May 2008
Click for current Press Release regarding the Historic Mailboat Performances
April 2008
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
Webisodes, short audio or video presentation on the Web, are used to promote products, preview music, deliver news events and present all sorts of information.
 In late 2006, Explore Minnesota Tourism (EMT) revamped its website and hopped onto the webisode wave with a section of the new website called ‘My Favorite Minnesota’. Videos of the quirky, wonderful, intriguing and beautiful aspects of Minnesota were created and submitted by people who identified their submission as their favorite thing about Minnesota. Since then, ‘My Favorite Minnesota’ has become one of the most popular pages on the website.
The success of EMT’s webisodes prompted the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association (PBSBA) to look into creating a Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway webisode. The Byway webisode will tell the story of the Byway area in an engaging, quick and clever way. The witty truth and lore style that has been made popular in the PBSBA’s interpretive panels and printed materials will serve as the platform for the webisode. Costs for professional photography, videography and editing have been gathered and the organization is currently seeking sponsorship.
Over the past ten years, the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association has brought the stories, the sites and the fun of the Byway area to the life for those who live in and around the fourteen jurisdictions along the Byway route. The webisode project will show a significantly greater audience why the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway is viewed by so many as ‘My Favorite Minnesota’.
Click here to view the current webisodes on ‘My Favorite Minnesota’ at www.exploreminnesota.com.
March 2008
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
 At 12:30 pm on Friday, May 9, registered guests of the Governor’s Fishing Opener can step onto the bus at Breezy Point and into a Paul Bunyan world! They’ll hear one dandy story after another on the 2008 Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Bus Tour.
The Tour is part of the array of activities planned around the Governor’s Fishing Opener. Bus hosts and tour narrators will be John Wetrosky, Pine River Chamber director, Byway board member and long-time area resident, and Lynn Scharenbroich, Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association chair and area old-timer herself with her family homesteading on the Whitefish Chain in 1901.
 In addition to the stories of the area, the Paul Bunyan tall tales, and a few snappy bus games, Byway Tour participants will enjoy stops along the way that include the DNR Fire Tower, listed as a National Historic Lookout and site of the true story of Sassy, the bear. If the weather cooperates, the forested Veterans Walking Trail will lead tour participants to the Wetlands Walk, a 500’ board walk across a shrub swamp, ending at an island that was once a moonshine-making site back in prohibition days. The great story about the cows that discovered the sour mash, teetered home and scared their owners to pieces with their bizarre behavior will have to be told too, of course.
In Crosslake, the Historic Log Village will be ready for tour participants to gather a sense of small town life long ago. The Crosslake Historical Society is sponsoring a refreshment break across the road at the Crosslake Army Corps of Engineers Campground where well-known historian and Crosslake Corps administrator, Ray Nelson, will tell about the site’s award-winning dam and a bit about the history of dam-tenders.
Tour time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Boarding location: Marina Lounge at Breezy Point Resort.
For more information about the Byway Bus Tour, contact Carol Altepeter at carol.altepeter@state.mn.us
February 2008
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
  Would anyone dare whisper, "No fish!" around Minnesota's Governor Tim Pawlenty, or anybody else for that matter, on the eve of the Fishing Opener? Might that be considered bad luck? Or bad manners?
No, not at all. Not if it's the By-The-Way players performing 'No Fish' at the Governor's Fishing Opener Community Picnic on May 9, 2008, in Pequot Lakes.
Indeed, the By-The-Way players, a group of talented actors lead by Darren Blanck, with one year of Byway performances already under their collective belts, will perform a shortened version of this glimpse at a 1947 summer day in the life of local mailboat driver, Ben Knebel. Ben drove the mailboat on the Whitefish Chain for 39 years and never missed a day of work! He also enjoyed a good meal of fish, but on this day, various delays keep cropping up causing him to worry that he won't have time to go fishing. And, he has promised to provide the fish for the fish fry at home that night.
Governor Pawlenty won't have that kind of pressure during his fishing trip, so he and the rest of the folks at the Community Picnic can sit back and enjoy the performance of 'No Fish'.
The action takes place on a dock at a Whitefish Chain resort. The audience will be treated to not only a snippet of Ben Knebel's story, but also some cleverly included area history and even a few 1947 tunes to get toes tapping.
The stage and sound system will be set up under the big tent, so, just like fishing, weather won't get in the way of the action. Put the date on your calendar today. Don't miss 'No Fish' on Friday, May 9, at the Governor's Fishing Opener Community Picnic in Pequot Lakes.
The mailcarrier project and the By-The-Way players are funded by an FHWA Scenic Byways grant, the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association and Rice Creek Resources.
Photo descriptions: Darren Blanck, as Ben Knebel, in a summer, 2007, performance of ‘No Fish’ at Crosslake Corps of Engineers Campground. Left to Right are, Chuck Nielsen as Slim, Darren Blanck, as Ben Knebel, Mike Sommerness as Alf, a traveling musician, Ralph DeWitt as resort owner, George.
January 2008
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
What’s it worth? The question gets asked on television shows that assess people’s antiques and collectibles. Insurance agents ask it when drawing up contracts to protect their clients’ property. You might ask yourself that question when trying to decide whether to toss or keep that old sofa from your very first apartment. No doubt, the monetary value of the sofa would be only a small part of that decision.
 Across the nation, cities and townships along America’s Byways and the byway organizations themselves are looking at that very question of worth in terms of economic impact and economic significance of byways. Many byway leaders say that interest in the economic value of byway designation is their most frequently asked question when they speak to city councils, township boards and community groups.
There are currently 126 nationally designated byways in 44 states, and many more state designated routes in those same states as well as four additional states, plus the District of Columbia. It’s a big challenge to develop a way of measuring economic impact and/or significance that works for everyone when the diversity is so great.
There has already been some useful work done by some of our nation’s byways groups.
- The Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia/North Carolina: Visitors spent $1.8 billion in counties adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to a 1995-96 study. These expenditures resulted in over $147 million in tax revenues and supported more than 74,614 jobs in the region.
- Vermont Scenic Byways: Travelers from out of state who drove Vermont Scenic Byways for the scenic drive or sightseeing spent 25% more per day than those traveling for other reasons.
- Colorado Scenic Byways: A survey of tourism-related businesses along two scenic byways in Colorado showed that a majority of business owners estimated a 10% increase in sales due to byway designation.
But, now the quest for the answer to, “What’s it worth?” has found its champion. The America’s Byways Resource Center, located in Duluth, MN, about a year ago selected a company called Yellow Wood Associates to help frame the research, gather the data and produce a viable economic impact/significance measurement tool that will focus on the investment in the corridor in combination with visitor spending. That tool, or collection of tools, should be available by late 2008.
Pilot tests of the draft tools are now underway on selected byways in Ohio and Kansas. These tests should be completed by June.
So, what about the emotional value…like that old first-apartment sofa? The subject was posed to America’s Byways Resource Center. “The focus so far is on dollars, not intangibles. Those are definitely benefits to note, but we’re not looking at ways to quantify them yet.”
Some information taken from America’s Byways Resource Center Tele-Workshop Fact Sheet, Oct. 16 and 17, 2007.
December 2007
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
This year walking in a winter wonderland is more than a good tune. It’s a daily opportunity. The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway is a great place to exercise that opportunity. Described here are just a few of the incredible winter wonderland sites available to you every day along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway route.
Chiarella Forest Management Area: This 77 acre tract located off County Road 11 just a few miles north and east of the Breezy Point gates is a mix of forest replanting and meadowlands. Its off-the-beaten-path location makes it a perfect peaceful prowl for birders. Bring boots. You may be the trailbreaker.
Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area: Well known as Minnesota’s first ‘Landscaping For Wildlife’ demonstration project, the area features components designed to attract the area’s wildlife. Located 8 miles east of Highway 371 on County Road 16, an ample parking area makes it easy to invite friends to join you in an afternoon of cross country skiing or winter walking. Paths are wide so you can visit as you go.
  Veterans Walking Trail: An interpretive panel located at the trail head tells the history of this site. A smaller map panel clearly shows the layout of the trails. Located 3 miles east of Highway 371 on County Road 16, this is a place that will capture your heart. Imagine the Native Americans and early explorers who traversed through this place, sometimes camping on the island at the end of the Wetlands Walk. Stand over Hay Creek on the walking bridge that connects the north and south lobes of this site and picture the winter treks those many, many years ago. Or, muse on the lighter side and keep an eye out for the remains of a still, purported by some old timers to be around here yet today. Snowshoes or walking boots will get you around easily. There’s a parking area at the trailhead.
The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association has created a tear-off map that shows these and many other places along the route, including parks, unique natural features, historic sites, lakes and rivers. Maps are available free at any of the area Chambers of Commerce or by emailing the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway
November 2007
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway article as run in the Brainerd Dispatch
 Years ago Paul Bunyan walked all over the area, felling trees and moving timber. Although nary a footprint remains today, that may be changing, if Pequot Lakes mayor, Cathy Malecha, and the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association (PBSBA) have anything to say about it.
A PBSBA presentation in September, 2007, to the Pequot Lakes Parks Board suggested developing a byway-wide public art project that could springboard from the Paul Bunyan novelties already constructed along the route. Noted in the presentation were Pequot's bobber water tower and the Paul Bunyan chair added this summer near the tower, and Paul Bunyan baby boots, also added this summer in the Pine River Chamber building's parking lot. Byway representatives explained to the PL Park Board that byway enhancing public art was an eligible category under the Federal Highway Department's byway grants program. Under the program, 20% of project costs would need to be covered by local funding. If the local match funding could be secured, the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association would submit a grant request during the next available round of grants.
 From that meeting, the idea of creating Paul Bunyan footprints along the 54 mile Byway route was born. Mayor Malecha and the Pequot Lakes Park Board have taken the lead. They have already acquired cost estimates for the Paul Bunyan footprints and are now contacting the other thirteen jurisdictions along the route to gauge interest and participation. Although each footprint would be 14 feet long, 5 feet wide and 4 inches deep, they would really only be Paul Bunyan's baby boot footprints! The size was taken from the baby boots at the Pine River Chamber that were created this summer by artist, Wayne Shilson.
The jurisdictions along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway include the cities of Pequot Lakes, Pine River, Breezy Point, Manhattan Beach, Jenkins and Crosslake, and the townships of Barclay, Gail Lake, Ideal, Jenkins Township, Mission, Timothy, Wilson and Pelican.
Inkslinger
News of the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway
Volume 7, Summer Issue, May - September 2007
Great Opportunity for Townships and Cities Along the Byway
Scenic byways can apply for up to $200,000 for any one project each year. They can also apply for smaller grant amounts and multiple projects. Over the years, Crow Wing County has served as fiscal agent for the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association.
The FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) administers funds for the National Scenic Byways Program grants. Under the grant guidelines 80% comes from federal funds and 20% from local match funds.
The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway (PBSB) was a state designated route in 1998 and is a nationally designated route as of 2005. As such, it is eligible for these grants. Over the past ten years, the PBSB has applied for and has been awarded five grants through this program. Approximately $45,000 of local match investment yielded over $225,000 in project results ranging from live theater interpretive performances to corridor management planning documents for the organization.
What exactly is the range of eligible projects? How can cities and townships mesh their goals and dreams with the Byway Program's purpose? Are there opportunities for a byway-wide project that could benefit all 14 jurisdictions?
The eligibility question is the first hurdle. There are eight categories of eligibility. Minnesota's Scenic Byways Coordinator suggests that categories 4, 5 and 6 would be most suited to possible projects.
1. An activity related to the planning, design, or development of a scenic byway program.
2. Development and implementation of a corridor management plan.
3. Safety improvements to a State scenic byway, Indian tribe scenic byway, National scenic byway, or All-American road as a result of the designation as a scenic byway.
4. Construction along a scenic byway of a facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, rest area, turnout, highway shoulder improvement, overlook, or interpretive facility.
5. An improvement to a scenic byway that will enhance access to an area for the purpose of recreation, including water-related recreation.
6. Protection of scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological resources in an area adjacent to a scenic byway.
7. Development and provision of tourist information to the public, including interpretive information about byways.
8. Development and implementation of a scenic byway marketing program.
Most townships and cities have established planning documents that outline their short and long term goals. Looking at those goals against the backdrop of these eight categories may help determine how the two might mesh.
More detailed information on how National Scenic Byways Program grants work can be found at bywaysonline.org/grants.
To find out more about partnering with the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway, email board chair, Lynn Scharenbroich.
Summer Entertainment - Come See the Show!
By-The-Way Players present:
A glimpse into the life of Ben Knebel, Whitefish mail carrier from 1930 to 1969. 39 years and Ben never missed a day!
- See a vintage boat just like Ben's. It's part of the show!
- Learn about the history of the area and the events happening in Ideal Township during Ben's mail carrying tenure
- Reminisce as the Players sing out a few tunes of the times. Ben was quite the dancer and loved a good tune.
- Last showtime for the summer is August 24th at 7pm at the Crosslake Dam.
Pine River Gives Bunyan Fans the Boot
The Pine River Chamber has received approval from the City of Pine River to construct a pair of Paul Bunyan's baby boots near the Information Center this summer. The boots will be fourteen feet long, twelve feet high and ten feet wide and will be constructed by Pine River-Backus art instructor Wayne Shilson. The boots will offer residents and travelers alike a "Bunyan-sized" photo opportunity in Pine River. The Information Center currently has a smaller pair of Paul's baby boots in the center which many visitors and residents step into for a fun photo op. The new, bigger boots will provide an even more interesting picture!
Projects in Progress
- The Historic Mailcarrier Interpretation for Byway Visitors project is nearing the end of its first year of implementation. By the end of the 2007 season, nearly a dozen live performances by the By-The-Way Players will have been presented. The first season will be evaluated and a second season will kick off next spring with the first presentation at the Governor's Fishing Opener Community Picnic. This project is funded in part by a federal scenic byways grant with a major portion of the local match expected through the US Army Corps of Engineers Handshake Program.
- An interpretive panel, focusing on shallow water lakes and their unique ecology has been developed for Rice Lake, located on the south side of CSAH 11, east of Pequot lakes. The panel will be fabricated and installed this fall along the east side of Rice Lake. The DNR's Pam Perry and Gary Drotts are the PBSBA advisors for this project which is funded by a DNR Environmental Partnership grant with local match provided by some in-kind sponsorship and local donations.
- The Tour Brochure grant has been extended to June, 2011. The PBSBA is currently developing text and layout design. There is a $5000 local match required. Already committed is $1000. All supporters will be listed in the 20-24 page brochure.
!!SITE HIGHLIGHT!!
Nearly 100 resources and points of interest have been identified
along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway route. Some of the spots
are well known such as the Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area
or the Crosslake Historic Log Village. Others are not as commonly
recognized.
Each of the quarterly issues of Inkslinger
will highlight one of these lesser known Byway points of interest.
 Island Loop at Veterans Trail
Last year a group of volunteers from the Pequot Legion, lead by Dave Badger, (wearing red hat) installed a 500-foot wetlands walk at the end of Ridge Path at Veterans Walking Trail. That wetlands walk ended at an island.
This spring of 2007 some of that same group of volunteers cleared a walking loop around that island. Now, rather than having to turn around at the end of the walkway, hikers and walkers can take the approximately 1/4 mile loop around the perimeter of the island. The south end of the loop passes by the edge of the shrub swamp and then turns to the higher ground on the Hay Creek side.
A resting bench is located at the top of the overlook that was purportedly used by native Americans and early explorers such as Zebulon Pike to assess the surroundings.
PBSB AROUND TOWN
- PBSBA representatives, Linda Ulland and Lynn Scharenbroich, attended the National Scenic Byways Conference in Baltimore, MD on May 20-23, 2007. As a result of some contacts there, the PBSBA was contacted in July by America's Byways fam tour planners. A fall, 2007 fam tour is in the planning stages at this time. The tour will be a joint effort among America's Byways, the PBSBA and the Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce.
- On May 10, 2007, Minnesota’s Lt. Gov., Carol Molneu, visited Black Pine Beach Resort, located on the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway’s CSAH 16, to present the President’s Call to Service award for Volunteerism. Accepting the award, chairperson, Lynn Scharenbroich, extended the honor to the entire Byway board and the many advisors and volunteers who made possible the numerous byway accomplishments over the past ten years.
- June 30, 2007, the PBSBA participated in Pine River’s Summerfest Parade, highlighting this summer’s Historic Mailcarrier Performances. The entry won the trophy for Humor in the Parade.
Paul Bunyan-Sized Thanks to:
Pequot Lakes American Legion Auxiliary and Narveson Management for their sponsorships of trail map panels at Veterans Walking Trail and Chiarella FMA Trail.
Matt Balmer of Lands End Development in Crosslake for six log shelves used in the Paul Bunyan exhibit at the Crosslake Corp Building multi-purpose room.
Duane Blanck , recently retired Crow Wing County Engineer, for his support and encouragement of the PBSBA.
JM Plein Consulting, DNR-non game program and Jean Segerstrom for their funding and in-kind support of the Birds of the Byway reprint.
Dates to Remember
- Sept. 13, 2007 - Byway presentation to the Pequot Lakes Park Board at PL City Hall, 4pm
- Oct. 30-31, 2007 - State Scenic Byway Conference in Stillwater.
- Nov. 1, 2007 - Chef's Auction at Breezy Point. Cost is$75/person. Call 218-543-4714 to reserve your seat at the Byway table. 8 seats left.
- Nov. 12, 2007 - Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association annual meeting at Antlers in Breezy Point. 6-9pm. An area DNR representative will be the keynote speaker. $35/person includes dinner, beverage, dessert and all materials. RSVP by 11/8/07 to Lynn at 218-543-4714.
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