I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Jan. 19, 2000
By Devlyn Brooks
David Greenwood almost bought a $2,000 snow blower earlier this winter. Nowadays, he's pretty happy he didn't.
Greenwood, the eight-year owner of Greenwood's Lawn Care and Roof Snow Removal in Bemidji, already has four or five employees idle, a company truck on which he's dropped insurance, a 1-year-old plow for which he still owes money and a new job.
Saying this winter hasn't been kind to Greenwood is an understatement. If this winter's dry trend continues, he says he could lose 75 percent of his business by the end.
"I've only done one snow removal, and that wasn't very much," Greenwood said. "There won't likely be any roof snow removal either."
Although Bemidji's lack of snow has had a terrible effect on Greenwood -- who now works for a local electrician just to pay his bills -- it really has had mixed effects on businesses throughout the region. Some winter recreational businesses have reported losing thousands of dollars , while others said they have seen negligible losses due to a lack of snow.
Where's the snow?
Most of northern Minnesota has received about 5 to 15 inches of snow this winter, with the average being about 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D.
Meteorologist Jim Belles said that is about 33 to 40 percent of the snow that normally has fallen by this time of year, an event that only happens about once a decade.
"There have been years this dry, surely there has," Belles said. "But obviously, this is at the low end of the spectrum."
Belles said two main factors probably have contributed in producing the lack of snow. First, heading into winter, there was a dry spell over the Gulf Coast and farther north into the Central Plains. And second, there have been minor variations to the jet stream that have pushed some snow systems north into Canada. When the jet stream pushed those storms northward, there was no moisture over the Plains to move into Minnesota ... thus no snow.
That, however, could change, Belles cautions, because patterns indicate normal amounts of snow may fall the rest of the winter.
"(But) unless we get a big, whopping snow storm, which nobody expects," he said, "this winter will go down as one of the warmest and driest on record."
Business is down
Alicia Abraham, office manager of North Country Excavation in Bemidji, says her company is having the same problems as Greenwood's.
The company, which does snow plowing and removing, has only been out plowing one day this year. In past year, depending upon the number of clients, the company could be out plowing every day.
"The cut down to one kinda hurts," Abraham said.
Bemidji Rental and Sales owner Bob Kiewatt Jr. said his company has lost "tens of thousands of dollars" already this winter. the business has suffered in multiple ways because it not only sells high-end snow blowers and services them, and also sells and rents snowmobiles.
Kiewatt said he normally sells 40 to 60 snow blowers a year, with an average price of $1,200. But this year he hasn't even sold 15 unites.
As for his repair service, he's had five full-time mechanics with a lot of time on their hands. His repair business has dropped by about 90 percent this year.
Lastly, he says, is his nonexistent snowmobile rentals. This was the first year he decided to rent the machines and all six have sat all winter.
"We've been reluctant to get into renting snowmobiles over the years," he said. "But the last two years have been so bad, I didn't think we'd have three years in a row. Who did?"
Lakeland Motor and Sports General Manager Paul Shepperdson says his business has lost about $20,000 so far, mostly from lost snowmobile rentals.
"Every weekend, I betcha, we've had groups of 9 to 10 people who have had airline tickets into here, hotel reservations, car rentals and snowmobile rentals who have had to cancel," he said. "Of course, the (lack of) snow ceases all of it.
Ironically though, Shepperdson said his snowmobiling sales have been great, and he doesn't know why.
The news is much the same for Bemidji's small snowboarding outfitter, Warped Boards. Manager Nate Wisehart said the company relocated downtown within the last year and sales have doubled this winter. Although he admits much of that probably has to do with the new location.
"The lack of snow has affected the enthusiasm. Riding fake snow isn't the same as riding real snow," Wisehart said. "We're always praying for real snow, but we'll make do with what we have."
The area's cross-country skiers haven't been so lucky. Man-made snow can't be made for cross-country trails like Buena Vista Ski Area does for its downhill skiing and snowboarding.
Bob Montebello of the Bemidji Area Cross-Country Ski Club said there's definitely fewer skiers on the area's trails this year.
Only several of the trails are skiable, and then only for skating style skiers, he said. Classical style skiers are basically out of luck.
"The people who really like to ski are out there and doing it," he said. "But I would guess we're not getting the skiers from out of town that we'd normally get because we have bad snow."
John Tibstra, owner of the Home Place Bike and Ski Shop in Bemidji, can testify to that lack of enthusiasm. His business is down about 25 to 33 percent from a normal year.
The business, which sells cross-country ski equipment and snowboards, has seen its worst sales since 1986.
"Without the snow around for people to see, you don't get the enthusiasm," he said.
Everybody's suffering
Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lori Paris said a large portion of the area's economy is suffering.
"I know from accepting calls at the chamber, people are asking questions about the snow in the area," she said, "but they are having to make reservations elsewhere."
A lack of winter activities translates into a lack of hotel, motel and resort reservations, she said. Further down the line, gas stations, retail shops and restaurants are also affected like dominoes.
"I'm sure it will have an affect on the economy in the area," she said. "We're known for our winter and snow activities. Without snow, it will kind of spiral."
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