Volunteers Refresh the Medora Children’s Park

May 20, 2022 Written by TRMF
Volunteers Refresh the Medora Children’s Park

For Charles Cullen, spending an afternoon in Medora raking rubber mulch meant coming full circle.

“My wife and I were here 21 years ago helping build this,” the 87-year-old said of the Medora Children’s Park. “It’s been well used over the years. I’m just thankful that my physical condition is such that I can still do this.”

Cullen was one of about 75 volunteers who spent Saturday, May 14th, 2022 breathing new life into the Medora Children’s Park – which was built by volunteers over the course of five days in 2001.

Bob Holzer was there in 2001, too. This time, he said, “I feel older! But it’s a happy feeling.”

The wooden playground received a fresh coat of stain and about 70 tons of recycled rubber mulch – a softer, safer material underfoot for kids using the park. The volunteer crew, which included the President of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Randy Hatzenbuhler, applied plenty of elbow grease to get the work done in a day.

“We were joking about the amount of ibuprofen we’d need after that!” Hatzenbuhler said. “But not one person seemed to complain about any of it. In fact, the coordinator of the project, Peggy Gunther, said they’re all asking, ‘What’s the next project?’ Every organization should be able to experience that – when people care that much.”

“You don’t get to experience this kind of goodwill every day,” Gunther said. She serves the TR Medora Foundation as Director of Volunteer Activities.

Bravera Bank brought a team of about a dozen employees out for the volunteer event. The bank made a generous contribution to TRMF to make the renovation project possible. “We’re bankers, right? So we don’t usually work with our hands much!” said David Ehlis, the President and CEO of Bravera, who also cut the ribbon on the park at a grand reopening ceremony. “It’s great to be able to help the community.”

Gunther says events like this — and the hundreds of people who volunteer their time and energy to help the TR Medora Foundation operate during busy summers — inspire her. “This is what humankind is really all about. You work side by side, you have fun, you treat each other with kindness and goodness, and you make it happen.”

The Medora Children’s Park is located in downtown Medora, and is free and open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset.

Faces of Medora, Fun, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, What to do in Medora
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Bully Pulpit Golf Course set to open mid-May with two brand-new holes

May 4, 2022 Written by Tim Olson

The following story first appeared in our new print publication, Notes From the Trail.

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After a year of diligent work to secure the long-term future of Bully Pulpit Golf Course, golfers have much to look forward to in the coming season — including two brand-new holes and an improved, championship-level experience.

“After being a par 69 course in 2021, we’re excited to bring par up to 71 this year,” said Clubhouse Manager and PGA Head Golf Professional Patrick Rominger. “That’s thanks to two brand-new holes that we’re really proud of.”

The new Hole #8 from above. Par 4.

First is the new #8: a par 4 that will test players’ strategic skills. “It’s a tight tee shot,” Patrick said. “And golfers will have to use a shorter club as they approach the green.”

“#8 also has a really great Badlands backdrop from the green.” he added.

The new Hole #12 from above. Par 5.

The new par 5 #12 is all about risk versus reward. “If you’re aggressive off the tee, you can cut the corner off,” said General Manager Kirby Scharmann. “But some of the native grasses in that area could get you into trouble.”

Golfers can expect a smoother ride in 2022: more than have of Bully Pulpit’s cart paths have been upgraded from asphalt to concrete. “It should make for a more pleasant ride between holes,” Patrick said. “And it helps us prolong the lifespan of our carts!” Additional cart path upgrades will be made next offseason.

Part of the championship-level experience, Patrick said, is making sure every hole is challenging but fair. “For that reason, we’re taking time this summer to rework Hole #16,” he explained. “The view is beautiful, but the green has settled in such a way that it doesn’t always play fair.” Players can expect Hole #16 to return in 2023.

For now, our crew is excited about the state of Bully Pulpit for the year ahead, thanks to late winter and early spring moisture in western North Dakota. “We worked hard to prep the turf for a strong spring,” said Superintendent Kyle Fick. “Our guests will be in for a rewarding experience this season.”

Kirby put it this way with a smile: “It’s going to be a great summer of ‘good walks spoiled,’ as the saying goes.”

~

Bully Pulpit Golf Course is scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, May 12th, weather permitting. Visit Medora.com/BullyPulpit to find a tee time!

Bully Pulpit, Bully Pulpit Golf Course, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation - Development, What to do in Medora
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How a teddy bear from Teddy Roosevelt made a family’s visit to Medora extra-special

May 2, 2022 Written by Tim Olson

At the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, nothing makes us happier than hearing people’s “Medora stories.”

This particular story — of Teddy Roosevelt, a teddy bear, and a young girl named Lily — has us smiling today.

Watch the video above to hear Lily’s great-grandparents, Mike and Marianne, share the story of a visit to Medora with three of their great-grandchildren.

“Lily was extremely sensitive to touch of any kind. She had never accepted a stuffed animal,” Marianne said.

That is, until she met Teddy Roosevelt (as portrayed by Joe Wiegand). He struck up a conversation with the three kids on the streets of downtown Medora before his one-man show began at the Old Town Hall Theater.

“When it was time for the show, we especially noted Lily paying attention to Teddy Roosevelt with everything she had,” Marianne said.

“At the close of his show, he came back holding a teddy bear,” she explained. He tossed it over to their family, intending for it to be given to Lily.

What happened next was a real surprise:

“She hugged it, and there was no way she would let go of it!” Marianne said. “She had to carry it wherever she went. She held it all through the Medora Musical. She hugged it on the drive back home. She hugged it when she went to bed that night.”

Seeing Lily embrace a stuffed animal for the first time is a memory Mike and Marianne won’t soon forget.

“The attention that Teddy Roosevelt gave to Lily — it was just beautiful,” Marianne says. “That teddy bear was a piece of joy for her for such a long time.”

Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation - Development
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Paving a Path Forward at Bully Pulpit: Cart Path Concrete Provider Wins National Award

April 26, 2022 Written by TRMF

Dickinson Ready Mix, a company with decades of history supporting the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, was in the national spotlight this spring thanks in part to a project at Bully Pulpit Golf Course.

In March of 2022, Scott Olin, the President and General Manager of Dickinson Ready Mix, was named the Concrete Pavement Promoter of the Year by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA).

Left to right: NRMCA Chairman Abbott Lawrence, Scott Olin, and National Pavement Promotion Committee Chair Hank Hauge

“Any time you’re recognized nationally, it’s just a huge honor,” Olin said of the award.

Scott Olin is entering his 42nd year as a member of the Dickinson Ready Mix team. His father Jack also spent 41 years with the company, and his son Ben is an employee of eight years.

Olin said the award was given largely due to the innovative work his company is is doing with Bully Pulpit Golf Course: three miles of cart paths have been upgraded to concrete from Dickinson Ready Mix.

“We are especially proud of our work at Bully Pulpit,” Olin said. “It’s such a gem of southwest North Dakota.”

Providing concrete for the cart paths marks another chapter in Dickinson Ready Mix’s history of supporting the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. The company also provided concrete for the rebuilding of the Burning Hills Amphitheatre in the 1990s. “We were backing trucks up the butte to pour the foundations for the amphitheatre seating,” he recalled. “That was one of the neatest projects that we ever had the opportunity to be a part of.”

Golfers at Bully Pulpit in 2022 will be sure to notice a smoother ride. The concrete cart path project is more than halfway complete. “It should make for a more pleasant ride between holes,” said Patrick Rominger, the Bully Pulpit Clubhouse Manager and PGA Head Golf Professional. “And it helps us prolong the lifespan of our carts.” Cart path upgrades are slated to continue next offseason.

Scott Olin said the new concrete paths are a wise investment for Bully Pulpit. “It’s long lasting,” he said. “There’s concrete pavement in the country that’s 100 years old and still being used.”

He also said the upgrade from asphalt to concrete is in line with the mission of Legacy Bully Pulpit: to preserve the natural beauty of the Badlands. “Bully Pulpit is in a fragile environmental setting, built right into the Badlands. A sustainable cart path will fit right in.”

The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation congratulates Scott Olin on his well-deserved national recognition, and thanks him and Dickinson Ready Mix for their continued support.

PS: The Bully Pulpit Golf Course team is targeting a mid-May opening date in 2022, weather permitting. Stay tuned for details!

Bully Pulpit, Bully Pulpit Golf Course, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation - Development

Reflecting on the April 1st, 2021 wildfire — and the heroic people who saved Medora

April 1, 2022 Written by TRMF
Reflecting on the April 1st, 2021 wildfire — and the heroic people who saved Medora

As the calendar turns from March to April, we can’t help but remember what was happening exactly one year ago today, on April 1st, 2021.

A spark from a sagging power line southwest of Medora grew into a wildfire that tore across the rain-deprived Badlands. “It outran us at just about every corner,” remembers Doug Koester, the Maintenance Manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.

The fire rapidly approached the city of Medora, as well as nearby locations with priceless history, like the Chateau de Mores and the Burning Hills Amphitheatre, home of the Medora Musical. It forced Medora’s residents to evacuate — to watch the cloud of smoke move and grow and fear the worst for their homes and livelihoods.

One year later, we remember those fearful feelings: but much more, we feel immense gratitude for the nearly 150 brave first responders who leapt into service to save Medora.

“It took everybody working together to fully execute the plan,” recalls Billings County Fire Chief Kyle Shockley.

“We were bound and determined to hold the line,” says Koester, who is also Medora’s Fire Chief.

The line held; once the blaze was extinguished, the fire lines viewed from the sky proved it.

“We do it because we love our community,” says Clint Rood, a member of the TRMF Maintenance Team who helped save the Burning Hills Amphitheatre. “I’m just here to lend a helping hand. I’m no better than the next guy down the line.”

“All the communities came together,” Koester says. Indeed, dozens of first responding agencies from not only western North Dakota, but statewide—and even as far as Colorado—heeded the call and helped save the city we love.

No amount of gratitude is too much for the people who make up those agencies and organizations. So one year after their heroic acts, all of us at the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation say “Thank you” once again to the following groups (and everyone who stepped up to help on that fateful day):

  • Medora Fire Department
  • Billings County Rural Fire Department
  • Billings County Highway Department
  • Billings County Sheriff’s Office
  • Billings County Ambulance
  • Medora Police Department
  • Medora Public Works
  • Belfield Fire Department
  • South Heart Fire Department
  • Sentinel Butte Fire Department
  • Beach Fire Department
  • Golva Fire Department
  • Wibaux Fire Department
  • Golden Valley County Sheriff’s Department
  • North Dakota Highway Patrol
  • North Dakota National Guard
  • National Park Service
  • United States Forest Service
  • North Dakota Forest Service
  • Colorado Emergency Management Office
  • Civil Air Patrol – North Dakota Wing
  • State Radio Communications
  • Stark County Dispatch

We invite you to watch this video, in which we interviewed many of the key people who worked diligently to save Medora from the April 1st wildfire:

Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
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“The Medora Connection” & help for Ukraine in the news

March 29, 2022 Written by TRMF

“It’s not about the job, it’s about the people.”

Yarema Slonevskyy

In the last week, the story of how friendships made in Medora have led to substantial help for people caught in the war between Ukraine and Russia has spread across North Dakota.

On March 25th, KFYR-TV aired a feature story on Yarema Slonevskyy and Jason Masten, two Medora employees who have connected in an incredible way:

Yarema Slonevskyy’s Medora nametag holds hundreds of memories.

“People see it says I’m from Ukraine and they ask, ‘How did you end up in Medora?’” he explained.

Every summer since 2008, he’s been leaving his home in Ukraine and coming to Medora. He is one of more than 300 seasonal employees the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation hires each summer.

Slonevskyy quickly learned that there is something special about Medora.

“It’s not about the job, it’s about the people,” he said from his home in Ukraine.

Now those people, are helping Slonevskyy as his country faces war.

“I worked with Yarema that first year,” said Jason Masten, a Florida native who spent two summers as a TRMF seasonal employee. He met his girlfriend there. He also made other lifelong friends and developed his giving nature.

“Everybody deserves help,” Masten said.

Masten is now living in Poland, where he’s collecting supplies for Slonevskyy to distribute.

“I told him what we needed, and he said, ‘I’m willing to help you out as much as possible,’” recalled Slonevskyy.

You can watch and read the full story by Jody Kerzman for KFYR-TV here.

KX News also shared Yarema’s story, detailing what sort of goods have been collected by his Medora friends:

“We loaded them with strollers, baby shoes, kids’ clothes, diapers, cans of food, formula food for different ages; huge amounts, we barely could fit it,” Slonevskyy said.

Read and watch Cameron Brewer’s story for KX News here.

Faces of Medora, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
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How friendships made in Medora turned into crucial support for families in Ukraine

March 22, 2022 Written by TRMF

In 2007, a young man named Yarema Slonevskyy made the long trip from Ukraine to Medora, North Dakota for the first time.

Nearly every summer since, Yarema has called the North Dakota Badlands home, serving as assistant to Lyubomir Shkandriy, then the TR Medora Foundation’s Food and Beverage Manager.

“We’ve known each other since we were eight years old,” Lyubomir says. The two grew up in Ukraine. “We used to call ourselves brothers from different mothers.”

In late February of 2022, life changed dramatically for Yarema. “Bombs, tanks, missiles, tears, refugees, shock… war,” he wrote on a Facebook post on March 8th.

“Not one night has passed for Yarema without air raid sirens sounding,” says Lyubomir, who now calls Medora home year-round.

But as soon as the sirens began sounding in Yarema’s home country, something else happened: he began hearing from countless friends he made in Medora.

“Right away I started receiving messages from all over the world with warm words of support and prayers for me and my country,” Yarema said, “from people I had the privilege to meet in Medora.”

A number of those friends hail from Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine. And that group of friends quickly took action to help families caught in the conflict.

“[On March 8th] I got a full van of humanitarian goods from my Medora family,” Yarema said. The van was stuffed with batteries, warm clothes, items for children, and even a power generator that made its way to a hospital on Ukraine’s frontline. Yarema met the van at the border of Ukraine and Poland, then drove it to a central hub to be distributed to families in need across Ukraine.

And that was just the first van.

Yarema Slonevskyy and Jason Masten with a truck full of essential goods for Ukraine.
Inside view of the van, which was filled by friends of Medora living in Poland.

“Same spot, same reason,” Yarema wrote on Facebook on March 19th, as he picked up another vanload of essential supplies—all gathered by friends he made in Medora now living in Poland. “The support and effort are priceless.”

Among those who gathered goods and transported them to Ukraine is Jason Masten, who has also worked in Medora’s food service sector. “I would just like to thank everyone who either donated money, or contributed supplies to the transport,” he wrote on Facebook. “It means the world to those in need.”

“Always remember that it is not our abilities that show who we are. It is our choices,” Jason wrote.

Those words remind us at the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation of these words from our presidential namesake: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing. And the worst thing you can do is nothing,” TR said.

Yarema shared these words of thanks with his “Medora family” on Facebook: “You spend one summer in Medora and you have the whole world watching your back during dark times in the rest of your life.”

Faces of Medora, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
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Progress Update: Accessible Elevator Taking Shape at Burning Hills Amphitheatre!

March 3, 2022 Written by TRMF

Folks in Medora have been enjoying quite the sight this week: an enormous crane swinging pieces of our brand-new high-capacity elevator into place at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre!

These photos show the progress being made on a foggy March 2nd, 2022. It’s thrilling to get a better sense of how this amazing new structure will fit into the landscape at the home of the Medora Musical.

This high-capacity elevator is a major piece of our Access Medora initiative: an ongoing effort to ensure the Medora experience is positive for guests with mobility and sensory challenges.

“It’s been fun to see this elevator take shape,” says Kinley Slauter, the Properties & Attractions Director for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. “It will be much more fun to see it in use this summer!”

Instead of being shuttled up and down our winding walking path — a process that could take up to an hour on busy nights — guests in need of extra assistance will have a fast, safe, efficient new option.

“The whole visit to the Burning Hills Amphitheatre is an experience,” says Maddie Thompson, Theaters Manager for TRMF, “from the moment you reach the top of the hill to your trip back into town. This elevator will make that experience better all around. We’re excited!”

Fans of the Medora Musical, like Valerie Addicott and her daughter, are excited too. “I have a little girl in a wheelchair, and she loves the Medora Musical, but we’ve only seen it once due to it being difficult to get her to and from the amphitheatre,” she says. “This will be a Godsend to so many people and their friends and family!”

“The addition of the elevator will also give people an amazing new view of the Badlands,” Slauter says, describing the view from the bridge to the elevator. Take a look at this artist’s rendering of that view:

We’re grateful to the Engelstad Foundation for providing us with a $1 million grant to get this project off the ground. We also owe a big “thank you” to the State of North Dakota, which awarded us a $1 million Tourism Transportation Grant during the 2021 Legislative Session in support of Access Medora.

We can’t wait for summer to get here!

Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation - Development
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NEWS RELEASE: Clarence Sitter Named Chief Operating Officer, Emily Klym Becomes Chief Financial Officer of TRMF

February 25, 2022 Written by TRMF

(Medora, ND) – The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF) is happy to announce new positions for two longtime leaders of our organization. Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Clarence Sitter has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the organization—and previous Controller Emily Klym has taken the mantle of CFO.

Sitter and Klym began their new roles on January 1st, 2022.

“The Medora Foundation is a great place to work,” Sitter says. “The values of our organization—of service to others and respect for people and place—attracted me to Medora and keep me here. I look forward to continuing to share those values in this new capacity.”

Clarence Sitter grew up in Drayton, North Dakota. He earned his bachelor degree and his MBA from the University of Mary in Bismarck, where he was invited to join the Harold Schafer Emerging Leaders Academy. It was there that he became acquainted with members of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. After an eleven-year career as a Certified Public Accountant with Eide Bailly, he joined TRMF as Chief Financial Officer in June of 2012.

“I learned about Harold Schafer’s legacy of reinvigorating Medora during my time at the University of Mary,” Sitter says. “I consider it a blessing and an honor to be able to give back to Medora and the people of North Dakota, like Harold did.”

Sitter’s tenure as CFO brought a great deal of growth and expansion at the TR Medora Foundation: from approximately $10 million in annual operating revenue in 2012 to about $20 million today. The organization’s staff also grew from around 30 full-time employees to more than 70 in 2022.

“I feel like I’m leaving the CFO position in a better place than I found it; that was always my goal,” Sitter says. “I believe Medora will continue to be a safe, family-friendly place for North Dakota to enjoy, and I know we’ll go on to provide more opportunities for our employees to grow and develop.”

Meanwhile, Sitter expressed great confidence in his successor Emily Klym. “Emily is tenacious, detail-oriented, outgoing, passionate, and caring—all great traits for a CFO to have,” Sitter says. “I look forward to seeing what she’ll do to improve the position and our organization.”

“I am very excited and humbled to be in this new role at the TR Medora Foundation,” Klym says. “I’ve gained a lot of perspective on our organization as controller, and have worked closely with our various department managers in that time. I’m glad to have a voice at the table of our excellent Leadership Team.”

Emily Klym grew up in Edgeley, North Dakota. She says her “Medora story” began in her childhood. “We traveled here as a family every summer. I absolutely loved it.”

Klym enrolled at Dickinson State University, where she was admitted to the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program. She graduated in 2012 with degrees in accounting and business, then became a Certified Public Accountant in 2014. After a multi-year career at Brady Martz & Associates in Dickinson, she joined TRMF as Controller in July of 2018.

Klym says she’s grateful to have held a role that allowed her to interact closely with the many branches of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. “I’ve had the chance to learn and understand intimately the opportunities and challenges that emerge for employees at various levels of our organization. That’s a perspective I’m excited to share with our Leadership Team.”

She expressed gratitude that her already-rich “Medora story” gets to continue in this way. “I fell in love out here!” Klym says. “Not only with my husband, but with the landscape, the history, and the people. I’m so glad to be working in Medora.”

Faces of Medora, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
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NEWS RELEASE: A Bigger, Better Medora Experience Means More Summer Jobs & Free Housing

February 16, 2022 Written by Tim Olson

(Medora, ND) – The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF), in anticipation of its biggest summer season ever, is preparing to welcome a seasonal staff of hundreds of highly qualified people from all around the world—and to offer several perks for those employees.

TRMF is a year-round operation that employs 72 full-time staff members. In order to better serve the many thousands of guests who visit Medora in the summer, our staff grows to include hundreds of seasonal employees.

And in 2022, TRMF will have even more attractions and features in Medora for guests to experience:

To provide these new services—in addition to mainstays like the Medora Gospel Brunch, lodging at the historic Rough Riders Hotel, and tee times at Bully Pulpit Golf Course—TRMF is poised to hire 337 summer employees in 2022.

“Living and working in Medora makes for a summer unlike any other,” says Sara Michael, Talent Acquisition Specialist for TRMF. “And the summer ahead will be our biggest and most fun one yet. I’m eager to see our staff grow to include hundreds of wonderful people.”

As part of our hiring surge, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation is offering several incentives and perks to our summer employees:

  • Housing will be provided at no cost to employees who reside in double-occupancy housing during their time in Medora
  • Employees will be eligible for a $300 end-of-season bonus
  • Referral bonuses of $200 are available to employees who recommend additional hires
  • Employees can attend the Medora Musical at no cost
  • Golf rounds for $11.00 at Bully Pulpit Golf Course for employees
  • More than $30,000 in scholarship and award opportunities are available for employees who demonstrate leadership and good character

“We often hear from our seasonal workforce that they have the best summer of their life when they work in Medora,” Michael says. “We’re happy that we can offer free room and board to our staff this year, in addition to the competitive wages and other great perks that come with spending a summer here.”

Anyone interested in applying to work in Medora is invited to see our full list of openings at this link.

VIDEO: Work and Explore in Medora!
PHOTOS: Employees on the job in Medora
LINK: Learn about employment in Medora

Faces of Medora, Medora Musical, Press Release, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
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