The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
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Before venturing into the deep water of state and Native-American relations, I need to reassure North Dakota’s tribes that I am not an adversary but a friend. I believe we owe the native people reparations for taking their country, killing six million of their people and forcing them into reservations That being said, let us move into the question of tribal sovereignty, an idea that is over 200 years old. The federal government has declared that recognized tribes are sovereign entities within a...
As I write this, I’m preparing to sleep in my own bed for the first time since Wednesday (and it’s Sunday). Armed with my media pass, new Rocket gear and Erik Gjovik’s Nikon camera, I spent the last three days soaking up all that North Dakota Class B sports has to offer. As reported in the Nov. 14 edition, this was New Rockford-Sheyenne’s first trip to state for volleyball. Now, I’ve attended state tournaments before, i.e. archery and the Dakota Bowl in 2012, but this was a whole new ball game...
The Sunday before that incredible football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, I listened to the national anthem and something occurred to me that made me think of an interesting moment that happened several years ago. I was in Winnipeg on business and there happened to be a football game in town that night so I thought I’d stick around and catch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers against the Sacramento Gold Miners. The Sacramento team was the first Canadian Football League team in t...
On a recent trade and investment mission to Japan, we had just arrived at a Tokyo office to meet with the country's Minister of the Environment when news broke that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile toward the island nation. While that missile landed harmlessly in the sea, this brazen act left a trail of fear that is all too familiar to Japan, South Korea and our other allies in Asia. Yet also frightening is the thought of Japan today being entirely dependent on importing the energy it...
I don’t know why, but this past year I’ve gotten hooked on the TV reruns of Gunsmoke. And, the reason is easy to explain. I have cut out watching the news, most of which is on the national scene, but many nights I cancel out Fargo stations as well. Lots of it, if not most of the stories coming out of the east concern robberies, shootings, beatings, and stories you find on most national and small city stations. On the national scene, I have trouble watching and listening to what’s happe...
When we think of boxing, I’ll bet the first thing that enters your mind is Virgil Hill. And for those who may be fairly new to North Dakota, Virgil Hill grew up in Grand Forks, earned a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics and had a very successful professional career. Hill is the “Roger Maris” of the boxing world and since the summer of 1984, there have been a lot of people who have taken up boxing thanks to Virgil Hill’s success. Anyone who has an interest in boxing can find a club in which t...
The runoff election in Georgia will be a waste of money. All signs point to a Warnock win and the Democrats will end up with a 2-seat edge in the U.S. Senate. For the party of the president to pick up rather than lose seats is very unusual. Looking at the past figures, political observers were unanimous in their expectation that the Democrats would lose both houses of Congress. Noted Prof. James Campbell observed 30 years ago: “In midterm elections, the greater a party’s prior presidential vote...
Few things in the area of meetings or events surprise me these days, especially after some 60 years or more of attending just about all types of gatherings involving people and their programs. But this one did . . . the situation/gathering at the Open Season Lodge in Sheyenne on Saturday, October 29. It was the day set aside to fill shoeboxes. These are boxes filled with clothes, goodies, personal items, fun things, dolls and small blankets. Just a host of items that children around the globe...
When people say they did something on their bucket list it usually means going to Hawaii, buying a BMW or running in the Boston Marathon. For me, one of those bucket list items has been much different. It was implementing a radio wave propa-gation phenomenon called passive reflection, sometimes referred to as passive reception. In most cases this is done in radar, microwave and sometimes TV in the mountain west. I decided to do it with FM radio because my situation is such that passive...
Yes, It’s true. I have been a male chauvinist most of my adult life. I grew up in a family where the Dad was a poster guy for chauvinism, no questions asked and no answers given. He never touched us but he had an air of authority that we never questioned. Not only did I get chauvinism at home but I also got it in church. When I was young, just about every church taught men that they were the head of the family and taught women that they were merely “complimentarian”. So chauvinism was the norm...
My husband and I started our relationship on a gravel road in rural Wells County (somewhere between Barlow and Cathay, if my memory serves me correctly) exactly 22 years ago this past weekend. At that time there were over a dozen Wobbema family members out for the opening day of deer gun season. I remember the sea of blaze orange and caravan of pickup trucks. That was my first adult experience hunting, and I will carry it with me for life. Since I didn’t have a tag, I walked treebelts in my p...
As we find ourselves at the end of October and into early November, the growing season has ended and nearly all farmers’ markets have ceased across the state. It’s always a bittersweet day when you attend your last farmers’ market. You’re sad that you won’t be coming back next week, but happy that you’ll be able get a much deserved break. Most of the general population believes that farmers’ market vendors turn off a switch at the end of the season, but that couldn’t be further from the truth....
Dear Editor: There are 15 states that have enacted term limits on their state legislatures. There are also 36 states which have term limits on their governors. Our state now has the opportunity to join both lists as it votes on Constitutional Measure 1 at the ballot box next month. I am excited about this prospect. And I’m not alone. A recent poll showed that 81% of voters in North Dakota support the ballot measure, which would limit state legislators and the governor to a 8-year lifetime limit. This makes good sense. Positions of power in o...
This week Transcript Publishing brought a new publication into existence. My sister, Victoria, is an artist. Ever since she was a little girl, she has drawn and painted and brought things to life with her imagination. Recently, she drew a series (26 in total) of sketches related to witches, and then she brought me her sketchbook with a project in mind. She wanted me to publish her sketches into a coloring book she could launch just in time for Halloween. Welcome “Witch, Please!” to the list of p...
Most of us know about LaMoure because we’ve either been there or we’re familiar with Loboes sports teams, namely football and volleyball, in recent state tournaments. LaMoure is just like any other small-town county seat in North Dakota. Its economy is based on farming. In fact, R.D. Offutt, synonymous with John Deere, got its start in Lisbon and LaMoure in the late ‘70s. LaMoure has a good school system, a strong Main Street and other attractions like nearby Lake LaMoure and it’s about 100 mile...
According to news reports, North Dakota officials have 250 sexual assault cases waiting for possible criminal charges, most of which have aged beyond resolution. In the meantime, there are 250 victims waiting for justice to be done - and if state officials continue their behavior - justice will never be done because the viability of rape cases lasts only a couple weeks. Many of these cases are months old so evidence is blurred, perpetrators are on the loose, defense lawyers drag their feet,...
This week I’ve given up a large part of my column space so readers can hear other perspectives. With just weeks remaining until the 2022 midterm elections, and contested races on the ballot both locally and statewide, ‘tis the season for voters to share their opinion about the decisions to be made at the ballot box. This week we feature three letters, one from state legislative candidate Charles Linderman and the other two in opposition to the statewide ballot measures: Measure 1 establishes ter...
Dear Editor, NDFB urges a no vote on Measure 2 this November, citing its long-standing policy against the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in North Dakota. “Our concerns are based on the unintended consequences for farmers, ranchers, employers and rural communities,” said NDFB President Daryl Lies. “Workplace safety and accountability are a huge concern for NDFB. If passed, the measure will compound North Dakota’s workforce shortage, particularly if an employer requires applicants to pass a drug test. We believe the uninten...
Dear Editor, Measure 1 is portrayed as a “fix” for North Dakota politics. Again, out-of-state money and individuals are trying to influence our state’s election process. I’m tired of out-of-staters telling us what’s good for North Dakota and trying to take away our right to vote – the very thing we pride ourselves on in America! The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, North Dakota Farmers Union and North Dakota Farm Bureau oppose this measure. Agriculture stands together to support our right as citizens to cast our vote for whomever we w...
In recent years there’s been a lot of bickering about the dumbest things often resulting in long-term animosity among co-workers, married couples, friends and even students. Believe it or not, there are people, in North Dakota, who will argue with you about what kind of tires you should put on your vehicle or whether Italian food is any good. Some of it is just mind boggling. But instead of all that, maybe we should focus on the positive, the glass is half full as it were. And one sterling examp...
North Dakota’s legislators are people who volunteer to spend time away from their families, jobs, and businesses to serve the needs of their constituents and the people of North Dakota. Craig Headland has served in the ND House of Representatives for 20 years. We should thank him for his service and dedication. However, when considering recent issues, we can see it is time for change. Charles Linderman is uniquely qualified to provide that change. Headland: Co-sponsored legislation to allow corporations to buy farmland, a measure which was s...
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four U.S. adults has a disability. Yet despite ADA protections, federal tax incentives, and private sector opportunity programs, millions of individuals with disabilities looking for work remain unemployed. There is a non-profit corporation right here in New Rockford, Carrington and Fessenden that provides support for individuals with disabilities: 4th Corporation. Their mission: “We strive to promote growth and development enabl...
This is a continuation from last week about driving on North Dakota’s highways. We have 13 scenic byways and backways and each one of them affords unique natural beauty of its region. Three routes are along the Canadian border, seven are in western North Dakota and three are in the east. A byway is a paved road and a backway is a gravel road. Tourism numbers them so we’ll start with No. 1. Chan SanSan Scenic Backway: South and east of Jamestown, starting in Adrian, this backway highlights the...
American democracy is suffering from the symptoms of terminal illness. To have a “government of the people, for the people” it is necessary that the people are willing to govern. Through the decades, we have expanded the definition of “the people” to include millions of people who lack the interest to assume their roles as governors. For various reasons, we are able to muster only two-thirds of the voters in presidential elections and even fewer in the off-year races. One third of the populat...
We turned the calendar over to a new month this past week, at seemingly record-breaking speed. It has now been one year since I became publisher of two newspapers, and I just don’t know where the time has gone. I must be having fun! October is a month of transition. We move into a new season, one much colder than the season before it. Bundle up in a cable-knit sweater or wrap a cozy blanket around your shoulders and come along with me! I’m looking ahead to All Things October, because before I kn...
