finally Program Staff. I spent 8 summers in all working at the camp, being a counselor, working at Sportsfeild (I played more games of dodgeball and more variations of the game than I ever thought possible), working the camp's Alpine Climbing Tower, writing cabin schedules, working in the camp store and learning valuable life-long lessons I still use every day. I made some of my closest friends and even met my future husband, in our first year of working at camp.

Although we didn't know when we first met, (pictured here in our early years at camp after a rainy afternoon of mudsliding on the camp's front lawn) we would marry at the end of our last summer working at the camp in an outdoor ceremony overlooking Lake Sakakawea at, you guessed it, Triangle Y Camp surrounded by family, friends and our fellow camp staffers.

There honestly are few places and experiences in my life that have been as influential as Triangle Y Camp. My husband and I always say we would still be working at camp...if it paid the bills. But for now, we look back on those years fondly and enjoy re-telling the many stories and memories we made while working there. We look forward to sending our son, when he is a bit older, to get his share of the camp experience as well.

Make sure to pick up your copy of the summer issue of North Dakota Horizons and learn about the camps closest to you. I think you'll be interested to learn that many of the state's camps have now become year-round facilities catering to children, young adults, and families. It's never too late to have your own camp experience...so Get Camping!

By Andrea Winkjer Collin, Editor, North Dakota Horizons

By Jackie Nye, North Dakota Horizons staff writer

How many of us could have ever predicted the mild winter North Dakota had this year? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that this winter was the fourth warmest on record for North Dakota. As spring is fast approaching, I look forward to the green grass returning, more sunshine and of course the spring issue of the North Dakota Horizons. The image to the left shows Sleepy Hollow Park in Bismarck, which shows the snow has melted and the green grass is starting to appear.

After the brutal winter we had in 2010, most people anticipated this year to be an equally rough one. I started hearing rumors in late September that The Farmer’s Almanac predicted we would see record snowfall of up to 200 inches for the winter of 2011. I started bracing myself for the weather that was ‘sure to hit us.'  October rolled around and everyone joked as to when we would get our first snowfall. Somehow we got almost no snowfall in October. I considered this a huge blessing. One less month of winter was perfectly okay with me!

November quickly came and left with above average weather. With the holidays just around the corner, I was starting to wonder if we would ever get winter weather. I was secretly hoping for a white Christmas. I got my wish and we did in fact get snow just a few days before Christmas. We didn’t get much snow and it sure didn’t last long, but it was just enough to make the holidays feel magical like it did when I was a child.

When the new year came and didn’t bring winter with it some North Dakotans got increasingly frustrated. Many residents enjoy skiing, snowmobiling and playing in the snow in the winter months. I also enjoy those activities, but I took full advantage of the unusual weather and enjoyed going for walks outside, sometimes without even wearing a jacket!

Now that March is here, I have a bad case of spring fever. Although we only had a few weeks of true North Dakota winter weather, I am ready for all the things spring has to offer. This morning as I walked into work I heard birds chirping and even saw a squirrel running around on the sidewalk. I think it’s safe to say spring is officially on its way!