Minnesota town canoe area to war veterans

     Ely," Minn a small town of about 5,000 in the northeastern part of the state, remembers its war veterans.
     "They've always been, very big on the .vets here," said Bob Cary, author, guide and editor of the weekly newspaper- the Ely Echo. "Just about every male in town has been in one war or another," said Cary a World War II veteran.
     That might explain why the first recreational program open to disabled veterans nationwide is scheduled to start next month just outside of Ely. The Disabled Veterans Wilderness: Retreat, located on Fall Lake' next to the rnillion-acre-plus': federal Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), will open its doors May 13 to about 50 disabled vets from a hospital in St. Cloud Minn.
     And being so close to "the BWCA, it's not surprising that canoeing, boating and fishing figure prominently in the program. The Veterans Administration Medical Center in St. Cloud has been staging the annual spring trip to-the BWCA, which coincides with the opening of the fishing season, for nearly, a dozen years.
     This year, however, marks the first time the veterans will stay at a resort designed especially for them.
     Cary said as many as 15 guides forego paying customers opening day to take the vets out in their boats. "Every one of those guides could work," said Cary. But, he added, they don't "blink an eye" when asked to lead the group from St. Cloud.
     "We take care of the vet on opening day," he said.
     The new wilderness retreat consists of two adjacent resorts (formerly the Sunny Dene and Squaw Bay) that were purchased by the federal government under provisions of the BWCA Act of 1978.
     That act, which severely limits the use of motors and snowmobiles in wilderness area, gives resort owners bordering the BWCA, and who feel their business has suffered as a result of the restrictions, the option of having the government buy them out.
     The properties are usually demolished by the U.S. Forest Service. However, a provision of the 1978 act allows the government-purchased resorts to be used in programs, designed for the disabled and handicapped; it also authorizes the use of federal funds in setting up the programs.
     Such was the case with the two resorts on Fall Lake. The non profit Disabled Veterans Recreation (DVR) Inc., received $125,000 in federal funds and an additional $200,000 from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.
     "I guess the real feeling with is that we lave a small community and the resorts are gone and we felt an obligation to these disabled veterans," said Frank Salerno, .vice chairman of the DVR, which was formed by area residents last year.
     We .feel there hasn't been much done for them," he said. •"Something like this was a long time coming.” The project is not guided by profit margins and Salerno, a veteran of Korea; and the owner of a local real estate business, likes that.
     "Somewhere along the line," he said, "it's nice to do things like this.”
The activities offered the disabled veterans will include: canoeing,. Motorboating (sic),;' fishing, pontoon boating for ;those confined to wheelchair, hiking, tennis, swimming, and more. Cross-country and downhill skiing, ice fishing arid snowmobiling is planned' for the winter.
     "It's an exciting new project,” said Daniel Smestad, executive director of the facility. "It's the first of its kind in the nation. “We're .going full guns," the Vietnam veteran said.
     There are recreational programs for veterans on a state level in: some parts pf the country he said" But the state programs open to residents' are limited in what they provide, according to Smestad.
     “No boats no motors, no nothing," he said. Smestad had hoped to purchase over 20 boats this year. "My initial request was well over $70,000 in boats and motors" he "said.
     He's had to cut that in half. "I'll have boats available on demand,'' he said. The resort will provide the closest access to the BWCA they'll ever get," said Smestad. If a veteran wants to take a canoe, trip into the BWCA, he continued a local outfitter will be contacted. The program will operate on the user fee concept - the cost of a week at the retreat, which includes the use of boats and motors, is $245. Smestad and others are encouraging local service organizations sponsor their disabled veterans:
     Those involved in the wilderness retreat emphasize that is it primarily oriented toward recreation and is not equipped for therapy.
     Nevertheless; Mike Ohnstad, director of rehabilitation for- the American Legion Department of' Minnesota expects the experience will be highly therapeutic.
     "It's more than a recreation facility," he said. "It's a rehabilitation experience as well. The veteran, that may be eligible would unquestionably benefit-from being there."
     Ohnstad refers to those who pushed for the resort as "forward looking" people. "The consequences may "not be apparent for years to come," he said. “Who knows what may develop from this… We're certainly enthusiastic about it. It fills an obvious need that exists.
     Linda Wold is chief of recreation at the V.A. Medical Center, a psychiatric facility, in St. Cloud.
“The patients overwhelmingly see this as a very positive experience," said Wold of the annual trip to Ely. "Problem behavior we see at the hospital disappears there."
    Some outpatients have actually moved to the Ely area after being exposed to it on the fishing trip; Wold added. "I guess that's kind of a nice success story," she said.
    "It's been a very positive trip every year," Wold said. "They come back very renewed, very refreshed smiling."

     Reprinted with permission from Soundings Publications LLC. E-mail from Esther Pop (e.pope@soundingspub.com), Editorial Assistant Soundings Jul 13, 2007 8:15 AM