New Sha~Sha owners gearing up for the season

The two say they are working hard to enhance the look and feel of the resort, while maintaining the tradition of burgers, Long Island ice tea in Mason jars, and feeding the chipmunks — activities that have made the resort famous.

“Come and see the new look,” encouraged Jodi Herberg. “We are new owners that are getting back to that old feeling of Sha~Sha.”

Recapturing the look and feel of the original McKibbage resort of the 1940s and 1950s, and the Johnson resort of the 1960s is quite a challenge. The Herbergs liked the Milette-style resort but said the colors and feel were a little out of touch with the surroundings. They are making changes to make guests relax as they enjoy the Rainy Lake view.

The main room felt like a cafeteria with bright blue, according to Jodi, and needed a change. She said the east dining room is also getting a boathouse makeover to resemble the three-season porch of the old Sha~Sha.

“Everyone loved the style,” she said.

The painting and decorating was contracted to Terry Wood of Rainy Lake Designs.

“As soon as they talked about this adventure, I knew that we wanted to change the Caribbean theme to a Rainy Lake rustic,” said Wood.

He said the two rooms needed to complement each other, and envisioned the blue and red theme of soft earth tones. He brought about five variations of color schemes to the Herbergs, and with a little compromise, they reached an outcome that worked.

Jodi described the natural colors as “rustic, red brick dust, and Rainy Lake deep blue.”

A lot of the rope, netting and boat motors used in the decor are original to Sha~Sha. They just did a little redesign, and some creative furniture placement, Wood added.

Sha~Sha is unique for its multiple outdoor decks that offer outdoor seating with great views of the lake. The unpainted wood adds to the natural outdoor look.

Jodi liked the cabana but opted instead for pine trees over palm trees and a warmer look that reflects the natural surroundings. They plan to remove “the bird cage.”

“The whole idea of the cabana is fantastic, but we changed the color scheme,” said Wood.

The gift shop merchandise will include lots of Sha~Sha gear.

“People remember the old Sha~Sha sweatshirts, the mounted fish, and we want to see the old Rainy Lake rustic, eventually,” she said.

The two plan to continually update the cabins at the resort.

“For the most part this business is successful and we want to keep it going,” he added.

The eight docks are essential for guests that want to stop by during their day on the lake. Many are under repair to accommodate all sizes of boats, and added handicap accessible ramps.

Summer events are a big draw and Jeff said they have four bands lined up so far.

The Herbergs said their management style will emphasize training and strong customer service skills for around 60 part-time and full time staff.

There are plans to tweak the menu, but Jodi says they will stick to the tried and true walleye, hamburgers and nachos. Jeff said they will continue to use fresh meat and not buy frozen.

Sha~Sha is a place where kids feed chipmunks while their parents socialize, they noted. The Herbergs have one grown daughter at college and two children at home.

They plan to take advantage of the outdoor fire pit and offer smores kits and make it available for birthday parties. They already have a video game room and future plans include a scoop ice cream shop.

“We want our kids to grow up around here,” she said.

Jeff said he and Jodi were between jobs last year when another deal for Sha~Sha fell through. They were looking at owning a resort, but wanted “the right place,” and met with owner Stuart Milette right away.

“This was his baby,” said Jeff. “He’s done this for 33 years and wasn’t going to sell to just anyone.”

As a former commercial lender and assistant vice president for a local bank, Jeff was able to do much of the work in arranging financing, but said they needed a partner. Tim Matthews and his wife Mary came on board.

“He (Tim) has an engineering degree, and works well behind the scenes,” said Jeff. “He can fix anything.

“We grew up together on the lake and spent tons of time baiting, waterskiing and snowmobiling,” he added.

Jeff credits Milette for making himself available for all kinds of advice.

Milette said that he and his spouse, Cynde, didn’t get away from Sha~Sha much over the years. He said the memories are great, but it’s time to start enjoying his own cabin, the lake and maybe do some farming.

“I have been there long enough and it’s time for someone else to take over and do it,” he said.

Milette said he was disappointed that the deal with a previous buyer fell through, but added that it is nice to see it wind up with locals “who know how things operate around here,” and keep with the Sha~Sha tradition where “everyone is welcome.”

“Jeff and Jodi have been coming to Sha~Sha forever,” he said. “Tim and Mary also come here a lot, and the people are happy that it is with locals.”

Milette came to Borderland from Oregon to take over Sha~Sha with his parents Howard and Virginia in 1976. They bought the place from Rudy and Evelyn Johnson, but the written history of the property stretches back over a century to Way-We-Zhe-Quan-Aish-Kung of the Bois Fort Tribe. Other owners of the 19th century include Charles A. Moore, and K.T. Kagen who sold it to H.J. Minor in 1911.

Milette is the only owner many of this generation know. He started with five staff and added more each season.

“It got bigger and bigger and hopefully we did it right,” said Milette.

A 2006 fire was a reminder of how important Sha~Sha is to Borderland.

“You don’t realize how many people missed it until it burned and then they tell you what it meant to them when it was closed up,” he said. “It was the place to go and I didn’t realize because I was working so hard and not listening.”

A new Sha~Sha was an enlarged version of the older building with a new gift shop and cabins.

“It turned out better than we expected it to be,” he added.