Helping forlorn pets in Iowa

Cambridge couple collects a truckload of donations and delivers them to shelter that is rescuing animals from the flood.

CAMBRIDGE – When the call for help went out to her family and friends, Jacquie Winiecki of Cambridge was amazed at how willing and eager people were to donate supplies for a pet shelter in Iowa City.
Winiecki had received an email herself on Monday, June 16 from the shelter she provides foster care through, The Aussie Rescue Group of Minnesota. The email spoke about the need for supplies at the Iowa City Animal Shelter.
The shelter itself had fled the rising flood waters and was temporarily being housed at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. They were without basic office supplies, in addition to pet food, kennels, and leashes.
The shelter was not only taking care of the animals it had prior to the flood, but also those separated from their owners in the chaos.
Winiecki knew she wanted to help.
Home sick that day, she decided to try to gather what donations she could and head down to Iowa on Friday night after work.
She sent out an email on Tuesday explaining the need and then waited.
The response was slow at first. But as more and more people sent out the email, it exploded. Fox 9 got ahold of the story and ran something on it Wednesday. The STAR posted a story on its web site the same day.
During the day on Wednesday Winiecki received over 150 emails from people who wanted to help. After the story ran on the 9:30 p.m. news broadcast she lost count. She was up until 1 a.m. responding to each and every person letting them know about the Thursday and Friday drop-offs at St. Joseph's Church in Lino Lakes.
The response was so large that she took off half a day on Thursday and the whole off Friday.
Winiecki is grateful she is employed by a company (Kraus Anderson) that supports its employees' philanthropic efforts.
She had always felt the call to go help when disaster struck, but was never able to go before because she wasn't able to get the time off work.
On Friday before noon, Winiecki sent out an email asking the STAR to post a notice that her truck was full and they weren't able to accept any more donations.
"It was a success!" she gushed.
While Winiecki didn't keep exact figures, she estimates that she collected over 2,000 pounds of donations. They filled a camper and heaped items up in the bed of her boyfriend's Chevrolet pick-up truck.
A big chunk of the medical supplies were donated by Medtronic. Others came from private individuals.
Some people donated money to be used specifically to help pay the gas tab.
A neighbor and a friend stepped up to care for her two dogs.
A SEVEN-HOUR DRIVE
Winiecki and her boyfriend, Rocky Goertz, pulled out of Cambridge at 7 p.m. on Friday. They stopped for an hour in St. Paul to pick up donations a friend had generously collected. By 8 p.m. they were on the road to Iowa. Stopping only to fuel up, the couple reached the Johnson County Fairgrounds by 3:30 a.m. It took an hour to find the bed. They were up by 6:30 a.m., ready to start unloading and help where they were needed.
It took two hours to unload all the items they had brought with them.
"As fast as we could take things out of the truck, they were loading supplies up to go out on the boats," recalled Winiecki.
Shelter workers told her that aside from the Petsmart donation, this was the largest number of donations they had received.
Winiecki was impressed by the organization of the shelter. There was a place for everything.
"All of the animals were taken care of amazingly well," she observed. "None of the cages were soiled and clean-up was constant."
While there, Winiecki saw a family arrive to take their dog for a walk. "They are staying in a place that does not allow pets, and the shelter is holding their dog for them until they can get situated," she explained. "It was so sad, yet so happy because their dog was so excited when he saw their owners coming to take him for a walk."
Because the shelter had enough assistance, Winiecki and Goertz decided to head back for home at noon.
On their way out of town they took a look at the devastation the flood waters wrought on the area. "You could see houses that had been washed away in the river," said Winiecki. "It was horrible smelling. People were in motor boats with gloves on trying to pick up their stuff."
They could see the water lines that rose above two-story windows, recalled Goertz.
"It felt like chaos," said Winiecki.
"It looks a lost worse in person than it does on the news. You can't explain it. It was just awful."
On the way home, they stopped for a short nap, unable to continue the entire distance without some sleep. They arrived home at 9 a.m. Winiecki slept until 1 p.m. on Sunday.
"I'm exhausted, but I'm really glad that I did it," said Winiecki on Monday night, June 23. "If something like this happens again and I'm close enough to go and help, I will."
Goertz agrees. "She'll probably need my truck again," he said with a laugh.
"It's good to know that even though everyone is having a hard time with the gas prices, people will still give to a good cause," said Winiecki.

ITEMS STILL NEEDED BY SHELTER
• Office supplies (all, pens, paper, staplers, paper clips, scissors, etc)
• Garden hoses and nozzles
• Dog toys and cat toys
• Hand sanitizer
• Rubber gloves
• Bite-proof gloves

SHIP TO:
Johnson County Agricultural Association, 4261 Oak Crest Hill Road SE; Iowa City, IA 52246. MARK PACKAGE: Iowa City Animal Shelter, Misha Goodman

DONATE ONLINE:
http://www. facf. org/support/

IF YOU GO
Call First. Line up a place to assist at before you leave, urges Winiecki. Let them know the time you'll arrive and when you intend to leave. "If you just show up you may be more of a burden than help," she noted. "I went through the proper channels."
Ask Them What They Need. Ask the organization you're assisting what sort of supplies and donations they are looking for.

New parks director, big plans

Barry Wendorff is excited to fashion parks out of raw land

It was a group of school kids at Kathio State Park that pointed Barry Wendorff towards his career in parks.
As a student at Central Lakes Community College Wendorff was assigned to create a game that would teach children about the obstructions fish face when making their way up a stream. By the end of the game, only three of the 20 kids remained, the rest falling victim to predators, fishermen and dams.
"Not many fish can make it upstream if you have all these obstructions," Wendorff told the school children.
And that's when it hit him.
Through games you can educate people and inform them about things they wouldn't otherwise know.
"That's what drew me to parks," said Wendorff.
He set off from Century to Mankato where he earned a degree in recreation, parks, leisure services with an emphasis in resource management. His path took him to California where the Army Corps of Engineers was hiring, and he spent the next fours years supervising volunteers, presenting at schools, and patroling the land around Hensley Lake nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
When his wife gave birth to their firstborn son, the two decided to return home to Minnesota to be near family.
After a stint working as a carpenter, then parks maintenance worker for the city of Plymouth, Wendorff's path led him to Isanti County.
He was hired to replace Steve Nelson as the county's full-time park director in April.
Wendorff has big plans for the county's park. He hopes to offer kayak classes; to organize volunteers to do trail work on National Public Land Day; to promote the park system on Earth Day.
Down the road, Wendorff envisions leading walks through the county's parks, pointing out wildflowers and discussing the various plant life.
He wants to offer interpretive programs and water safety classes for kids, as he did in California.
Wendorff acknowledges that there are few bike paths in the area and hopes to designate a trail system leading between county parks, which fits in with the county's park plan. He thinks a good place to start is between the Springvale and Becklin parks as they are located close together. Active Living by Design is partnering with the county on that project.
Anderson County Park
But for now, Wendorff is focusing on creating parks out of the raw land the county currently owns.
His first step was to remove logs at the Irving and John Anderson County Park in Oxford Township, which is the county's newest acquisition. The trees were removed because oak wilt had struck.
The next step for that park is to begin restoring the prairie. To start, the county will focus on the area off County Road 18. Ten acres will be seeded with native plants this fall. Another 20 have been continuously planted with crops and as they aren't yet overcome with non-native plants, Wendorff believes the native seed bed is still there and will rejuvenate itself with a little help. The areas that the county can't afford to plant this year will grow soybeans again.
A road will also be installed from the county road to a canoe landing on Horseleg Lake. A picnic shelter, trails and a ballfield will be developed in 2010.
Springvale & Becklin parks
At Springvale an asphalt trail and parking will be repaired and sealcoated for the first time since they were installed in 1999. The park tucked off Highway 95 is the county's most visited park with five miles of trails meandering through 211 acres. It was the county's third park, following after Dalbo and Wayside, and most of the property was purchased from the Wolcyn tree farm.
This summer, Wendorff is also focusing on updating the copy on the county's web sites about the parks. He hopes to have that finished in a month.
But perhaps his biggest project this summer is developing Becklin Park. In all, $40,000 will be spent at Becklin Park this year. A road will be installed this summer to lead to a boat access along the Rum River; it will accommodate boats up to 15 feet. A large picnic shelter will also be erected so that families can enjoy a BBQ or picnic near the water.
A wildlife observation platform will also be built. On that project, Wendorff is working with the Department of Natural Resources. The 8x10-foot platform will be constructed by park staff and volunteers to save on the cost.
Another picnic shelter housing a single table will be located away from the river in the old growth pines on the property.
Wendorff hopes to have the work done by late fall.
He dreams of opening another park along the Rum River, giving residents the option of traveling between the two via water.
He sees the Rum River as a major asset of the county, "a wild and scenic route" that should be opened up to citizens.
Vegsund in 2009
Vegsund Park will be the focus of 2009. Work there will include the construction of an access road, fishing pier, canoe access, parking lot, and small picnic shelter.
Beach?
There is no plan for a beach at the moment, noted Wendorff, but he noted that the county is considering purchasing land, possibly along Spectacle Lake, for such a park. As of yet, no particular property has been selected. And, with the recent purchase of the Anderson property, the county's park fund reserve is nearly depleted.
A successful passage of the Legacy amendment could change that and send state grant dollars to Isanti County, but that's only if voters approve the amendment.
Until then, Wendorff intends to make the most of volunteer groups such as the Environmental Coalition and Active Living to finish projects at a low cost to the county.
A limited budget remains his biggest challenge, coupled with a low staff (he's the only one). Also challenging is that so few people are aware of what the county's park system offers.
"We do have six parks scattered throughout the county," said Wendorff. "They're pretty obtainable for anyone that lives in the county."
After holding three jobs in the seven years since he graduated from college, Wendorff feels he's found the job he was looking for.
"I'd like to stay with Isanti County for a long time," he said.

TIDBITS
Barry Wendorff is…
• Married to Michelle
• Father to Jackson, age three, and expecting another child in late November
• Graduate of New Germany class of 1997 and Minnesota State University (Mankato) class of 2001
• Resident of Zimmerman
• Hunter and fisher
• In pursuit of morel mushrooms when spending time in the woods

Legislative review

Senator Rick Olseen and Representative Rob Eastlund brief locals on changes made in the 2008 session.

Cambridge will benefit from the restructuring done of the state's LGA formula. The city will receive a bump of $190,000.
Other local communities, such as Harris and Isanti, did not fare as well.
This is the news Minnesota Senator Rick Olseen and Rob Eastlund have been sharing with local cities and chambers in the past few weeks following the conclusion of the 2008 Legislative Session.
Eastlund pointed out that the LGA formula was changed upon the recommendation not of legislators, but of cities themselves through the League of Minnesota Cities.
Harris Mayor Rick Smisson questioned the change, wondering why another city similar in size will not be seeing a decrease in LGA while Harris will.
LEVY CAPS
Another move made by the Legislature that will affect cities is levy caps. This year the caps are set at 3%, although police and fire needs are excluded from that figure.
Theoretically, no one should see a rise higher than 3% in their property tax bills.
The levy caps were part of a deal made by Governor Pawlenty to reach a compromise on the bonding bill.
BUDGET SHORTFALL
Going into the session, the state had a $935 million deficit. This was exacerbated by the need for additional spending on the Interstate 35W bridge. To solve its deficit, the Legislature reduced its budget by $268 million, and then transferred in the remaining from other funds, including $500 million from reserves.
"Structurally we did nothing to solve the problem," said Eastlund. "We have no budget reserves left."
For the next biennium, the budget shortfall is projected to be even worse at $1.086 billion.
BIDDING CHANGE
Following changes made this year, local governments will no longer have to go out for bids on projects that are less than $100,000. The previous limit was $50,000.
"It gives you another tool to operate the city more efficiently," said Olseen.
TRANSPORTATION
Following the moves made in this session, transportation will see an influx of necessary funds.
However, the Democratic senator and Republican representative disagree on how that was done.
By raising the gas tax, the bill disproportionately penalizes people in this area, pointed out Eastlund, because so many residents commute. "I did not support the transportation bill," he noted.
On the other hand, Olseen did. He pointed out that over the next 10 years, Isanti County will see an additional $8.5 million to use on road projects. Cambridge will get $800,000 in municipal state aid.
Additionally, across the state 172 bridges will be replaced. "That's going to be significant. Those are roads commuters use," said Olseen. "It's moving in the right direction."
HEALTHCARE
The good news about healthcare is that providers will now be required to provide "baskets of care."
That means the days of receiving a price from the radiologist, a price from the clinic and a price from the hospital are gone. Customers will now be able to get the full price on a treatment and compare prices between hospitals, noted Eastlund. "There was a push to make healthcare more transparent."
He did express his concern at the expansion of Minnesota Care. A family of four with an income of $60,000 now qualifies, noted Eastlund. He said that providing full coverage was never the intention of Minnesota Care, but rather to provide initial coverage up to $10,000. He sees the new moves as a step towards publicly funded healthcare.
BIKE/WALK TRAIL
Both Senator Olseen and Representative Eastlund were happy to report that $156,000 was designated for the bike/walk trail that will connect Cambridge and Isanti. This was the final amount needed.
Editor's note: The information in this story came from several meetings, including the June 9 Harris City Council meeting, June 11 Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce meeting and the June 16 Cambridge City Council meeting.

CITY 2008 2009 old 2009 new
Braham 441,816 475,903 482,338
Cambridge 603,742 653,947 801,898
Isanti 474,792 486,191 513,958
Harris 156,013 171,700 156,013
North Branch 349,538 431,592 429,229
Rush City 518,419 562,892 674,075
2008: current year’s LGA; 2009 Old: what the city would have gotten under the old formula; 2009 new: what the city gets under the new formula

A friend through the rough times

After losing his left leg, arm and sight when his motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver, Greg Torell is grateful for a friend who makes sure he's still able to do what he loves.

He may have lost half his limbs in that motorcycle crash last summer, but Greg Torell of rural Cambridge has one thing few people have: a best friend who will stand by through anything. Jim Blosberg has proven that.
He's helped Torell navigate through the trials that follow a severe injury and the pain that comes from suddenly finding yourself disabled, unable to work, unable to train your hunting dog, and unable to ride your bike.
So Blosberg has found new hobbies for the two to share. He sold his motorcycle after the crash that ripped away Torell's left arm and leg, no longer able to stomach riding. Instead, he bought a classic car, a 1968 Baricuda. They've joined a car club, the group that meets at Junction Bowl every Wednesday night for dinner and a drive.
Blosberg has also found innovative ways for Torell to enjoy the things he's always loved. He rigged up a seat on a classic Skidoo Alpine so that Torell could go on the annual ride near McGregor in January. It's one of the biggest in the state, and because of the good snowcover, drew over 600 this year.
They went to other snowmobile races, as well. While Torell can't see more than shapes, he still got to smell the fumes and hear the pipes. Blosberg served as commentator.
The duo went out to North Dakota last fall so that Torell's dog, a German shorthaired named Ben, could practice the skills Torell taught him before his injury. While Torell couldn't get out there in the Aberle Farm fields with Blosberg and Ben, he's just happy his dog "got to do his thing."
Saturday night is Nascar night at the Torell residence. In early May they cooked up the turkeys they shot to serve for supper during the race. The supper had special meaning because it was Torell's first turkey.
He's done plenty of hunting in his life, much of it with Blosberg, but he'd never been turkey hunting before this April. To make it work, Blosberg scouted out the location before hand, set up the blind, and then brought Torell out via four-wheeler before sun-up. He ran the wheeler back, hid it and returned. The geese were so loud they couldn hardly hear the toms, recalled Torell. But they called in a dandy tom right off the get go. His gun was placed on an adjustable stick, and he waited for the signal: two tugs on his pants.
When it came, he carefully pulled the trigger. "You've got it, you've rolled him!" Blosberg hollared.
"It was pretty exciting," said Torell. "I was basically shooting blind."
LIFELONG BUDDIES
It was the most memorable in a long string of hunting trips. The two men have known each other since they were children. Their fathers went snowmobiling together, and in their younger days Blosberg and Torell did their fair share of stunt riding.
"We've been married for 22 years," said Jackie Torell. "Believe me, they do a lot of fishing and hunting."
One of their best trips was to hunt Hungarian partridges and sharp tailed grouse in North Dakota a few years back.
And neither of them will ever forget when Torell shot the nicest buck of his life, a 10-point, 200-pound animal that reached from one side of Jackie's Cobra Mustang to the other. Yeah, they brought the deer back on the hood of her classic car. Lucky for them, she wasn't home. "To this day, I don't know how I got the deer up there," said Torell.
When Blosberg lived out in Milwaukee, Torell got on his bike and went out for a visit. "We kept out of trouble," recalled Blosberg.
When he was at a low point in his life and had lost his driver's license because of his alcohol use, Blosberg moved in with the Torell family. Jackie brought him to work every day for one year. He's now been sober for 21 years. "I had bad times 21 years ago. I was no angel. I guess you just don't forget it," said Blosberg. "It's payback."
"If it wasn't for Jim and my wife, I don't know how I'd ever have gotten to the point where I am now," said Torell.
WHEN LIFE CHANGED
Torell's life changed on June 12, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. He was almost home that night, returning from the Princeton hospital where he'd held his first grandbaby for the first time. When they pulled onto Highway 47, his brother was riding a motorcycle just in front of him, and his wife followed in the car. "We'll go home, have dinner and celebrate," he had told his wife.
That was before a drunk driver crossed the centerline just north of EC's Corner.
He locked the brakes up and tried to take the ditch. He made it to the shoulder before the car broadsided him. "It blew my leg and arm off at impact," said Torell. "First thing I knew I was trying to do was get up. The next thing I knew it was the end of July."
Luckily, Torell was spared any serious head injuries, although he lost sight in his left eye. He was told that the strength he built up over years of bricklaying saved him. Two neighbors who were walking nearby ran over to help and put tourniquets on to stop the bleeding. "They'll tell you they didn't do anything, but they did," said J. Torell. The Torells credit those two women for saving his life.
To spare him pain, Torell was put in a medically-induced coma until July 23. He then entered physical therapy full-time, learning how to use the muscles that remained to compensate for what he lost. He operates an arm prosthetic by flexing his shoulder muscles.
In the hospital, everything that could go wrong went wrong. He had renal failure from losing half his colon. He had blood clots in his lungs. He had infection in his stump leg. "I've been under the blade a lot," said Torell.
Every night he was in the hospital Blosberg brought Torell a hot fudge malt from Dairy Queen.
After three months he was finally released from North Memorial. Following his release, Torell began going to Cambridge Medical Center for therapy twice a week.
When he got home, friends had to lift him up through his front door because there was no ramp. Blosberg changed that situation quickly. With the help of family, friends, his co-workers at EnComm, and Torell's co-workers at JE Dunn, a main-floor bedroom and bathroom were added onto the house just off the kitchen. A ramp was installed, and the exterior given a complete overhaul with new siding and shingles.
All the work was done on nights and evenings, and was finished within two months. "A lot of people helped," noted Blosberg.
People were also there for the Torells on Aug. 22 for a benefit held at the Isanti County Sportsmen Club, where Torell is a member. The good wishes and donations helped Torell get through the winter.
"The next day Jackie and I went through all the cards, and we just sat here and bawled we were so overwhelmed," recalled Torell.
HE HAS GOOD DAYS AND BAD
Torell is still recovering from the incident almost one year later. He went under the knife again in March when his colostomy bag was removed. "I couldn't get rid of that thing fast enough," said Torell. While the surgeon was there, he took out Torell's appendix, as well. "It was a freebie," said Torell.
The 21-year-old driver who hit Torell has yet to go to court. Torell has mixed feelings about her and her family, who live just up Highway 47. Some days he's very angry. Others he just wonders why he's never received a get-well card or an offer to do what they can to make things better.
Yet he also knows that in his younger days, he could have easily done the same thing while driving drunk. "I look back to when I was her age. I could have done something like this," said Torell.
'Don't drink and drive' is a mantra the Torells have always pounded into the heads of their four children, but it has taken on a deeper meaning now. "That's exactly what she did to me – what I told my kids they'd never want to do to anyone," said Torell. "She's got to live with it for the rest of her life."
Meanwhile, Torell takes life one day at a time. Things that he never took time for before now mean a lot, like sitting around with friends and family to watch a baseball game or simply going out for dinner.
"Keep a stiff upper lip and you'll get through life," advised Torell. "Try to keep motivated."
He has his share of ups and downs. The hardest part, he admits while choking up, is "when my granddaughter wants to climb up in my lap and I can't pick her up."
Torell's wife, Jackie, has never waivered in her support. "My wife has always been by my side," said Torell. "She's felt all my pain as far as I'm concerned.
"Jim has been there to keep me busy."
"We've got to do the best we can with what he's got," said Jackie. She's grateful that her employer, Assurant Health, has been so understanding, allowing her to work from home. The health insurance she has through her employer has kept them from being buried by medical bills.
Although Torell's life at age 44 isn't how he pictured it would be, he's grateful for the people who have been there for him.
"If someone is willing to help you with this stuff, it does make it possible to get back out to do the things you love," said Torell.
And as the guys told him out in North Dakota, "If anything like that happened, they'd only be so lucky to have a friend like Jim."

See video of Greg Torell online @ 

http://www.mystarnewspaper.com/detail/26541.html?category_id=&search_filter=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1⊂_type=videos&town_id=15

Help prevent foreclosures

Over 100 attend training at ARCC to learn how to help people facing home foreclosures.

FACT: There is free help for every person facing foreclosure in Minnesota.
FACT: An individual is most likely to pull out of a potential foreclosure if they get help earlier rather than later.
This information was presented at a foreclosure prevention class held Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College - Cambridge Campus.
"If they call six months before they have difficulties, there are more options to prevent foreclosure," noted Ed Nelson of the Minnesota Home Ownership Center.
Once a homeowner starts slipping into a foreclosure, it becomes more difficult to get out of it as the lender adds late fees and legal fees are accrued. On top of the financial burden, a person emotionally shuts down when facing a foreclosure, burdened by the shame associated with it, as well as the fear of losing their home.
"The first reaction is to hide," observed Nelson.
Counselors urge people to open their mail in order to learn about help offered through their lender. They also gather a person's financial information and help them establish a budget.
Nelson encouraged folks to call before they receive the notice from their lender that they are in foreclosure. Call when you've missed a payment or two; call when you don't know how you'll make your next payment.
While the goal is to prevent a foreclosure, that's not always the best thing in every circumstance, noted Nelson. Sometimes a person is in too deep, and it will cost too much to pull out. Sometimes a person isn't ready to be a homeowner and doesn't make enough to pay the bills that come with a house. Other times the loan is simply structured in such a way that the person can't realistically make the payments.
The free financial counseling offered through Lutheran Social Services (to all people, not just Lutherans) takes a look at the entire situation, and the counselor offers personalized advice.
Calls are answered either right away or returned within 24 hours. Unlike what often occurs with lenders, callers won't be shuffled from department to department. Help will be given right away.
"The objective of foreclosure prevention is to work with households to reach long-term solutions that are stable and affordable," said Nelson.
Even if counselors can't help pull a person out of a foreclosure, they can help them plan what they do next. The biggest step is to find affordable housing before they are homeless. That can be difficult as more landlords pull credit reports before signing leases.
Counselors help people become aware of predators who might seek to make money off their situation.
"There are no quick and easy fixes for families in foreclosure," stressed Nelson. "The scam artists make it seem like they can come in and quickly fix serious problems."
Most people don't understand how the foreclosure process works. Counselors can lead through them through the steps and inform them on their rights.
A lender has the right to refuse partial payments. This can be especially frustrating to someone who is short only a few hundred dollars. A lender can also charge late fees. The homeowner is charged for the attorney's fees that accrue while the lender is trying to protect his/her financial interests.
During the six-month redemption period following the sheriff's sale, the homeowner may continue to live in the house (unless someone besides the lender bought the home at the sale). The homeowner has one last chance to keep the house: by paying off the entire mortgage amount along with fees.
The Isanti Model
There are many myths associated with foreclosures. Some of the most common have to do with possible help coming through the legislature. Nelson pointed out that right now the government has not put a halt to foreclosures, and people can't pin their hopes on something that may or may not occur.
He expressed his hope that the people present at the training would help dispel myths and point those who need help toward it.
The grassroot effort occurring in central Minnesota – referred to as the Isanti Model by the Minnesota Home Ownership Center – is bringing many different people together to solve the "foreclosure crisis." Present at the June 10 training were representatives from local city and county governments, churches, businesses and various non-profits.
"Let's go to the next step and continue to get the word out that there is help," urged Greg Owens of Community Pride Bank in Isanti, who is helping organize the grassroot effort.
Owens hopes to get information out via word of mouth, in statement stuffers, on web sites, and by citizens initiating their own mass mailings. Posters are being created that shop owners can post in their windows explaining the help that is out there.
Learn more by contacting Owens at 763-235-2380.

FACING FORECLOSURE

Joe Bentfield of rural Cambridge is on hard times.

Joe Bentfield didn't ever think he'd be in this situation. Sure he has had a rough few years, but he'd pull out of it. As soon as he healed. As soon as he got a good job. As soon as his own business bounced back to the level it used to be at.
But time has run out for Bentfield.
He's about to lose his house to foreclosure.
The sale is set for July 2, 2008 at 10 a.m.
"I'm not a slacker. I'm not a weirdo. I'm not an alcoholic. I've just run into some hard times," said the 52-year-old man.
As he explained in a letter to his mortgage company, Chase Manhattan, his financial woes began with a divorce in 2001. A self-employed artist, he lost his workshop when his ex-wife got the house.
Soon after, Bentfield learned that his mom had lung cancer. He offered to move in with her and help her out through her treatment. The three months turned into two and one-half years.
Shortly after her first surgery, Bentfield, too, had surgery to repair an injured right shoulder. Unable to work, he soon found himself behind on child support payments.
Then doctors discovered his mom's cancer had crept into her breast. She told Bentfield she'd only do it if he stayed with her. He did.
When she died three years ago, Bentfield bought a home in rural Cambridge. After two-and-one half years, he had a workshop again to paint his creative designs on helmets. Business wasn't like what it used to be, however, as he'd lost many of his old contacts at places such as Bell Helmets, HJC Helmets, I Tech Goalie, Arctic Cat, Yamaha, Polaris, Ski Doo and the Hells Angels,
He took a job as a delivery driver and got hurt again. He got the knee replacement, and then began battling with insurance companies. Because his boss had switched insurance companies, neither would take responsibility for paying for his medical bills.
He hired an attorney, and then to pay the attorney bills refinanced his house. The lender, St. Croix Mortgage of Inver Grove Heights, called it a "band-aid loan," one at a high interest rate that would give him enough money to live on until his settlement came through. Then plans were to refinance again at a lower rate without any closing costs.
Bentfield was awarded the settlement, but the mortgage company has yet to return his phone calls.
He took a job with a car dealership in Pine City, figuring it would be a good job with a good salary. He was hopeful things were going to turn around. Then disaster struck again. He went into work one day last summer to find the dealership had closed its doors. Denny Hecker had bought the company. Employees were told they'd be hired back, but one month later Bentfield learned they'd hired an entirely new crew.
He was out of a job again.
Struggling to find work, Bentfield took three part-time jobs, but couldn't make enough to pay the bills.
In February, he finally found a full-time job close to home with decent pay. In April, his mortgage payments jumped up another $200 hitting $1,400 a month.
"In time I can make ends meet. I know this will happen. All I need is the chance to make it happen," Bentfield wrote in a letter to his mortgage company.
It was a "hardship" letter he'd written after contacting his mortgage company. Then he waited to hear back from Chase. He's still waiting three months later. He's called, but gets transferred from one person to another. He wants to make a payment or two, but can't figure out where to send it.
Bentfield called in April when a letter from a Twin Cities attorney came pointing out he was behind in payments. And he called the first week of May when he received a foreclosure notice in the mail.
He's frustrated, and doesn't understand why they don't even tell him about the process of climbing out of a foreclosure.
"You get to the point where you want to throw your hands up and say, 'To heck with it,'" admitted Bentfield.
MANY IN JOE'S SHOES
Bentfield isn't alone.
Many people currently facing foreclosure don't understand the process and are frustrated by the lack of answers from their lenders, noted Greg Owens of Community Pride Bank in Isanti.
He warns folks to beware of companies who charge fees to help you avoid foreclosure. Rather he steers people to free services, such as the counseling offered through Lutheran Social Services.
The organization won't give people money to help them make payments, but will instead talk to them about how to prioritize where their money goes. "This is to analyze your situation and move you in the right direction," said Owens.
He noted that people will be most successful at getting out of foreclosures if they ask for help after they've missed one payment.
"If people are having some difficulty, the best thing to do is address it immediately and not put it under the rug," said Owens.
The longer people wait, the tougher and more expensive it gets, as fees are added.
He doesn't think most people understand how a foreclosure will affect their credit in the long run, blocking them from getting a loan for a car or even a new credit card at Target.
PEOPLE PULL TOGETHER
Isanti County ranked second highest in the state in 2007 in terms of numbers of foreclosures. Experts expect the trend to continue this year.
"We've got to pull together to pull us out of this," said Owens.
He is one of many people concerned about the current foreclosure situation in the area. He's decided to do something about it, and has assembled a group of people who share his concern.
Their first step is to get information out to the people that individuals facing foreclosure go to when they need help: pastors, food shelters, social workers and real estate agents.
An informational session for those people will take place on June 10, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College - Cambridge Campus. Pre-registration is required. Go to http://5countytrainingworkshop.eventbrite.com. This is not fore people facing foreclosure, but for those professionals who help them.
"We have to get the word out to people that there is help," said Owens. "You've got to get it sooner rather than later."
As for Bentfield, well, he doesn't know what the future holds.
"I'm nervous about it, I really am," he said.

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ABOUT JOE BENTFIELD
Joe Bentfield's helmet designs have appeared on such well-known racers as Jay Springsteen, Guy Cooper, Bob Hanna, Roger DeCoster and Donny Schmidt. They've shown up in "Mighty Ducks," Prince's "Purple Rain," Jet Li's "Cradle to the Grave" and Sylvester Stalone's "Driven."


ARE YOU FACING
FORECLOSURE?
Take action:
• Open your mail. Call your lender. Don't be afraid. They want to help you.
• Cut your bills. Make temporary sacrifices.
• Put your house payment first.
• A sheriff's sale does not mean you have to move right away.
• Beware of those trying to offer a quick and easy fix.
• Call a foreclosure prevention counselor NOW for free advice and options.
- Minnesota Home Ownership Center: 1-866-426-6466 or www.hocmn.org
- Lutheran Social Services: 888.577.2227 or www.lssmn.org/debt/
* From the Minnesota Home Ownership Center

DO YOU WANT TO HELP SOMEONE FACING FORECLOSURE?
Attend a seminar:
• Foreclosure Prevention Information and Referral Training: June 10, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Anoka-Ramsey Community College - Cambridge Campus. Pre-registration required; go to http://5countytrainingworkshop.eventbrite.com
Join the local group:
• Contact Greg Owns at Community Pride to get involved locally, gowens@cpride.com or 763-235-2380
Share information
• Share the tips and contact information listed above

East central area facing highest foreclosure rate in state

Isanti County ranked second, Chisago County six in 2007

Isanti County faces one of the highest foreclosure rates in the state, and things are only expected to get worse.
Ranked second highest in 2007, Isanti County falls behind Sherburne County. Chisago County sat at number six in the state.
According to data collected by by Housing Link as commissioned by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, there were over 322 homes foreclosed upon in Isanti County last year, and that number is expected to rise to 404 in 2008.
In Chisago County, there were 307 foreclosures in 2007, and analysists expect that to grow to 249 in 2008.
What makes these numbers significant is how they've grown since 2005.
These figures also follow several years of higher than ever new home construction.
According to the study released on April 29, 2008, the 10 counties most affected by foreclosures in the state of Minnesota last year were Sherburne, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Pine, Wright, Chisago, Le Sueur, Kanabec, Scott and Anoka.
Looking at the state as a whole, there was one mortgage foreclosure for every 100 homes in 2007.
The total number rose from 6,466 in 2005 to 20,404 in 2007. The figures are expected to increase by another 28,000 this year.
The numbers used by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund to calculate their figures came from actual sheriff sales in each county.