former gobblers making their mark at the next level!

      Well folks, the school year has started now and the 2025-26 sports season is underway. We have looked at some of the teams coming up here in the fall but this week let's check out four of the athletes from the past who are getting it done on the college front this season.

Jessica Much

The former Gobbler is a junior at Fairleigh-Dickinson and is playing the libero position for the Knights.

Jacob Williams

The former Gobbler who amassed nearly 4,000 yards rushing in his career is a freshman at Southwest Minnesota State University at Marshall. He looks to make his mark at running back for the Mustangs.

Baylie O'Neil

This former Gobbler of last year will hope to shine as an outside hitter for the Red Raiders of Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

     We'll keep an eye on these athletes this season and best of luck to them all in their college endeavors.

     The Gobblers victory over the Denfeld Hunters last week in volleyball was a huge confidence builder for this senior laden team. Their turnaround after a set one loss was great to see and they took the match over, something we hope to see more of as the season progresses.

      The Vikings certainly didn't hurt themselves with the trade that brought Adam Thielen back to Minnesota last week. He will be playing right away and his popularity among fans is out of sight. I can't wait to see how J.J. McCarthy and the rest of this Vikings crew does when the season starts next Monday against the Chicago Bears.     

       Well folks, what is it about the Fall season? Is it the end of summer, the start of school and sports again? Is it knowing that winter is not far off? I’m not sure but this time of year certainly makes a change in all of us. For some it’s a loss as last years seniors are beginning their new life in college or trade school. For some of us it’s the start of another year with new students and athletes about to leave their mark. I always look at it as a new beginning because as I’ve said before, it’s a new year of sports and a fresh group of players and a new year to follow their exploits, successes and failures and everything in between. Every year has its newness and I look forward to it. I’ve already watched some tennis, the first volleyball match of the year and this week it’s the start of the football season. I’ve watched football, coached football, worked on the radio for football games and written about football games for five decades. Maybe it’s the smell from the concessions stand, the running up and down the field following the plays, the excitement of the end zone, the fans, the band, it’s all of that and more. My first memories of high school football come from watching my brother Jim Gillson and his 1958, (fall of 1957), team playing and beating the Brainerd Warriors at the old field by Franklin school. I later got to coach my junior high kids on that field. I remember running and diving into the wet grass back in ‘57 and pretending I was on the team. But football has brought so many great players through the Aitkin High School. That great unbeaten team of the fall of 1956, 8-0, and the following season of 7-1. The team of the fall of 1981 that had eight shutouts during the season and lost in the State Playoffs. So many great players over the years and I’ll leave a ton of them out I know but Jack Park who played for the Gophers and in the Rose Bowl stands out. As time went on there were so many others who kept the Gobbler football tradition alive, Dick Beyreuther, Gene Flowers and Mark Bender of the last 60’s, Mike Rees, Kevin (Pork) Nentl, Larry Rocholl, Greg Paulson, Mike Nentl and Todd Roden of the 70’s, Al Lottman, Pete Welshons, John Buisman, Bob Cummings and Scott MacDonald of the 80’s. The 90’s saw players like Clark Backstrom, Loren Morgan, Jamie Morgan, Ross Panko, John Bigelow, John Wilkowski, Joe Hasskamp, Neil Wagner, David Ashton and Gabe Martin. If that doesn’t give you an indication how this program evolved and stayed strong until the new millennium, not sure what else I can do for you. It was a great half-century of football to watch and report on. There were many, many more that contributed over the seasons and they know who they are but this group I have mentioned would make a pretty good all-star team don’t you think. Now, in the new century there have also been outstanding players who have done their part but that’s a group for another day. They are a little easier for us to remember since we just have a quarter-century to recall in our minds. That brings us back to today, 2025 and the home opener at Veterans Field Thursday night against the C-I Rangers for the “Stump”. This is another team that will make their mark and leave their legacy for Aitkin football. The smell of freshly mowed grass, the smell of popcorn and players running out of the tunnel of fans, it doesn’t get any better than this for a football fan. The kids at the game will look back in fifty years and remember this night like I did so long ago. It’s what life is all about, memories and there is nothing better!
 

     Well folks, it was the fall of 1965, and hopes were high for a great high school football season for the Aitkin Gobblers. As things go however that was not to be. The Gobblers would finish 1-8 and score only 44 points during the season. They may not have had a winning football team, but boy did they have some outstanding athletes. They lost to Little Falls 27-6 with Rich Greeners 40-yard touchdown the only Gobbler points. They dropped a 25-6 game to Milaca with Greener again recoding the only score on a 35-yard run. Wadena beat Aitkin 33-12, and the Gobbler offense produced a pair of touchdowns, one on a 1 yard touchdown pass from Greener to Dick Beyreuther and the other on a 12-yard run by Greener. Aitkin surprised Park Rapids on Homecoming for the Gobblers 20-0. Steve Reinhardt scored on an 8-yard run, Greener picked off a pass and dashed 60 yards for the score and Greener raced 71 yards for the other score as the Gobblers had their only win of the season in the book. By the way, the pride of Glory, Dale Pearson booted two extra points for the Gobblers. Reinhardt was named Homecoming King that week while Glenda Siemers was the Queen. How about the attendants, Mary Landgren, Wendy Ritter, Julie Kellerman and Kathy Janzen. For the guys they included Rich Greener, Mark Cummings, Mike Conner and Maynard Midthun. Unfortunately, Greener would break his ankle against Brainerd and was lost for the season. He still was named All-Conference along with Vern Backstrom and Reinhardt. Aitkin was shutout in their final three games to finish 1-8. Some of the other athletes on that team included Midthun, Boots Maring, Ron Arvidson, Greg Wikelius and John Fuller. just to name a few. They were a fun group and played hard but had a tough schedule and some injuries. Meanwhile the 2025 Aitkin Gobblers are a little over a week away from their opener against the C-I Rangers at Veterans Field on August 28. Game time is 7PM. The Gobblers won last years "Battle for the Stump" 15-6. Aitkin has beaten the Rangers eight straight times since losing in the regular season of the 1018-19 season. They avenged that loss in the playoffs that season 34-6. Sixty years ago this fall the Rangers won 27-0. Don't look for that to happen this time around!  

       Well folks, I will never understand why bad things happen to good people. I know a lady that has had her share of health problems over the years and will never complain about the cards she has been dealt. She is a former softball player in town and lost her mom in 2014, her dad in 2019 and her husband just last year. She has faced cancer, arthritis, cancer again and numerous other health issues in her life. She is a family girl, enjoys her children and grandchildren and does whatever she can to make their life better. She is the ultimate believer of "I just want them to have more than I had." She is just a good person and deserved a lot more in this life than she has received. Don't tell her that though, she is a believer that "God doesn't give us any more than we can handle." She was a member of the "Upstairs Band" back in the 60's and we have always been more like brother and sister than uncle and niece. We are closer now than we have ever been and although sometimes it seems that all we have is each other from the "old days" she still carries that smile. I feel bad that we don't see each other as much as we would like but she spends a lot of time in the hospital these days. We are able to chat on the phone whenever her health allows, and she keeps me up to date on her treatments and more importantly where she stands. She will fight her issues until she can fight no more, and we both hope that is a good long time. She has many friends who wish her well and keep track of her as well. She deserves better in this life but don't worry, she will never look at life that way, she looks at life as a one day at a time event and to make every day count. "Treat others well and live simply, the way God intended you to do." I love you Sue, keep fighting and we are right there with you, after all, "We're putting the band back together."!  

      Well folks, just like that the McGregor Mercuries cross-country team has some new athletes, and they go to Aitkin High School. It's not known right now who will be running with the Mercs but there is considerable interest by several Gobblers. The pairing between the two schools came about after both school boards agreed on the terms, basically that there would be no financial responsibility for Aitkin schools and McGregor would provide uniforms and bussing to events. Aitkin parents and students would be responsible for getting to practice and meets. Aitkin Superintendent Dan Stifter spelled it out for us, "Our kids will run on the McGregor team and wear their uniforms. McGregor has agreed to have our kids join at no cost to our district." McGregor Activities Director Livia Carlstrom likes the idea, "We are excited to have Aitkin join our boys and girls cross-country team this fall. It is a great opportunity for Aitkin and McGregor to build camaraderie, compete as a team and have the opportunity to run. I'm excited to see where the season will take everyone." Josh Sampson is the Head Coach of McGregor, and he is excited about the pairing as well, "I'm excited about having more students on the team. Running sports are such character builders. The more the merrier, right? Hopefully those that are interested will be at the informational meeting August 10 and then we will know what our team will look like." Tim Arnold is the assistant coach for the Mercs.
       The Aitkin Steam are playing some good baseball at just the right time near the end of the season. Right now they need one more win Saturday to advance to the State Tournament. This is a nice team with good chemistry and don't be surprised to see them move on in the playoffs.

       Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton won the Sub-State baseball tournament last week at Woock Field in Aitkin. They dominated the field beating Bagley 10-0, Parkers Prairie 12-2, and Parkers Prairie 9-3 again in the final. Aitkin finished third, losing to Parkers Prairie 7-6, beating Bagley 5-4 and Thief River Falls 8-7 and losing to Parkers Prairie 7-6. The tournament was well attended and superbly run by volunteers. 
      The 2025 Steven Sandberg Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Cuyuna Rollings Hills in Deerwood. The event is put on by the Aitkin County Law Enforcement Benevolent Association. The event starts at 11:00am. All donations will go to support law enforcement officers and their families in times of needed support, those who have lost a loved one in the line of duty, and maintenance at the memorial at the Aitkin County Sherriff's Office.

 

      It would appear that Aitkin athletes will be able to run cross-country this fall as members of the McGregor High School team. It will be a pairing agreement between the two schools and has been okayed by both school boards. Aitkin Superintendent Dan Stifter on the news, "Our kids will run on McGregor's team, wear their uniforms and colors. McGregor has agreed to have our kids join at no cost to the district. Kids and parents will be responsible for transportation to practice and meets unless the meet is west of Aitkin, then McGregor will pick them up on the way through. McGregor Activities Director Livia Carlstrom commented, "We are excited to have Aitkin join our boys and girls cross-country team this fall. It is a great opportunity for students from Aitkin and McGregor to build camaraderie, compete as a team and have the opportunity to run. I'm excited to see where the season will take take everyone." Josh Sampson is the Head Coach and Tim Arnold is the Assistant Coach.

     Well folks, if you have ever been to a basketball game at the gym in Crosby-Ironton you have heard the voice of Mr. Joe Simons. Joe, who was the unmistakable voice of "Ranger Sports for decades passed away July 20 at the age of 83. I knew Joe for all of those years he announced at C-I and for a long time we shared the same job at our respective schools. We shared the thought that whichever team won the battle, they must have been lucky because our Gobblers or his Rangers were always the better team. Joe had a heart as big as the Cuyuna Range and his love of the Rangers was admirable and everybody loved him. Whether you saw him at the school or at Ruttgers where he worked for many years in the summer it would always be a spirited visit. We chided each other and always greeted each other with a Mr. in front of our name. It was a healthy rivalry between two guys that never went away. We were both very good at what we did at the microphone and respected each other immensely. I have always said I bleed red and black, and Joe bled maroon and white, no question. Joe was inducted into the C-I Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor for his years behind the microphone in 2023. I will miss him when the Rangers and Gobblers do battle on the hardcourt, but I know he'll be watching with a cold Coke in his hand and that infectious smile. Well done my friend!

      Congratulations to all three teams who participated in the Gopher State Championships last weekend. The 10U were in Mankato, the 12U in Sartell and the 14U played in Brooklyn Park. Results can be found elsewhere in this section but I think with the season behind us now you can say the state of baseball in Aitkin is in good hands. The level of baseball and softball in this little town is really something to watch. Nice job to all the coaches, players and fans for another great season. Aitkin is constantly being lauded by other towns for our sportsmanship both on the field and off. That speaks volumes about our programs.  

      Well folks, the sports world in the area is a little slow so I chose to bring you a story of a different kind of athlete. An athlete that lives life to the fullest every day and faces dangers on a regular basis. He became a friend of mine two years ago and I have witnessed his trials and tribulations in his attempts to become successful and take care of his family.

"I tell you a story that needs to be told

about a guy in the summer, not in the cold

he faces the challenge of feeding his family

herein lies the legend of my friend Pom'pee""

      He paid us a visit that first day and showed me attitude from the start, but I was resilient and soon had him eating out of the palm of my hand. We had seen the likes of him before. Mario was the first, but he was stolen by a hawk right within our view. He was fast as lightning but got caught just after coming in for a pit stop. We watched another that was talented enough to take two at a time, so we called him "Twofer". But Pompeii was different, he was the only black squirrel in the neighborhood, and he was special.

"He was the master of crossing the street,

 beat every challenge that he happened to meet,

Oh, Pom'pee was something, you just shook your head,

we worried that someday we would find him dead."

      Every time we went a couple days without seeing him we feared the worst but then he would sneak up on the porch and wait for his snacks. We have helped keep area merchants going with our purchases of unsalted peanuts and it is a joy to watch Pompee and his friends, or enemies, come over and chase peanuts around the yard. We lost one of the "boys" the other day to the street and we know that is always a possibility with small animals, but we try to make their lives a little better by showing them some lunch and love. That's why we refer to them as athletes, they race here and there and not even rain slows them down. We know their time is limited but isn't that true for all of us. We need to learn to enjoy the small moments in life. It's over all too soon!

"The legend of Pompee should teach us all

life is so short so answer the call

be happy and kind and love as you live

everyone out there has peanuts to give."

      Enjoy the Aitkin County Fair this week my friends!    

     Well folks, hold on, wait, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's, it's Jake Carlson!! That's right, it's the 80 year old young lady from nearby Palisade. Jake lost her husband Mike on June 7, 2023, and it would have been easy to just sit around and feel sorry for herself, but that's not who Jake is. She lives life to the fullest and wanted to celebrate her 80th birthday with a bang and boy did she ever. She joined jump-mates Pamela Mizner and Shawna Hill recently and through a company called Skydive Twin Cities, she realized a goal she has had for some time. The obvious question is why? "I have wanted to do it since my 40th birthday and I kept putting it off until I finally decided if I was going to do the jump I better get to it and I did. I thought i might be easier for me because I've been a pilot. The people in the plane reminded us that we could always back out at any time. Pam was on the fence about it until the last week but then she decided she was coming with us." Any thoughts just before jumping out, "I hadn't been flying for a while so I was enjoying the moment as my jump-buddy was attaching everything. The videographer was in front of me and he was behind me but when I heard the pilot hit the throttle and the jump door opened, it just happened. It was a windy day and we got tossed around quite a bit during the free fall. The free fall was the "wow" moment and we went from 13,000 feet to 4,500 in about a minute and a half when the chute opened. From then on it was about five minutes until we landed. There were plenty of folks on the ground to grab us and get things in order." The instructors at SDTC are all pretty young and they have to have a minimum of 500 jumps themselves before they can become an instructor." She definitely was impressed with everyone involved, "They were all very professional and really put us at ease. They let us know that it's very safe but in life things happen so you have to sign some liability papers before you can make the jump. I did my jump at Baldwin, Wisconsin where the airstrip is just for jumpers, no other traffic is allowed, that's all they do there. Next time, and I'm going to jump again, I will wear a hat that covers my ears in case the wind is strong again".

     Pamela Mizner and Shawna Hill were partners of Jake and Pamela had some thoughts on the experience, "It was such an honor to join Ambassador Jake in my very first skydive and celebrate her 80th birthday. I met Jake at Karmady Yoga Studio in Aitkin where I have been volunteering yoga and fitness classes for over 10 years. This is where the moniker Ambassador Jake came to me. Her friendly and uplifting energy welcomed me when I was a newcomer to this little town of Aitkin. Over the years I've continued to be inspired by her spirit of adventure that I simply had to join her in this long-forgotten dream of mine to take the leap. She is definitely a spirit of the air and inspires and uplifts everyone she meets. I was very nervous about the jump but I'm so glad I got to experience this with Jake and Shawna and for me, the free fall was the most amazing experience ever and I want more." Shawna also commented on Jake and her experience, "Two years ago at a yoga retreat in Mexico Jake mentioned to me her plan to skydive for her 80th birthday. She invited anyone interested to join her. I instantly said I would but quietly wondered what I was thinking and seriously considered going only to watch and support her jump. But then at this years retreat I got sick and backed out of deep sea fishing. But Jake and Mary went and snagged a huge fish to bring back and feed the entire crew. As the saying goes, your biggest regrets in life are the things you do not do. Her little nudge was a welcome reminder that doing dangerous things safely and getting out of your comfort zone is wildly fun and empowering. Jakes jump exemplifies Mary Oliver's quote, "What will you do in this one wild and precious life." The Free-Faller Fam, as our group is called is discussing an encore jump to see the fall colors at 13,000 feet.  I have been honored to be one of her wing mates and I hope to join this brave octogenarian on many more thrilling adventures. Our 2026 Yoga Retreat takes us to Belize, I wonder what we can find."

     The story here is that no matter how old you are, you can still chase and catch dreams. This isn't the last dream that Jake has and who knows what she will be up to next. She has lots of time up there on the river to decide, right now trust me, Mike is sure proud.

(All photos courtesy of Jake Carlson and Skydive Twin Cities)

      Well folks, the school year is winding down and that means one thing. The post-season for spring sports is upon us and high school careers are coming to an end for our area senior athletes. The Section 7A sub-section track meet is Thursday in Esko, and the Section meet is just a week away at UMD. One Aitkin Gobbler sophomore is eyeing her chance to advance to the State Track meet in a couple weeks. Ashley Asmus has been a dominant force in the world of the 800m run this season and she has worked her way to the top. I wanted to know why she chose the 800 for her premier event, “I was running in relay events, and I started looking at my split times in those events and we decided that the 800 might be the best use of my abilities. I didn’t have to do any specific training for that event. I just kept running sprints and working hard in the summer to improve my times.” Her end goal is to break the Gobbler school record of 2:23.73 set by Amie Anderson in 1988. “Ultimately I would like to do well at Section and make it to the State Meet.” She has run the 800m in her best time this season just .27 of a second off the school record and with her attitude and work ethic I think her chances are good that she will realize that goal sooner than later. Coach Adam Carlson likes her chances as well, “Ashley is cutting time at every meet, It’s very exciting watching her take off with speed and she doesn’t slow down. She is committed to reaching her goals and works hard. We’re excited to see what she will accomplish this season.” Isaiah Baker recently tied a school record first set by Dave Desutter in 1984, high jumping 6'6". Both are great track athletes and other school records are in danger from Baker who is just a junior.
      The Gobblers have a ton of talent this season and they could send several athletes to the Section next week and maybe even on to State. Isaiah Baker has had a great year and he is a threat in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Camden Visnovec is a tough competitor and should be tough to beat in the 110m hurdles and 300m hurdles. Tika May has been to State, she knows what it takes and is strong in the 100m hurdles and the 300m hurdles. The relay teams are always a threat so look for some great performances this week. Aitkin track is on the way up every season, and this could be the start of something really good.

     Well folks, to say the first annual Scottie Johnson Classic was a success is quite an understatement. From the weather to the attendance to the games themselves, it was just an outstanding event. If you walked around the fields as I did several times you saw a lot of great baseball and a lot of smiles. The tournament was very well run and if you needed a t-shirt, a hat, a hot dog, a cold drink, you could find all of it in numerous locations. The “first pitch” ceremony was very cool with Scottie Johnson, the tournaments namesake doing the honors tossing to tournament originator Landon Janzen. The guy who has been a part of baseball in Aitkin for a long time was visibly humbled by the attention but coolly stepped up and delivered a strike. It was pure baseball from that point on and you couldn’t find a critic at any of the field locations around town. I’m sure this event will become a yearly event on the calendar and they won’t have any problems filling the tournament every year. Aside from all the hoopla and excitement there was some really good baseball from the teams playing this weekend. Great pitching, great hitting and great sportsmanship among all the entrants. You can’t ask for anything more than that. I am old enough that I remember playing on Woock Field and in my mind there is not a better facility in northern Minnesota. You have an outstanding field, lights, batting cages and restroom facilities. Okay, I know they are portable but not everywhere you go do they have multiple places to go so Aitkin is in luck in that respect. Every town has their people that stand out and Scottie is our guy. As I walked up to talk to him Friday night before the first pitch he immediately told me who the umpires were for that game. He knows them all, also football, basketball and softball officials as well. How he remembers them all is beyond me but he does. They all look for him when they show up for the games and that makes me even more happy. This tournament was built with him in mind and cudos to Landon and his dad Jeremy for coming up with the idea. Scottie was well known before this tournament and he is much more known and loved after last weekend. Not many people are known by simply one name, Pele, Messi, Kobe, Babe, I could name many but the one who lives in our hearts and in our town is a guy simply called Scottie. Great weekend my friend and thanks for being you!
 

       Well folks, I have watched a lot of basketball in the past two weeks, what with the Girls State, Boys State, NCAA Men and NCAA Women and it has been pretty exciting. The C-I Rangers made it to the title game in Class "AA" girls and several area teams were in their respective tourneys, Brainerd in "AAAA" and Cromwell-Wright in "A". All were well coached and played like they belonged there. The Rangers have had a great run, three State trips in a row and nothing tells me they won't have a great chance to be back in 2026. Season ending awards will be given out over the next couple of weeks and players and coaches will be selected for their play over the past season. It got me to thinking about expectations and achievements and how much improvement teams make over the course of a calendar year. When I look back at 2023-24 and see that the Aitkin Gobblers won a total of three games and then I look at 2024-25 where they posted 19 wins, it is truly amazing. I think that kind of turnaround deserves recognition as well. Does it mean they worked harder than other teams, not necessarily, but for a program that has struggled, it is awesome. The fact that the players spent the off-season working harder and making themselves better can't be overlooked, they did the work, but they have bought into the system that Head Coach Kaija Davies has produced and that is most important as well. Is Kaija the Section 7AA Coach of the Year? Of course not, that's not the way it works, but I can count on one hand how many teams in Minnesota made a 16 game flip from last year to this season. It just doesn't happen. Sometimes we spend too much time celebrating the end result, not the journey. In the 2024-25 high school girls' basketball season there were a lot of good teams, and they have shown that in the past month since the start of Sections, but there was not a team that was better coached over the past five months than the Gobblers and Kaija Davies. She deserves the recognition and most importantly the respect of her fellow coaches. She doesn't need me to defend her, she has earned the right to stand next to the best coaches in northern Minnesota. Coach, thank you!

        Well folks, I have met some pretty remarkable people in my life but only a handful that are truly inspiring. This lady is "truly" an inspiration to anyone who knows her story. She was born in the small town of Kyonggi-do just south of Seoul, South Korea. She picks it up from there, "I was adopted from South Korea in 1992. My family had tried adopting within the United States but did not find a good fit. They took a break until my older brothers insisted they start looking again. They then decided to look overseas and found me. I came to them on September 28th, 1992, when I was 7 months old. To say I feel fortunate is an understatement, I feel pretty darn lucky." Ladies and gentlemen, that young lady is Jenna (Kuiken) Snow and this is her story in her own words, fast forwarding of course.
       "It was one thing to try out for the All Starz dance team but it was an entirely different thing competing as a one-handed dancer. I would not have been so successful without an amazing support group that included my parents Paul and Beth, Marion Cordie and Lisa Roth and the amazing close knit community of Aitkin. Growing up my parents always told me you're not handicapped/disabled and you will do anything and everything better than your two older brothers that have both their hands. I was blessed with being guided by so many amazing people in the community that instilled that mindset in me as well. People like Sonja Hagestuen who taught me how to play piano at a young age using my prosthetic arm. My elementary gym teacher Mr. Werner, taking the time to break down every sport for me and modify it so I could play no matter what. And of course, my amazing dance coaches, Marion Cordie and Lisa Roth who took on the challenge of adding a one-handed dancer to their dance team. It wasn't until years later that I realized what Marion and Lisa did for me that helped me seamlessly blend in with my teammates through specific choreography and uniform choices. Each dance I competed in they made sure I could execute each movement safely and look unison with my teammates. I wore a special glove over my prosthetic that matched the gloves worn by the team and protected my teammates from the hard metal on my prosthetic arm. Marion and Lisa's choreography over the years did such a great job blending me into the teams choreography that it wasn't until my senior year at the State that a judge realized I was missing a hand and had watched me for years compete without realizing it. Marion and Lisa made sure that I felt very much a part of the dance team without ever making me feel handicapped or less than anyone else. It truly helped spark a confidence in me that I would never have gained without them."
     That, of course is not the end of the story because you can "believe" no matter how old you are and how much you have already accomplished. Jenna decided to follow in the footsteps of her dad, Paul Kuiken and become a chiropractor. Can you imagine being a chiropractor and only having one hand, oh what challenges lay ahead for this young lady. She was basically turned away at every turn, but Jenna was not going to let that stop her. She kicked down all the doors and didn't stop until she had become the only one-handed person to ever pass all the National chiropractic boards, in history. There are other one-handed chiropractors in the United States, but all have lost their hand after passing the boards. If that is not "truly" believing I don't know what else to say. Dr. Jenna (Kuiken) Snow now owns her own clinic, "The Spinery" in the Twin Cities. Inspiring? Check the dictionary, this young lady checks all the boxes. 
  

      Well folks, nine months ago I talked about to you about teammates and how good ones will always have your back and take care of you when needed. I am back this week to tell you about the loss of one of those teammates and how tough that loss can be. Since her surgery in February to remove a cancerous leg our little dog has lived her best life. A new fence gave her the freedom to run the yard without fear of getting into the street and her ability to be off her leash most of the time. She chased squirrels and chipmunks and birds, knowing full well she would never catch one and what to do if she did. It was a great life for the little dog and she loved it. She would lay in the backyard for hours and watch the world go by. She didn't seem to lose a step with three legs and people she met on her walks marveled at her love of life and her ability to move around like the little tripod she was. Less than two weeks ago she was still going for her walks everyday and it appeared nothing was wrong. She had never had a seizure before but all of a sudden she had a number in a 24 hour period and we were at a loss at to what was causing them. A visit to the vet brought no answers but with some medication we hoped it would control them until we found out what was wrong. Our little teammate needed our help but we couldn't help her. Then after a four-day period of being lethargic and needing help to go outside once again we knew we were going to have to make another decision. One week ago we were back at the vet and deciding that with so many things going against her we were not going to get our little dog back. There was no guarantee that that would happen even with treatment and so with tears in our eyes we told the doctor that we needed to let Jaz go. Barb held her and for the first time in four days she let us touch her and pet her and comfort her. As the first shot started to take effect she looked at me and said "It's okay Dad, I'm ready to cross the rainbow bridge and meet Malcolm and Echo and say hi to Tigger and Ella." The vet assistant put her on the table and we said our final goodbyes, I told her thank you and I love you and then it was over. Again for the second time we asked ourselves if we had done the right thing but I knew when she looked at me that final time she was ready to say goodbye to the pain. The healing has begun but every day I have to hold Juno, our cat, and try to tell him that it's okay, his buddy was gone but not forgotten. Other pets know, they really do and Juno misses his friend that he has had for over ten years. It's very difficult for Barb since I am gone many nights in the winter covering sports because Jaz was a constant companion. Tough for me because she was always waiting on the couch for me to get home. I will miss my little girl and all the time we spent on the front porch in the summer waving at cars and enjoying people that stopped to say hello. She will most definitely be our last dog but we will remember them all. I have to give a shout-out to Iron Range Veterinary Clinic for all the help they have given us in the past two weeks. They helped make Jaz's journey a little easier and I think they were as sad as we were on that final trip. I knew this day would come but nothing makes it easier or prepares you for it. Another teammate gone and this one really hurts. I know you have all gone through this so you understand. Jaz, you were the best, right there with Echo but each of you had your own special life. God bless you and know that I will always miss you my little girl!