August 2013 - Great Plains Examiner

“A woman’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy before viability has been recognized by the United States Supreme Court for 40 years ...” — U.S. District Judge Dan Hovland • Story on Page 4

Great Plains Examiner Local. Independent. Fearless.

July 2013

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Vol. 3 I Issue 8 I

Free

Living Bakken-style in D.C. 6th Street Parking Garage Construction Underway

Kevin Cramer never goes home from work page 3

At a cost of $26,500 per parking spot, will the new parking ramp solve downtown Bismarck’s parking crunch?

Story on Page 6

InFocus: Kathleen Wrigley N.D. 2nd Lady Talks about growing up in Philadelphia and losing a brother to gun violence.

Great Plains News Photos/Dale Wetzel

Story on Pages 12-13

Local Developer Offers Ideas for Property Tax Reform Can changing how cities handle special assessments alleviate some of the property tax pain?

Story on Page 14 • Free advice for oil companies . . . . . Page 8 • Why the new chancellor attacking The Dickinson Press? . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 • Erik Hagen breaks down the now infamous “McDonald’s Employee Recommended Budget” . . . . . . . . Page 22 • Melissa Gordon profiles a new local novelist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 27 • Michael Anhalt tells us about the new local band “Stone Cloud Sunday” . Page 30

ND’s Abortion Laws Take Fire In Court pages 4-5 Oil Production Expected To Stay On The Rise page 8

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Great Plains Examiner • www.GreatPlainsExaminer.com

August 2013

August 2013


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Cramer Shrugs Office Partisan Attacks While Living In His Office

By Dale Wetzel [email protected]

BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — Facing his first re-election campaign as North Dakota’s Republican congressman, Kevin Cramer is taking flak for Congress’ struggles in approving federal farm legislation — and even for his own campaign fundraising. He points instead to what he says are some of his House legislative successes, including proposals to preserve the Minuteman III missile force at the Minot Air Force Base, give states new authority to regulate coal ash recycling and block the Army Corps of Engineers from charging for water taken from Lake Sakakawea and other Missouri River reservoirs. Great Plains News Photo/Dale Wetzel

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is considering new regulations for coal ash, which is produced in western North Dakota’s electric power plants and used in construction materials. The House bill would allow states to run their own coal ash regulatory programs. “There will be a lot of things to talk about in a campaign besides the farm bill,” Cramer said. In any case, Cramer and his Democratic opponent next year shouldn’t have much trouble grabbing a share of next year’s election spotlight. The U.S. House campaign will be leading the ticket of statewide officeholders, without competition from races for the U.S. Senate or governor, both of which overshadowed Cramer’s successful 2012 House run against former Democratic state Rep. Pam Gulleson.

North Dakota Republican congressman Kevin Cramer.

without its food-stamp element, said Chad Oban, director of the North Dakota Democratic Party. “While Cramer and the Republicans will want to pat themselves on the back for passing this bill, the reality is they have executed a strategy that tremendously weakens the possibility of a comprehensive farm bill passing,” Oban said.

The House race’s closest competitor for public attention may be a proposed Cramer believes dealing separately with constitutional amendment, Measure 1, that federal farm policy and food stamps will would add anti-abortion language to the constitution. It reads: “The inalienable right promote “a more transparent, honest to life of every human being at any stage discussion” of both issues. of development must be recognized and “Was it a good idea from a strategic protected.” standpoint in order to pass a farm bill? It So far, Cramer’s most glaring political might not have been so great,” Cramer said. liability has been the House’s struggles “But I think it was the right thing to do. I over farm legislation, which resulted in the think there are lots of things where doing chamber severing the bill’s longstanding the right thing might not seem like the political link between farm subsidy good thing. programs and food stamps. Without food “I think when you have a trillion-dollar stamps, the farm bill’s cost over five years is appropriation where only 20 percent of it is $196 billion; with them, its cost swells to about agriculture, you tend not to have an $940 billion. honest discussion about agriculture policy,” Farm groups worry the strategy will give Cramer continued. “I’m not afraid to have urban legislators no reason to support farm that.” programs, and North Dakota Democrats Cramer has yet to begin preparing in were quick to denounce it. Cramer “decided earnest for a re-election campaign, if his to follow the extreme and irresponsible fundraising numbers are any indication. pack” in supporting farm legislation

His most recent Federal Election Commission disclosure report showed Cramer’s campaign treasury with $85,846 on hand, while raising $123,505 over the first six months of the year.

an air mattress in a cramped office hallway; his clothes hang just outside his office bathroom. He showers in the House’s members-only gym, where he waxes rhapsodic about the water pressure of the showers _ “It’s almost like it’s coming out of a fire hydrant,” he says.

By comparision, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, the incumbent South Dakota Republican congresswoman who is up for her third The alternative to sleeping in his term next year, has raised $651,323 this office, Cramer says, would be to give up year and has $525,952 cash in the bank, her his Bismarck home, move his family to FEC report says. Washington and pay at least $2,000 a month to rent an apartment. “It’s about the North Dakota Democrats say Cramer’s Williston rate,” he jokes, referring to the comparatively anemic fundraising is cost of living in the northwestern North evidence of his unpopularity. “When he’s Dakota oil boomtown. not ignoring the concerns of middle-class North Dakotans, he isn’t raising any Cramer estimates that more than 80 money,” Oban said. members of Congress live in their offices, including Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the Cramer said he had been focusing chairman of the House Budget Committee on his work. “I haven’t engaged in any and last year’s Republican vice presidential fundraising,” he said. candidate. “If I had spent the first six months just Members of Congress are paid $174,000 raising money instead of passing a farm bill, I wonder how that would have gone over,” annually, but Cramer says he had more disposable income in his previous job as a he said. “I’m a freshman trying to get a North Dakota public service commissioner, job done ... You could spend a lot of time where he was paid almost $96,000 annually. raising money, or you could spend a lot of your time working on legislation.” “It’s almost impossible not to, if you’re Personally, Cramer has been saving money by taking the unusual step of living in his office. In the evenings, he sleeps on

not wealthy. Either that, or you give up one home,” he said. “To add a $2,000 monthly rent is literally impossible.”


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August 2013

ND Legislature’s anti-abortion laws getting pummeled in courts By Dale Wetel [email protected]

BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — The package of antiabortion laws that the North Dakota Legislature endorsed last spring is off to a rough start in the courts. Enforcement of the most prominent measure, which bans most abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy and is the toughest anti-abortion law in the country, has been stalled. It was dubbed the “heartbeat bill” in the Legislature, because it prohibits most abortions at the point in a woman’s pregnancy when a fetal heartbeat could be detected. U.S. District Judge Dan Hovland, who ruled against the six-week abortion ban less than two weeks before it was to become law, also must decide whether to block a separate measure that prohibits abortions done only for sex selection, or to eliminate a fetus with genetic abnormalities.

Hovland on July 22 granted a preliminary injunction to block the heartbeat law’s enforcement until a trial may be held. His ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion-rights organization based in New York. The center is representing the Red River Women’s Clinic of Fargo, which is North Dakota’s only abortion provider. The language of the judge’s decision indicates a trial would be a waste of time. The U.S. Supreme Court has established that a woman may end her pregnancy before her fetus is capable of living outside the womb, he wrote in his 22-page decision. That threshold is normally pegged at 24 weeks. Hovland wrote that the heartbeat measure “cannot withstand a constitutional challenge in any court of law.” “A woman’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy before viability has been recognized by the United States Supreme Court for 40 years ... The state of North Dakota has presented no evidence to justify the passage of this troubling law,” Hovland wrote. “The state has extended an invitation to an expensive court battle over a law restricting abortions that is a blatant violation of the constitutional guarantees afforded to all women.” The challenged law says any doctor who aborts a fetus with a detectable heartbeat could have his or her medical license revoked and be prosecuted for a felony, with a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The lawsuit’s defendants, who include Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem; Birch Burdick, the Cass County state’s attorney; and the members of the North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners, argued in court filings that the law was constitutional because it did not prohibit abortions until the sixth week of pregnancy. The law promotes respect for human life and protects the health of women who may seek abortions, supporters of the law said in court documents. It was “not designed to strike at the right (to abortion) itself,” and the fact the law would

Great Plains News Photo/Dale Wetzel

Separately, a state district judge in Fargo, Wickham Corwin, has temporarily blocked the enforcement of another law that imposes new regulations on doctors who perform abortions. In a ruling in an earlier case, Corwin declared that abortion is a “fundamental” right under the North Dakota Constitution.

North Dakota’s only abortion clinic in Fargo.

make it more costly or difficult to get an abortion “cannot be enough to invalidate it,” the filings say. Hovland’s ruling says women sometimes are not aware they are pregnant when they are six weeks along, and the law would prevent them from getting an abortion in North Dakota. It would make illegal most of the abortions performed at the Fargo clinic, which “would likely have to close its doors if the bill takes effect,” the judge wrote. Hovland’s logic would extend to another anti-abortion

measure, approved by the Legislature last spring, that would prohibit abortions beyond a woman’s 20th week of pregnancy. At 20 weeks, anti-abortion activists say, there is extensive medical evidence that a fetus can feel pain. The law has not been challenged in court, and it took effect Aug. 1. The Red River Women’s Clinic has said it will not be affected by the 20-week ban, because it performs abortions only up to the 16th week of a woman’s pregnancy.

Where they stand: North Dakota’s new anit-abortion laws Here’s an update on the status of the antiabortion measures approved by the North Dakota Legislature this year: HB1456: Forbids abortions at six weeks, when a fetus normally has a detectable heartbeat, except to save the woman’s life or to prevent serious, permanent damage to a “major bodily function.” On July 22, U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland temporarily blocked the law from taking effect, calling the measure a “blatant violation” of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have established a woman’s right to an abortion. It was scheduled to become law Aug. 1. HB1305: Bans abortions that are performed to eliminate a fetus with genetic abnormalities, or because the fetus is of a different sex than the parent desires. The Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights organization based in New York, filed

a federal lawsuit in Bismarck, N.D., on June 25, contending the law violates a woman’s right to have an abortion before her fetus reaches the point where it can live outside the womb. A ruling on the lawsuit was still pending Aug. 1, when the law took effect. SB2305: Requires a doctor who performs abortions in North Dakota to be licensed to practice in the state and have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. The law’s reasoning is being challenged in North Dakota state district court in Fargo. East Central District Judge Wickham Corwin has temporarily blocked the law from taking effect. SB2368: Prohibits abortions 20 weeks or more after conception, on the belief that a fetus at that age can feel pain. Abortions would be allowed only to save the woman’s life or if there was serious risk of irreparable

damage to a major body function. This measure has not yet been challenged in court, and it became law Aug. 1. The Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, which is the state’s only abortion provider, says it would not be affected by the law, because it does not perform abortions on a woman who is more than 16 weeks pregnant. SCR4009: This proposed constitutional amendment will go on the November 2014 statewide ballot. Measure 1 would add this sentence to the North Dakota Constitution: “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” North Dakota voters will have to endorse the amendment before it becomes part of the state constitution.


Right to abortion in ND Constitution? Supreme Court to decide By Dale Wetzel [email protected]

BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — This fall, North Dakota’s Supreme Court is expected to review whether the state constitution’s guarantees of liberty and the pursuit of happiness also protect a woman’s right to an abortion. The case, which arose from a challenge of a 2011 state law intended to restrict drug-induced abortions, will dump the volatile issue in the justices’ laps more than a year before North Dakotans decide the fate of a proposed constitutional amendment that declares the state must protect human life “at any stage of development.” Lawyers say East Central District Judge Wickham Corwin’s ruling could expand abortion rights in North Dakota, and go beyond U.S. Supreme Court rulings, which have sharply restricted states from regulating abortion during a woman’s first three months of pregnancy. The decision is rooted in the first words of North Dakota’s Constitution, which say that “enjoying and defending life and liberty” and “pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness” are among the “inalienable rights” that North Dakotans possess. Corwin’s 55-page ruling, handed down on July 15, says those rights “must include a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, and to select from any safe and effective procedures that may be available.” “These rights are fundamental,” the judge wrote. “Any legislative infringement is subject to strict scrutiny. At a minimum, that law (restricting abortion rights) must be narrowly tailored, and necessary to promote a compelling state interest.” Should Corwin’s reasoning prevail, North Dakota would join at least 11 states whose constitutions have been interpreted to safeguard abortion rights.

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Parking Ramp Will Cost $26,500 Per Spot With little disagreement about the need for more parking spaces downtown, construction of the new 6th Street Parking Ramp — and with a price tag of $13 million for 489 parking spots, each parking spot will cost roughly $26,500.

It would introduce a new political dynamic into the debate over Measure 1, a one-sentence constitutional amendment that declares: “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” The amendment, which the North Dakota Legislature put on the November 2014 ballot, was promoted by some backers as a way for the state to challenge U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have favored abortion rights. The notion that North Dakota’s own constitution protected the right to an abortion was seldom mentioned. Autumn Katz, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, a New York organization, said courts have interpreted the language of at least 11 state constitutions to support abortion rights. At least four — Alaska, California, New Jersey and Tennessee — have relied on constitutional language similar to North Dakota’s, Katz said. Christopher Dodson, an attorney and director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, said if the state constitution is intepreted as recognizing a woman’s right to an abortion, any abortion regulation would be subjected to more intense judicial scrutiny — and could be in jeopardy of being reversed. “(Abortion rights) could be more expansive than what we’ve seen in other states,” Dodson said. Corwin’s ruling, Dodson said, is “a very worrisome opinion.”


August 2013

This hole in the ground will eventually be the basement of the new parking ramp.

Conceptual view of the parking ramp.

City of Bismarck parking ticket revenue (2003-2012)

Katz said if North Dakota’s Constitution is interpreted as providing a right to an abortion, “you won’t be able to approve a restriction unless there is a compelling reason to do so.” “That is certainly not saying that any abortion restriction, no matter what, is immediately going to be struck down as unconstitutional,” Katz said. “But the state would need to make a very strong case.” Data compiled by Dustin Gawrylow


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August 2013

GOP lawmaker: Let’s sweep out ND Legislature’s Republican leaders By Dale Wetzel [email protected]

aside grants for airports, hospitals, colleges and law enforcement.

BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — A veteran Republican lawmaker who is a former speaker of the North Dakota House says the GOP’s floor leaders in the state House and Senate should be replaced.

It also reserved $14 million in grants for the western “hub cities” of Williston, Dickinson and Minot for help in paying for public works needed as the result of oil development. Under the plan, Dickinson will get up to $7 million in grants, Minot will get a maximum of $5 million, and Williston will receive up to $2 million.

Rep. David “Skip” Drovdal, R-Arnegard, believes North Dakota’s western oilproducing counties were shortchanged in their share of state oil revenues, some of which is turned back to local governments.

The Legislature’s incumbent GOP majority leaders, Fargo Rep. Al Carlson and Dickinson Sen. Rich Wardner, played down the comments. Wardner said they were prompted by Drovdal’s frustration about last-minute changes to legislation that apportioned oil money to western North Dakota counties. “During my coaching years, it seemed like every year they wanted to replace me, even when we went to the state tournament. You get kind of used to that,” said Wardner, who is a former teacher and football coach at Dickinson High School. “It’s friends that say that,” Wardner added. “Skip Drovdal is a friend.” Drovdal did not respond to repeated telephone calls and messages asking for elaboration. He represents District 39, a farming, ranching and oil-producing region that is the largest of North Dakota’s 47


Drovdal listed his wish for leadership changes in a lengthy, rambling letter published in The Dickinson Press newspaper. To “change the outcome” of how oil money is apportioned, Drovdal wrote: “North Dakota needs new leaders in the House and Senate, to start with.”

House Majority Leader Al Carlson and Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner discussing the legislative session at a March 2013 press conference.

legislative districts. The district stretches from the southern outskirts of Williston to the South Dakota border, and includes McKenzie, Golden Valley, Billings, Slope, Bowman and Adams counties. McKenzie County is the state’s leading oil producer, pumping almost 6.3 million barrels of crude in May, according to the state Department of Mineral Resources. Drovdal, who was first elected to the House in 1992, served as its speaker during

the 2011 Legislature. The speaker presides over the House’s daily floor sessions and is part of its majority leadership. During the last days of the Legislature, Wardner said, Drovdal became annoyed at the handling of HB1358, the Legislature’s principal bill for allocating oil tax money to local governments in western North Dakota. The measure directed aid to rural counties, cities and townships, earmarked support for road and bridge projects and set

“One of the things he told me personally was that he was really upset” about the $14 million in grants for the three cities, Wardner said. Drovdal believed the money should go instead to rural oil-producing areas, Wardner said. “He felt that his county shouldn’t be helping to support the hub cities,” Wardner said. “But the way I look at it is, these hub cities are part of the whole situation, part of the team, as far as providing services to the oil patch.” The 2013 Legislature was Wardner’s first as the Senate GOP majority leader. He succeeded Bob Stenehjem in the job in September 2011, months after the 2011 Legislature adjourned, when Stenehjem was killed in a traffic accident. Carlson has been the House Republican majority leader since the 2009 Legislature. He succeeded former state Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, who won election to the U.S. House in 2010 and lost a U.S. Senate race to Democrat Heidi Heitkamp two years later. Carlson said he intends to seek re-election next year, and to run again for the House majority leader’s job. Drovdal could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts.

Opinion

Even Some Republicans Know Talking Points Don’t Fix Problems By Mac Schneider

Touting so-called “great advances in meeting the needs of those affected by oil development,” Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner lauds the work of the GOP supermajority when it comes to addressing oil impacts in western North Dakota in his July 18th op-ed (“Legislature did right by oil patch”). I would like to share a different view: The legislature did not “properly fund the oil and gas counties so that they will be able to keep up with the drilling activity and repair the damages it causes.” Those aren’t my words, though I agree with the assessment. That’s the opinion of Representative Skip Drovdal, a Republican

from Arnegard, written in Senator Wardner’s hometown newspaper just two days after Wardner’s unduly-rosy assurance of “great advances” in helping western North Dakota.

oil producing areas to retain a substantially greater share of the oil production tax at the local level. In other words, keep more The truth, as noted by Drovdal and oil revenue where it omitted by Wardner, is that the Senate is generated so that majority voted to cut approximately $350 Schneider locally-elected leaders million from a comprehensive, bipartisan bill can address oil impacts to fund needs in hub cities and rural areas in as they arise. Unfortunately, legislation to do the west. Dem-NPL legislators were proud to just that during the current biennium was stand with pragmatic Republicans and force defeated in the House along sharply partisan the majority to restore the bulk of these cuts lines. under public pressure, but the debate should Now, while an oil-driven $1.6 billion state have instead been about how to improve the surplus sits in a sleepy fund in Bismarck bill to anticipate future needs. until the legislature convenes in 2015, Dem-NPL legislators have a plan: Allow

communities in western North Dakota

are once again left facing the impacts of development without a full-throated response from the state – a response that not only plays catch up, but also allows for advanced planning. We have a moral obligation to meet the needs of western North Dakota. The hard working people in that part of the state are literally paying the price for our prosperity. I agree with my friend the majority leader that meeting this obligation is no easy task, but a dose of humility and a candid recognition that much more needs to be done would be a decent start. — Schneider is the Democratic minority leader in the North Dakota State Senate, representing District 42 of Grand Forks.

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Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk.




August 2013

Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak.

After lull, ND wind power development picks up By Dale Wetzel

first 10 years of operation.

BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — Buoyed by a renewal of a key energy subsidy, construction of new North Dakota wind turbines is accelerating this fall, with three projects expected to add more than 550 megawatts to the state’s ability to generate renewable electricity.

The pace of wind energy development has relied on periodic congressional extensions of the production tax credit, as well as a related subsidy that allows rapid tax write-offs of the projects’ value. The credit rankles budget conservatives in Congress, who say the wind industry should demonstrate it can flourish without taxpayer support.

The anticipated growth comes in spite of the demise of a huge wind farm in southcentral North Dakota, originally envisioned as a $1 billion development that included plans to construct 212 wind turbines about six miles north of Ashley.

The most recent one-year extension, approved by Congress in January, provided a $12.1 billion tax break to the wind industry over 10 years, according to the U.S. Senate’s Finance Committee.

The project’s developer, a subsidiary of Competitive Power Ventures Holdings LLC “I think the production tax credit of Silver Spring, Md., canceled the venture spurred those (North Dakota projects) on,” last month. Before its demise, it had been said Brian Kalk, chairman of the North scaled back from almost 500 megawatts to a Dakota Public Service Commission. 200-megawatt project, with construction of Another impetus for the expansion of as many as 87 turbines to provide the juice. North Dakota’s wind industry has been North Dakota wind farms are capable plans for construction of new power of generating up to 1,680 megawatts of transmission lines, Kalk said. electricity, which ranks it 11th among “They have opened up the transmission states, according to the American Wind congestion, so we probably will see Energy Association, a trade group. more wind,” Kalk said. “The availability North Dakota is one of nine states that of transmission is increasing in North uses wind to generate more than 10 percent Dakota.” of its electricity. It has the sixth-best wind U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., has resource of the 50 states, according to the opposed extending the production tax National Renewable Energy Laboratory, credit. Cramer is a former member of the which has offices in Washington, D.C., and PSC, which regulates the placement of wind Golden, Colo. energy projects. This year’s projects represent more than “When you have a $16 trillion national double the 235 megawatts of wind energy debt, you have to make some difficult generation that North Dakota developers choices,” Cramer said. “Given the size of added last year. In 2011, only 21 megawatts the debt we have, I don’t see how you can of new, wind-generated electric power were justify continuing (the credit).” built. The three North Dakota wind projects Construction of the three new projects slated for construction this year are in the must begin before year’s end to qualify for a central and western parts of the state. federal tax credit of 2.3 cents per kilowatthour of electricity sold for each project’s

Geronimo Wind Energy, based in Edina,

Minn., wants to build more than 100 wind turbines in northeastern Stutsman County, capable of generating up to 200 megawatts of power. The project would cost about $170 million. Geronimo already has agreements to sell the wind project’s output to Xcel Energy, a Minneapolis utility that provides electric service in Fargo, West Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot. Some of the project’s specifics are being questioned by residents of rural Courtenay, about 30 miles northeast of Jamestown. Robert Sprague, who operates an agricultural spraying business from a private airstrip eight miles southwest of Courtenay, has told state regulators that nine of the project’s wind towers would pose a safety threat to his airport. Sprague said at least seven of the turbines’ blinking red lights would be visible from his home at night. A neighbor, James Hastings, a disabled veteran, has told state regulators that noise and flashing lights from nearby turbines could aggravate his post-traumatic stress disorder. Grant Baumgartner, of Courtenay, said the project’s plan locates 14 of the turbines within a mile of his home. “The collector substation is proposed to be placed right in front of, by country terms, my front door,” Baumgartner said in an email to the Public Service Commission. “I will be able to see it every time I open my front door, literally about 800 feet across a small field.” Kalk said the commission will consider the complaints in making its decision about where the project’s wind turbines will be located. The commission has scheduled hearings later this month for Minnesota Power’s planned 200-megawatt wind farm in

western Morton County and southern Oliver County, and a 150-megawatt project near Hettinger that is being developed by Thunder Spirit Wind LLC. Minnesota Power, which is based in Duluth, Minn., wants to add a fourth stage to its Bison wind-power project in the region. The Public Service Commission is holding an Aug. 21 hearing on the proposal at the Oliver County Courthouse in Center. The utility, which serves more than 140,000 customers in northeastern Minnesota, has already built 101 wind turbines in the region, capable of generating up to 292 megawatts of electricity. It plans to invest $400 million in its Bison 4 expansion, putting up 70 new turbines that collectively could generate 210 megawatts of power. Separately, the commission has scheduled an Aug. 9 hearing in Hettinger for a proposed 150-megawatt wind farm about 10 miles northeast of the community. As many as 75 wind turbine towers could be constructed, at a cost of $300 million. Thunder Spirit Wind LLC, which is based in Schenectady, N.Y., is developing the project. Public Service Commissioner Randy Christmann said wind power developers also have the challenge of finding buyers for their electricity. “It’s clear what the goal is, to get (a project) started before the end of the year,” Christmann said. “But I would presume they’re not only going to have to turn soil and get the project started, but they’re going to want to make sure they have a customer for that power.” — Wetzel is the managing editor of the Great Plains Examiner and can be reached at Dale@ GreatPlainsExaminer.com.

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August 2013

ND oil production tops 800,000 barrels a day Official expects continued climb By Dale Wetzel [email protected]


BISMARCK, N.D. (GPN) — North Dakota’s oil production continues to set records, averaging 810,000 barrels a day in May, the state Department of Mineral Resources reports. While calling the numbers “a happy surprise,” Lynn Helms, the agency’s director, said he expects them to keep rising this summer as crews finish work on a backlog of more than 500 wells that have been drilled but not “fracked.” Hydraulic fracturing, which involves pumping water, chemicals and sand underground at high pressure to break up oil-bearing shale rock, is necessary for the wells to begin producing oil. “There’s a big inventory, a pent-up inventory,” of wells awaiting fracking, Helms said. “We’re going to see even larger monthly increases in production (this summer) ... as we use up that inventory and put those frack crews to work.” So far, North Dakota’s oil production and prices are both running ahead of the forecasts the state Legislature used to estimate oil revenues for the next two years, Helms said. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, a benchmark for state prices, has been hovering around $100 a barrel. Lawmakers estimated that oil prices during the next year will average about $75 per barrel, and $80 per barrel from July 2014 through June 2015. There were 181 oil rigs working in western North Dakota on July 31, a number that has varied little in the last several months. In addition to May’s average of 810,000 barrels a day of production, the state has 8,915 producing oil wells, which is an all-time high. “There is some desire to add drilling rigs, but as long as we’re carrying this big inventory of unfracked wells, I don’t think companies are going to be stepping out and spending a lot of money to add drilling rigs when they’ve got a big inventory of wells waiting on fracks,” Helms said.

U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, chairman of a U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee on energy and power, speaks at a news conference in Minot, N.D., on July 12, 2013, after six members of the energy committee toured oil and railroad facilities in the Tioga area in northwestern North Dakota. Behind Whitfield, from left, are Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan.; Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee; Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; and Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. Cramer, who is not a member of the energy committee, hosted the tour.

Last month, six members of the U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee toured energy facilities in northwestern North Dakota, accompanied by executives from Hess Corp., an energy company with oil production and natural gas processing facilities in western North Dakota, and BNSF Railway, a leading oil shipper. Matthew Rose, BNSF’s chairman and chief executive officer, was among the group. The delegation toured rail facilities used for loading oil, pipeline terminals and oil well hydraulic fracturing sites, using a special train to travel the 84 miles from Minot to Tioga. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said he was shocked at the amount of natural gas flaring in western North Dakota’s oil patch.

Natural gas is a byproduct of North Dakota’s rising oil production, and it is burned off and wasted if a pipeline North Dakota oil wells pumped 25.1 million barrels of crude network is not available to transport the gas to a processing plant. In recent months, close to 30 percent of the state’s in May, according to agency statistics. The state is the nation’s natural gas production has been flared each month. No. 2 oil producer and accounts for about 11 percent of the “I love natural gas, and to see it flared off so frequentlyhere nation’s production.

reinforces my thought that Congress needs to act to create more demand for natural gas, whether it’s in transportation or other areas,” Terry said. “To see it go to waste like that was _ really, it hit me.” The committee’s chairman, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., said the tour underscored the need for development of the nation’s rail and pipeline networks to handle increased crude-oil production from the United States and Canada. Canada would like to ship more of its oil, which is produced from thick tar sands in Alberta province, to the United States, boosting exports from 1.5 million barrels daily to 6 million barrels by 2030, Upton said. “We’re not ready for that. Not until our infrastructure is,” Upton said. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on energy and power, said North Dakota’s increased oil and gas production is important to the nation’s efforts to displace imported energy. “The International Energy Association has said that America can be the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas in the world in the very near future, and the only thing that will prevent that, I believe, is unnecessary and excessive government regulation,” Whitfield said. North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer, who hosted the tour, said many House members _ their curiosity piqued by news reports about North Dakota’s robust economy and low unemployment _ have been eager to visit western North Dakota. Cramer is not a member of the energy committee. “A lot of the questions they have were economic questions. Things like income growth, housing, infrastructure questions, how do you keep up, what have the growing pains been like,” Cramer said. “And I frankly think that therein lies a lot of the value that North Dakota can bring, not only by our success, but by the lessons that we’ve learned on how to deal with it.” Summer rains have left much of western North Dakota green and lush, which Cramer said impressed the visitors. “There are just really not very many signs of pollution, for example, and that sort of struck them,” Cramer said. “They just said, ‘Wow, this is really a very pretty place.’”

Opinion

Some Free Advice For Oil Companies By Dustin Gawrylow

It seems that almost every month we see another story about how much natural gas is being burned off into the atmosphere or “flared.” The latest is a report says that a billion dollars’ worth of natural gas is being wasted by being flared. In fact, the report says that upwards of 25% of all the flaring in the United States is happening in North Dakota. It’s highly unlikely that North Dakota legislators or regulators will do anything

about this, more likely is that the Federal Government will come in and impose regulations on flaring. Because the drilling in North Dakota is happening so quickly, there simply has not been the time to setup the needed infrastructure to capture and transport the natural gas being flared. As a result, what appears to be a massive waste of a valuable resource (to those that do not fully grasp the economics) is occurring. What should be done?

Instead of waiting for the Federal Government to impose new regulations on the industry, or continue to get pounded in the media for what appears to be a poor environmental practice – oil companies should take a proactive approach. Give it away. Announce far and wide that anyone that can capture and find a use for the natural gas being flared currently can come and get it. Let the Free Market figure out what to do with the natural gas by actually making

that which is being wasted completely free to anyone who can find a way to deal with it. It would be a good public relations move, and what better way to prove to regulators that no action is needed than by just giving it away. If no one comes to take it, how can anyone claim that new regulations are needed? — Gawrylow is the assistant publisher of the Great Plains Examiner

August 2013


Proudly Serving Those Who Serve Us: University of Mary Programs Support Military

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BISMARCK, N.D.—Given the University of Mary’s mission of service and its longstanding commitment to adult learners and the men and women serving our country, it is no surprise that U-Mary ranks high in the military community as a place for advanced education. From the Vietnam-era veterans of the early ’70s, to current students representing nearly every branch of the armed forces, those in the military have experienced the university’s dedication to serving their unique needs in many ways.

Dedication and flexibility “When I enrolled at Mary in 1971 after serving in Vietnam, there were many returning veterans in the Bismarck area who wanted to continue their education, but had families and full- or part-time jobs,” recalls Mike Arnegard, ’73, who had been a sergeant in the Army. “One of the things that attracted me and other veterans to Mary was the school’s awareness of students’ needs and willingness to work with them. Those of us majoring in business were able to schedule our classes in the morning, be done at noon, and go to work in the afternoon; and I think there was an emphasis on flexibility overall,” says Arnegard, who went on to join U-Mary’s admissions team and become the school’s first veterans officer. That flexibility has remained a hallmark of adult learning at U-Mary and grown with expanded delivery options, making the U-Mary Worldwide accelerated adult program even more appealing for many military students. “I started the program on-site in Bismarck and completed my last four classes online when I was reassigned to another duty location,” says Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel “Rodney” Kipe. “U-Mary was very flexible with my personal and military needs. No matter where I was, I was able to participate in class discussions and feel part of a group.” The U.S. Navy fire controlman, who is currently based in New Orleans, LA, was awarded an M.B.A., on schedule, in May 2012.

Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel “Rodney” Kipe benefited from the University of Mary’s flexible programs and tuition assistance for military members in order to earn his M.B.A. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kiley Kuntz and her husband, Maj. Derek Kuntz, both natives of North Dakota serving in the ND Army National Guard, take all their M.B.A. classes on-site in Bismarck, where they are based. Kiley had completed a bachelor’s degree through U-Mary’s adult program in 2010, while working full-time, so the couple knew the format was compatible with their lifestyle, when they decided to pursue their master’s degrees. “I really liked the idea of being able to pursue my M.B.A. through an accelerated program that offered on-site classroom instruction as an option,” says Derek, who counts the insights he gains from face-to-face interaction with other professionals in diverse organizations as particularly valuable.

Support financially, in classroom “University of Mary programs support the demands of the military,” explains U-Mary Worldwide Graduate Advisor Wayne Maruska, who works with students in the military and is an Army veteran himself. “Whether

the service member is deployed, has extended training periods, or has to relocate, the university offers flexible options that permit progress toward the completion of a degree.” U-Mary also provides its students from the military community with significant academic and financial advising support. Individual attention is given to each student beginning with the initial inquiry. An advisor — who supports the student throughout the program — helps structure a degree plan and makes sure the student understands the options for financial assistance and expectations in terms of credits, time frame, etc. Counseling for traditional and institutional financial assistance is available through U-Mary’s Office of Financial Aid. Plus, there are counselors on campus to guide the military member through the processes required to obtain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits, and/or Federal Tuition Assistance from the member’s branch of the service.

“The U-Mary team worked with me to make the process of financing my education very smooth and painless,” said Kipe, who benefited from the G.I. Bill, Navy Tuition Assistance, and U-Mary’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Nationally recognized for efforts The University of Mary’s efforts to provide educational opportunities have repeatedly earned it national recognition as a “military friendly” school by Military Advanced Education and G.I. Jobs magazines. As word has spread, the number of veterans and active members of the military enrolled at U-Mary has grown to nearly 200. In addition, members of military families are also choosing to further their education at U-Mary, using their military entitlements to subsidize the cost of attending. For more information contact University of Mary Worldwide at (800) 408-6279, ext. 8155 or [email protected].


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August 2013

Values based. Accelerated. Online education. It’s a complicated world. Having ethical leaders is more important than ever before. At the University of Mary—a Christian, Catholic and Benedictine university—students are encouraged to seek the truth, to see themselves as whole and unique individuals responsible to God, and to become leaders in the service of truth. Servicemembers can earn an MBA or Master of Project Management online or on-site, including at Grand Forks Air Force Base. These degrees advance a military or civilian career and can be completed in as few as 16 months. U-Mary has been recognized repeatedly as a military-friendly school in G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education magazines.

800-408-6279, ext. 8155 umary.edu/academics • [email protected]


August 2013

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Opinion

Great Plains Examiner Publisher Gary Emineth 701-202-8748 [email protected] Managing Editor Dale Wetzel [email protected] Assistant Publisher Dustin Gawrylow [email protected] Founder/Partner Matt Bunk 701-645-1270 [email protected] Partner Scott Hennen [email protected] Feature columnist Kelly Hagen [email protected] Maurice Cook [email protected] Corey Castleman [email protected] Ralph Kingsbury [email protected] Contributing writers: David Borlaug [email protected] Deone Emineth [email protected] Stacy Sturm [email protected]

Steve Hoffbeck [email protected] Scott Hennen [email protected]

What Do I Do? How Long Do You Have? By Gary Emineth

Whenever someone asks me what I do for a living, I swallow hard before answering. This reflex life response is a result of years spent fielding responses from others who expect an answer which gives them some idea of what I actually do. My answer has more to do with who I am than what I do and often requires definition and a qualifying synonym or two. I am an entrepreneur. According to Webster, I am “one willing to take a risk.” Others have likened me to a child with Attention Deficit Disorder or a “holy terror.” Once I overheard my wife put it this way when Emineth the question came up in conversation: “Gary? Oh, I’m not sure; he hasn’t decided what he’s going to be when he grows up!” Most of these qualifiers have some truth to them. I have taken plenty of risks, lost interest in projects which ceased to hold my attention and terrorized my family with seventeen moves in 30 years. And from the perspective of some, I can’t seem to decide what to do. I see my condition a bit differently and would like to share my take on it as someone born and raised in ND who left for a time and returned. I grew up in a series of small towns where my dad owned and operated small businesses. We started on a farm near Mandan, moved to McKenzie where my parents ran the local

What I have done in the last 30 years is not nearly so relevant to what I want to say to you as what I have learned about myself, my country and most recently, the state of North Dakota as I was doing it. tavern, then to Washburn to join a partner in an existing implement business and within three years became the owners of the Super Valu grocery store. By the time I was 21, I was married and the sole proprietor of Emineth’s Super Valu — a brand new store built by my father and purchased by me. What I have done in the last 30 years is not nearly so relevant to what I want to say to you as what I have learned about myself, my country and most recently, the state of North Dakota as I was doing it. I am an idea guy. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I can have 5 new ideas every day and it’s not unheard of to multiply that by 5 on a day when the ideas are really flowing. Like many talents or qualities, this can be a blessing or a curse — depending on the context or circumstances in play. For all the craziness at times, I have truly enjoyed the ride — which is part of my message today — it is really important to enjoy whatever one chooses to spend their life doing. I am thankful I have lived in a country with the freedom and incentive built into a free enterprise style economy which has allowed me to take an idea or two and translate those ideas into a way to generate capital. Because I am a creative self-starter with the confidence to

make decisions, I am energized by the prospect of a start-up with no guarantee of success or a safety net to catch me if it fails. On the other hand, there is no limit to where it can go if it succeeds and that is exciting. Opportunity is probably the biggest plus to living where I live today — in North Dakota industry is booming and consequently, opportunities for supporting services and small business abound. We have turned our residential property into a commercial wedding and events center meeting a need in a niche market which is underserved. It has created extra income and an opportunity for our son to earn and learn what it means to run a small enterprise. There is nothing like the freedom to be your own boss and have the ability to decide what to do with a piece of property when you happen to be the owner. More than all of that, I have learned to be grateful for everything life has brought my way. I look forward to what is over the next horizon and I have a hunch it might just pop into my head before lunchtime if I’m not careful! — Emineth is the publisher of the Great Plains Examiner and can be reached via email at [email protected].

Advertising Jerry Beneke Marketing Manager 701-220-5777 (cell) 701-223-8972 (direct) [email protected] Local Events and Arts Melissa Gordon [email protected] The Great Plains Examiner is published monthly and distributed free on racks in Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota, by Highground Publishing Inc.,

PO Box 2332 Bismarck ND 58502. Home Delivery: $37.50 per year for North Dakota residents. To purchase home-delivery service, contact [email protected]. Phone: (701) 202-8748 Website: www.GreatPlainsExaminer.com

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City of Mandan enters the commercial real estate business By Wayne Papke

Look out developers and real estate investors, you now have a new competitor — the City of Mandan. In recent actions, the City of Mandan and the City park district have approved the use of our public hospitality tax to buy 1.7 million in land and then in turn lease it to a potential new YMCA, a non-government entity, for $1.You developers are up against some stiff competition. You are up against competition who:

no revenue to help reduce their taxes)

• The Park district and city are in turn looking to lease the land for $1 — how could you commercial guys possibly invest Papke $1,500,000 and only ask $1 for a lease? Did anyone ask whether government can actually do this without their violating our constitution which says that government • Uses public money to fund the project cannot give a “gift” to a non-government • Using public money eliminates their entity? How is this NOT a gift? This $ 1 need for financing expenses on a 1.5 million dollar property provides • Since it’s owned by the government, the Mandan taxpayers with a rate of return on their investment of .000006%. And you city has no property tax expense though money market and CD rates were (and property tax payers in Mandan get

low ! How about if all of you pushing for this project invest your personal money in this knowing you are getting .000006%? Why not? So if you wouldn’t personally do this, why would you use my taxpayer money to do it? In Mandan, the answer is “Because we’ve gotten by with it for years and taxpayers don’t seem to care.” So is anyone going to ask for an Attorney General’s opinion on this as to whether this $1 lease violates our Constitutional provision as being a “Gift”? Is the Attorney General’s office going to do their job in policing local government and step in here on it’s own? I think these are questions developers, real estate investors and moreso, all of Mandan taxpayers should be asking.

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focuswith Kathleen Wrigley Great Plains Examiner • www.GreatPlainsExaminer.com

August 2013

In By Dale Wetzel

K

time. And I was lying on the table, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I couldn’t’ believe it. How are we going to tell the kids? They are much older. They’ll be aware of what this is going to mean. The recovery is going to be much different.

athleen Boyle Wrigley, who is married to North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, knows what it is like to be a crime victim. Her brother and only sibling, Danny Boyle, a Philadelphia police officer, was shot to death in February 1991 by the driver of a stolen car that Boyle had pulled over in north Philadelphia. Danny Boyle was 21 and had been a policeman for a year.

The weird thing is, I almost didn’t have this angiogram because I felt great. I had just run the Disney marathon. I was just absolutely stunned.

Bracey’s attorneys are attempting to throw out his death sentence by claiming their client is mentally retarded. In 2002, in a case called Atkins v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the execution of mentally retarded people who were convicted imagined. It is such a gift. of a death-penalty crime violates the U.S. We have this saying in our house, ‘You Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.’ punishment. It is an adage that we live by. Life isn’t always fair, but there are blessings wrapped up in The Wrigley family recently attended a our toughest times, and there’s always hope hearing in Philadelphia to allow Bracey’s in tomorrow, no matter how tough it is. lawyers and family to present evidence of Faith plays a big part in that. Your attitude why he should not be put to death. plays a big part in that. I have been extremely The Great Plains Examiner interviewed blessed, beyond measure, in my life. Kathleen Wrigley on June 27, 2013, at the North Dakota state Capitol. It has been You have three kids? edited for length and clarity. My daughter, Quinn, is 12. My son, Patrick, will be 11 in September. My Tell me about your background. youngest daughter, Harper, is 5. I’m 43 years old. I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I grew up in a row house in You mentioned your surgeries. Philadelphia, in the northeast part of town. What happened there? It’s a neighborhood called Summerdale. It I had been having some numbness in my was very working class, middle-class. It was face, my mouth, lips, my tongue, my chin. I heavily Catholic, lots of Irish Catholics in thought, am I using different lipstick? Am I our neighborhood. allergic to something? I went to Archbishop Ryan High School I mentioned this to Drew and he got in Philadelphia, and then I went to Penn online, and everything was coming back State. I studied child and family psychology. (multiple sclerosis). I thought, there’s no way Then I went to graduate school at Temple, I have MS. I teach aerobics. I run. I’m active. in Philadelphia, and got a master’s degree in I mentioned this when I called my family social work. doctor and he set up an appointment with a My childhood molded me for the life neurologist and just have him do a checkup. I’m living now. I appreciate everything. I thought, a neurologist. Are you kidding Everything. Losing my brother Danny when me? He said, I don’t think it’s MS. I do he was 21 years old. He was my confidante, think there’s some kind of deficiency, we’re my protector. Fast forward into my 30s, with going to do some blood work. I’m going to my surgeries. Those things have taught me do an MRI of your head to make sure there so much about life, and what is important. is no cause for alarm. I said OK. Family, and giving back, and living every single day. It’s so cliche to say, but living every day, and appreciating every small gift. There are so many, things that we just take for granted, most of us. The fact that Drew and our three kids, the fact that I have that, is something that I would have never

I went in, and that afternoon, I was on my way to teach an aerobics class. I had both the kids on my hips and the phone rang. It was the doctor. He said the good news is, you don’t have MS. The bad news is, you have a very large brain aneurysm, and it

photo by Quinn Wrigley

The man who shot Boyle, Edward Bracey, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in October 1992. He is on Death Row at a maximum-security prison in Bellefonte, Pa., about 200 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

doesn’t look to be bleeding right now, but you need surgery right away. I didn’t even know what that was, other than there is an abnormality in my brain. I was hysterical. I didn’t think to ask him anything other than, am I going to die? And he said, I’ll have the surgeon call you as soon as he gets out of surgery. And I thought, he didn’t answer me. I had no idea what this was about. The surgeon said they do this new type of surgery in Minneapolis, it’s pretty cutting edge — it uses these platinum coils to clot off the aneurysm. It was minimally invasive. After a few days, we went down there and I had the surgery. This was in March of 2004. In the meantime Drew and I and the kids were just wrapped around each other. We had no idea. You think, brain surgery, my gosh. The surgery was successful and let me tell you, the emotional recovery was worse than anything else. Because at that point, I felt like every little thing was something. I kept going in to the doctor. I have this little thing on my finger. Is it cancer? And I would cry. And he would say, you call me any time you need any questions answered. I’ll see you through this and it’s going to be fine. And I was fine. I ran marathons. Life was great. I had Harper, after lots of consultations. She is our little, spunky miracle. It was important to me that I have more than just two babies, because when I was a kid, I just had Danny. Then I was having a routine angiogram about five years later and the doctor came up, and he said, Kathleen, we think there’s a second aneurysm. You need surgery and we need to go in and open you up this

I ended up having two brain surgeries within seven weeks, in September and October of 2009. When I woke up from the second surgery, I was completely blind down the center and to the right in both eyes. It was black. There was nothing. The doctors were stumped. I had a picture of my three kids at the foot of the bed, and I couldn’t see all of it. It turns out there was a vessel crimped off, during the surgery. The oxygen was cut off. Through time, the doctors hoped it would fix itself, and as the months went on, the sight was restored. There is a limited deficit today, but nothing that stops me from living a perfectly normal life, including driving and riding a bike. Tell me about your brother Danny. Danny was very funny. He was goofy. I remember laughing with him about silly things. He was carefree and pretty laid back, not very intense. He was not a good student. He didn’t care for school, he did what he had to do to get by. I always thought it was unfair. I tried to make honor roll and did all the studying, and he got by with Cs, and that was just fine with my parents. He didn’t want to go to college. He wanted to be through with high school and just be done. But he didn’t know what he wanted to do. He was a hard worker, not lazy at all, but he thought academic things were not the choice for him. He did a lot of odd jobs, carpentry work. He worked helping to remodel kitchens. He delivered pizzas at night. And then he took the police academy test and he got in. He took the test because he wanted something more stable, and he thought maybe this is the direction I want to go. My dad and my uncle were policemen, but they didn’t try to talk him into it. My dad was pretty much, ‘Go and do. Just do. Just work. Just make a living and work.’ I am not kidding, the first day Danny was in the academy, he came home, and you would have thought he struck the lottery. He was just giddy about it. It was like he had found his calling. He loved it. He felt like he found a purpose. He felt like this is stable, this is a steady income, and these are my people. He was 19 years old, and he had

August 2013


13 Politics has become such a dirty word that it’s really too bad. It loses what it was intended to mean, the service part, and to make a difference. Being married to Drew and seeing what he has been able to do, the people he’s been able to meet and the events he’s been able to be a part of, it’s an enormous opportunity and a real privilege.

finally found his niche. It was like a dream come true for him. The man who shot your brother, Edward Bracey, is claiming now that he shouldn’t be executed because he is mentally retarded. You attended a hearing in Philadelphia recently about that.

There were six psychological evaluations done on this man (Bracey) from the time of trial until now. Six. None of them, until this new appeal, none of them defined him as mentally retarded. None of them defined him as being so mentally incapacitated that he didn’t know right from wrong. And here we are, 22 years later, this judge has granted this hearing, and we have to sit there and listen to this. No one cares — and I don’t know whether they should or not — what this does to people. It completely unearths the peace and the acceptance that you come to this many years later. It’s ripped open again. It’s unfair, it’s unjust, it’s maddening. How could this process been more respectful of your family’s rights as victims of violent crime? I would have liked to have had the opportunity to say something on Danny’s behalf. We have a great criminal justice system. It is not perfect, but there have to be some changes made. We need to make bigger and better strides for victims. We need to give victims an opportunity to have rights too. We sat there, and had I not known about this hearing — we were told about it by friends in the Philadelphia DA’s office — we wouldn’t have known it was coming up. There was no requirement that we be notified. But by our presence, we put Danny into the equation. It mattered. I know it did. There do need to be better ways to have victims’ rights be heard. I am not about to say (Bracey) didn’t deserve any of the hearings he has had up until now, even though I think this last one was a little farfetched. It is 22 years later. I don’t want to take any of their rights away, I don’t. But I don’t want us to be stripped of rights either. Is it important to you that Bracey be put to death? No, it is not. I speak only for myself. But at this point, 22 years later, it is not important to me that he is actually executed. What is important to me is that he stay where he is, on Death Row. The reason being, life on Death Row is far different than serving a life sentence in the general population in the prison. He is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and is out, shackled, walking around for exercise, for one hour a day. There are many more restrictions on what he can do.

photo by Quinn Wrigley

I felt like someone bound my hands and put tape over my mouth. We felt so helpless. We sat there. You can’t talk. You can’t say anything. And they don’t say anything about Danny, except for two sentences on the first day. And it’s hogwash. The whole thing.

I understand you met Drew when you were both working in the Philadelphia district attorney’s office. When did you get serious? I knew on the first date. We had been friends in the office. I called my mom after our first date, at 1 o’clock in the morning, and said, ‘I feel like I’m going to marry this guy. He is like no other man I’ve ever dated.’ He made me laugh, first of all. We just had so much fun together. His sense of humor really was the thing that won me over. He was really smart and charming and funny. He’s very quick-witted. And we would have these conversations. I thought, wow, there was way more to this guy than I knew. When we went on our first date, I kept asking him. I know you’re not going to stay in Philly. What is it you want to do? Tell me what your five-year plan is. I knew he was from North Dakota, that he loved North Dakota, he was close to his family, that he went home to hunt. Hunting is not something I get. He started talking about this place that he calls home, that was literally foreign to me, and he got choked up. He said, this is where I want to be. He talked about the wheat fields. He talked about driving from Fargo to Bismarck, and looking at the wheat fields, how he could look out at this land that goes on forever. He talked about how different North Dakota is, and that’s where his heart is, and that is where he belongs. I can’t even do it justice to replay the conversation. I was entranced by it. I never met anyone in my life who had talked about where they were from like this man was doing. I thought, ‘I want to see this place.’ I really do want to go there, because he makes it sound so promising. I know people who love Philadelphia with every ounce of their being, and they wouldn’t describe it the way that Drew was describing this place. I wanted to see it. I wanted to know. I had to push him. He was not going to talk about North Dakota. He knew I was

a Philly girl. I wouldn’t think of moving outside the city limits. He will tell you he wanted a second date. Drew thought if he shared with me all of his hopes and dreams, which included moving to North Dakota, that I would have written him off. So, what was it like to move to North Dakota? It wasn’t easy. I was like, what the heck am I doing? It was so scary. We had been married only four months when we moved from Philly to Bismarck. This was Labor Day weekend in 1998. I remember thinking, this is a great adventure. And then we got in the U-Haul truck to drive, and I cried all the way to Michigan. I was like, ‘I don’t even know you. Who are you? What did I do? No wonder my dad thinks I’m nuts.’ I marry this guy and four months later we move to North Dakota. It’s so far away from everything. But when I look back on it now, I feel like North Dakota has given me peace. Moving to North Dakota opened my world. I get to be me. I get to almost start over, and not just be Danny Boyle’s sister, or the survivor of a brain aneurysm.

With that said, he’s lieutenant governor. It’s not that well-known of a position. It’s nice because I don’t want our kids to ever think that a title matters. Even when Drew was U.S. attorney, that’s Daddy’s job. Sometimes he gets on TV because of it, but it’s a job. We don’t make a big deal out of the title. Earlier, you mentioned running the Disney marathon. How many marathons have you run? Eight full marathons. A lot of halves. The Fargo marathon. I’ve run Disney, in Orlando. New York was my first. That was in 2005. Chicago. Philadelphia. This year Drew and I are co-chairing the Bismarck marathon. My one condition for doing that was that it include a kids’ run. The best part about the kids’ race is that there will be no entry fee. A lot of time it’s $15, $20, $25 just to register your kid. It can be expensive. I reached out to BNSF Railway and asked them to sponsor it, and they said yes. Every single child can run the race and they will all get medals. They don’t have to worry about not being able to afford it. Why do you like marathons? The challenge. I had always said I wanted to do one. After my first brain surgery (in 2004), my doctors came in as they were discharging me. I had been signed up for the New York marathon and had gotten in. I asked them, this is going to be tough, but it’s on my bucket list. I want to run a marathon. So, can I still do this? And he said, ‘We didn’t do this for you not to live the way you want to live. Go for it. Just call us and let us know how it goes.’

When you were dating, did you talk about Drew’s public service ambitions?

So I ran that marathon, and I raised money for Danny’s scholarship fund. I run every marathon with Danny’s name on the back of my shirt, and his badge number, 5459.

I knew he wanted to come back and in some way serve the people of North Dakota. I didn’t really know what that meant at the time. I don’t know that he even did. I just knew he talked about this place with such affection, and him wanting in some way to serve the state and the people. I thought, ‘Hmm, this sounds like it might be fun.’ I didn’t know anything about what it was.

This was November of 2005, about 14 months after my brain surgery. This was a big deal for me. My whole family, they took the train up that morning. Drew flew out from Fargo just to see me run. It was awesome. I was sobbing. I think I cried 14 out of those 26 miles. I couldn’t believe I was there, doing that. I thought, what an amazing gift. It was awesome.

What’s it like being married to the lieutenant governor? It’s not that glamorous of a job. It’s not as if there are people following us and wanting to know what’s going on. People don’t care, really. I will step back and say, it’s a great privilege. It’s a great opportunity for us and our kids to see and do things, being able to touch people’s lives.

(Marathon training) is such a metaphor for life. You have some good runs, you have some stinky runs. You think, ‘This messed up my whole training. This event messed up my whole life.’ And then you get through it. You go back out. You have a better day. And then race day comes, and you have no control. Over the weather, over how you’re going to feel. And you just go out and do it, and do the best you can. It’s been a gift.


14

August 2013

Opinion

How Developers Can Help Relieve The Property Tax Pain By Chad Wachter

It’s no secret that property taxes are the one issue that gets everyone fired up. While the legislature tries to address the issue, there are things local government can do to help itself. The City of Bismarck is dealing with unprecedented real estate development growth, and it is becoming clearer as time goes on that the way the city deals with developers is creating a hamstringing-effect on getting new properties to market. It’s time for our city leaders to recognize that the need has passed for the city to finance infrastructure costs of new housing developments using the special assessments process. The time it take to approve special assessments puts an undue burden on city staff, and slows the ability of developers to react to the changing housing market.

best person for the job who can get it done in a timely manner, not the lowest bidder. The city can still stay involved in the process by approving plans, specifications and doing inspections. We have the option as a developer to pay for everything upfront and control the project now. We need to make that the only way a developer can do business in Bismarck so we can keep a level playing field.

Wachter

By placing more of a financial and operational burden on the developer, we would provide the city with a better credit rating as there would be no bonding required. This would help reduce the work burden and risk on the city’s finance department. To be blunt: the city needs to remove itself from the property If the economy goes in the tank, the city’s risk is mitigated as development process as much as possible. This means that the the developer would be paying for everything up front. Lot city must put the burden of new development on the backs of prices would increase slightly, but there would be no special developers themselves. Let us pay for sewers, streets, curb and assessments as they would be included in the lot price upfront. gutter, and the other items that developers currently look to the The buyer’s monthly escrow payment actually decreases city to finance via special assessments. As developers, we can because the amount that would have been special assessed is not bid the project and award the contract quicker than the city can included in the lot priced, and the buyer is able to amortize this — and save the eventual owner the burden of a large special amount over a longer period of time. In addition, the buyer assessment bill attached to his/her property right off the bat. would save money because all of the bonding fees that are added to the special assessment is no longer be required. This would also give the developer the flexibility to hire the

To explain that better, let’s say that it costs $10,000 per lot to put in the infrastructure in a development — by having the developer incorporate the costs into the lot price and allowing the buyer to pay that via their normal mortgage over 30 years, the buyer’s monthly cost would be reduced by 50% because they would be paying the extra amount over 30 years instead of 10 years under the current special assessment schedule (based on a 4% interest rate). That amounts to a $500 per year savings to the buyer. In reality, the savings would likely even be more since the overhead costs of the bond issuing process would be avoided. The developer would be able to develop at a faster pace and better control the progress of the project. This would allow better coordination for other utilities such as gas, cable TV, and electrical. What good does it do to have roads paved right before winter only to have no utilities? I hope the suggestions I have mentioned above are given serious consideration. We should take time now to make our system better before the next building season is upon us and the same problems present themselves once again. Taking action now would permit adequate public input. Now is the time to find solutions to problems, not problems to solutions. — Wachter is a private developer in Bismarck.

Does Arrogance Come With The Keys To The Office? By Dustin Gawrylow

just that it was possible and that the West On July 21st the Dickinson Press published Virginia school never thought it would a story comparing the foreign student diploma happen to them. mill situation at Dickinson State University How does the University System react to (DSU) to a situation in West Virginia at this “oh by the way” reminder? Mountain State University where the Higher By having Acting Interim Chancellor Larry Learning Commission yanked the school’s Skogen write a scathing letter to the editor to accreditation. With the Higher Learning the state’s newspapers decrying the story as a Commission still investigating the situation “disservice to the faculty, staff, and students at DSU, it’s not out of line for the local paper of DSU” and that loss of accreditation is to remind the community that the school is “impossible.” not out of the woods yet. The reporter, Bryan That’s right, the new Acting Interim Hayworth, did not misrepresent the situation Chancellor of the North Dakota University and say that a loss of accreditation was likely,

System views a factual news story as a “disservice.” In other words: information is bad.

Gawrylow

Furthermore, representatives of the DSU Faculty Senate wrote their own denunciation of the

story as “alarmist.” Harvey Brock, publisher of The Dickinson Press responded appropriately by stating that “ignorance is bliss”, and chronicling the many

“impossible” events that led to the firing of Former DSU President Richard McCallum. There is something terribly wrong when the people in charge of a university and a university system take such a hardline position against a newspaper printing facts. University System Chancellors in this state have a habit of “getting off on the wrong foot.” Attacking the Dickinson Press looks to be Skogen’s first misstep in the job. — Gawrylow is the assistant publisher of the Great Plains Examiner.

Get Involved In Your Local Government – Local Meeting Schedule Bismarck

Mandan

Burleigh County Commission: August 5th & 19th @5pm

Morton County Commission: August 13th @4pm

Burleigh County Special Budget Meetings: August 21st & 22nd @8am

Mandan City Commission: August 6th & 20th @5:30pm

Burleigh County Planning Meeting: August 14th @5:15pm

Mandan School Board: August 5th & 19th @5:30pm

Bismarck City Commission: August 13th & 27th @5:15pm

Mandan Park Board: August 12th @5:30pm

Bismarck City Planning & Zoning: August 28th @4pm Bismarck School Board: August 12th & 26th @5:15pm

Lincoln

Bismarck Park Board: August 22nd @ 5:15pm

City Council: August 8th @7pm Location: 74 Santee Road

August 2013


15

Rising Businesses in Bismarck

By Eric Clay

Apparently, nobody told the people of North Dakota about the recession. While much of the nation continues to stumble through a difficult economic period, the Peace Garden State’s star has continued to rise. The growth of several new businesses in the area is a testament to the strength of this state and it shows no signs of slowing down.

For instance, La Carreta is an authentic Mexican restaurant that recently opened a branch in Bismarck. Owner Eliud Tena says that many of the customers they were serving at their Jamestown location actually come from Bismarck. He subsequently decided to open a new branch so the people here could appreciate authentic Mexican cuisine. This entrepreneurial gamble, along with fresh food and a commitment to good service, appears to be paying off for La Carreta, as they continue to draw in customers, both old and new. That isn’t to say that the journey has been without challenges. There is always a need to hire more employees to lighten the load on those already working there. As the waiters hurry to serve and often full house, it is clear that they have their hands full. The customers that the restaurant continues to bring in is definitely enough inspiration to persevere, and the owners of La Carreta have much to be optimistic about. With the increased population brought into the state by the oil boom, more housing options inevitably became necessary. As such, Bismarck has also seen a rapid increase in the building of apartment complexes. Many residents of Bismarck have gotten in on this growing market and are now the owners of their apartment buildings. This is another aspect of Bismarck that is making it increasingly attractive for business owners: more people obviously means more customers. Some have begun new business ventures in addition to their current occupations. Dr. Rick Becker, who owns Becker Plastic Surgery, has also bought a previously empty building in downtown Bismarck and leases it out to other businesses. Currently, it has a salon and a furniture store, as well as space for more renters. While balancing his practice with managing the building can lead to a pretty full plate, Dr. Becker welcomes the challenge. “I believe in Bismarck,” he says. It is this faith that has allowed him and other up and coming business owners to thrive in this area. As the North Dakota’s economy continues to get stronger, it’s easy to see why so many people believe in Bismarck.

Photo by eric clay

These businesses include everything from restaurants to apartment complexes. I found that the owners are all driven by their own unique motivations. The oil boom and subsequent population growth has certainly opened new opportunities for some, while others began their ventures even before that. All of them agree, however, that this is a good place for a business to prosper. It seems that the city of Bismarck has certain qualities that make it an especially attractive option for owners.

Bismarck’s new Mexican cuisine option.

Sara found the industry contacts needed to move her idea forward.

ideacenterND.org

16


Entertainment

August 2013

Calendar Sat 3 • Lost Horses @ Laughing Sun Brewing • Highway 55 @ Lonesome Dove

Sun 4 • The Michael D Band @ Lonesome Dove

Mon 5 • The Michael D Band @ Lonesome Dove

Tue 6 • Frog Holler String Band @ Laughing Sun Brewery • Southern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove

Wed 7 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Laughing Sun Brewery • Open Mic Night @ Lucky Duck’s • Southern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove • Stitched Up Heart, The Vexed, National Debt, and Pretty OK @ The ONE (mainstreet Mandan) @ 7pm

Thr 8 • Southern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove • Falcon Brothers @ Lucky Duck’s • Urban Harvest @ Corner of 4th & Broadway 12p Kris Kitko 6p Falcon Brothers 7p Thermos Brothers

Fri 9 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Lucky Duck’s • Southern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove

Sat 10 • Anthony Williams & Nu Collective @ Laughing Sun Brewery • Southern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove

Sun 11 •S outhern Drawl @ Lonesome Dove

Mon 12 • The Prairie Meddlers @ Mandan Band Shell 7:30 p.m. •S aint Dog & Big Hoss, Local Hero Kipp G, Tony The Butcher, and Seedless Deluxe @ The ONE (mainstreet Mandan) @ 7pm

Tue 13 •F rog Holler String Band @ Laughing Sun Brewery •S outhern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove • The Black Letter, Kingsdown and more @ The ONE (mainstree Mandan) @ 7pm

Wed 14 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Laughing Sun Brewery •O pen Mic Night @ Lucky Duck’s •S outhern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove

Thr 15 •S outhern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove •M cMahon Brothers @ Bistro •P op Wagner (Mpls) @ Laughing Sun Brewery •H arbor Hills @ Lucky Duck’s •U rban Harvest (end of season) @ Corner of 4th & Broadway 12p Bill Franke 6p Sounds of Sommer 7p The Prairie Meddlers

Fri 16 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Lucky Duck’s •S outhern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove

Sat 17 • The Levee @ Laughing Sun Brewery •S outhern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove


August 2013

Entertainment Sun 18

• Southern Allstars @ Lonesome Dove

Mon 19 • Into The Flood, Colossus, and Sequences @ The ONE (mainstreet Mandan) @ 7pm

Tue 20 • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove • Frog Holler String Band @ Laughing Sun Brewery • O.N.E. Night Stand • Pop Evil, Soil, Taproot, Smile Empty Soul, New Medicine, Acidic @ Bismarck Civic Center Parking Lot • S how starts @ 5pm

Wed 21 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Laughing Sun Brewery • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove

Thr 22 • Jamaican Me Crazy @ Lucky Duck’s • The Prairie Meddlers @ Laughing Sun Brewery • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove

Calendar

Fri 23 • McMahon Brothers @ Bistro • Rift @ Corral Bar • Sarah McMahon Band @ Lucky Duck’s • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove

Sat 24 • McMahon Brothers @ Bistro • Rift @ Corral Bar • The Midnight Noise Orchestra @ Laughing Sun Brewery • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove

Sun 25 • DeAnna Official @ Lonesome Dove

Tue 27 • Frog Holler String Band @ Laughing Sun Brewery • Country Justice @ Lonesome Dove • Frosthelm, Gorgatron, and more @ The ONE (mainstreet Mandan) @ 7pm

Wed 28 • Anonymous Phenomenon @ Laughing Sun Brewery • Country Justice @ Lonesome Dove

17

Thr 29 • McMahon Brothers @ Bistro • Over Educated @ Lucky Duck’s • Country Justice @ Lonesome Dove

Fri 30 • The Midnight Noise Orchestra @ Lucky Duck’s • Country Justice @ Lonesome Dove

Call Jerry at

(701) 220-5777

to reserve your

advertising space


18

August 2013

Voices of Freedom unlimited number of men making all sharers richer at no one’s sacrifice or loss, raising the productive capacity of whatever labor they perform.”

Ayn Rand

That’s just a long way of saying that an investment in innovation through the provision of incentive is the way to make the world a place that fosters true freedom. Rand has established the liberating idea that free enterprise -the basis for free market capitalism and economic freedom-is the necessary foundation for political and personal freedom. In her thinking, being the basically non-religious person she is, this is sacred ground.

By Gary Emineth [email protected]

A

few years back I watched move against my better judgment with my sons called “Inception.” It was a sci-fi mind bender about the use of dreams to enter the subconscious of another person or person and to – at the penultimate level influence the “inception” of an idea. Put simply, to put an idea in someone’s head without their knowledge or consent.

It is precisely the condition of freedom that is the center point of my emphasis here-freedom as a backdrop for life to the fullest-life as it was intended to be on this earth as human beings.

It was Leonardo DiCaprio’s statement at the outset of the 2 ½ hour dramatic interplay between the real world and dream land that caught my attention and kept it. It made enough of an impression to get me thinking about the power of an idea in the mind of a human being. Leonardo’s quote: “What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.” Whenever I get to thinking about these kinds of things, my mind turns to the thought and writings of Ayn Rand. Best known for her novels at a popular level, “The Fountainhead, “Atlas Shrugged,” she is also the guru of Objectivism — a philosophy of thought combining the existential realities of humanity with the capacity of the rational mind. Just a word of background for anyone who is not familiar with Ayn Rand-she was born in St. Petersburg Russia in 1905 and showed real prowess for creative thought and expression at a very young age. However, her homeland was on the verge of cataclysmic change-revolution to be exact. When she was 12 years old she was an eyewitness of the Bolshevik Revolution which her family denounced at the outset. They fled to Crimea where they suffered the effects of the communist takeover and collectivization of the society they knew. Her father’s pharmacy was confiscated and they experienced deprivation and near starvation until returning to Russian after her high school graduation.

This is a point of departure for me from the thought and conclusions of Ayn Rand. While I agree with her that man is capable of amazing things when freed up to think, create and propagate ideas, I also believe he is limited by his own bent towards selfishness if not checked at some point. a nation of free men could become. From her interest in theatre to a visit to America and an inevitable movement to permanent life here, her career as a screenwriter, novelist and ideological proponent of Objectivist philosophy was born. Her books are considered modern classics and of course, true to the nature of an idea, the effects of her writings and thought live on and beg to be passed on to successive generations. As an idea changed her life-these and related concepts and philosophies have been and continue to be a significant portion of the moorings of my life. This is not because they are necessarily the most popular-that goes without saying in the world we live in today-but because I believe they are essentially true. I want to begin this next segment with a quote from the last chapter of her novel, “Atlas Shrugged” It is the radio address of the protagonist of the story, the brilliant and enigmatic John Galt. In it he essentially lays out her philosophy of life.

“The man, who does no more than physical labor, consumes the material value of his own contribution. But the man who produces an idea in any field of rational But in her years as an exile and high school student in endeavor-the man who discovers new knowledge-is the Crimea, she discovered the history of America. Coupled permanent benefactor of humanity. Material products with her foundational beliefs and life experiences in the face can’t be shared-they belong to some ultimate consumer. of communism, she turned to America as a model of what It is only the value of an idea that can be shared with an

When I say checked, I don’t mean squashed or stifled. It would be far more accurate in my view to say that the motives and agendas we bring with our approach to life should be held up to the light of absolute truth and a moral compass. And here’s where it gets interesting. What is the source of this light or direction? Is it God? Is it a Higher Power? Is it intelligence from another planet? It is at this juncture that I find myself tempted to impose my belief system-to plant the idea of what I believe is true into someone else’s mind-not even necessarily because I want to control their thoughts or their lives. However, as I have grown older (and hopefully a bit wiser), I realize that the self-discovery of truth wields much more power to change someone’s life than coercion or even suggestion ever could. Most of the world religions, save a few, embrace this objective truth to some degree. As a Christian, I read the Bible and the history of a people created by an all powerful God who, although able, refuses to control their thoughts and actions, but gifts them with a choice. Just like it turned out to be a good and profitable choice for me to watch a movie with my boys (which I would have never chosen without their invitation), sometimes the best choice I can make is to submit to someone else who may have an idea that is (gulp) better than my own.


August 2013

19

Social Media & Marketing

You’re Not Just Blogging For Others, But For Yourself, Too By Garrett Moon

The most common reason for a business to participate in blogging is for marketing purposes. We have something to sell, and we want our blog to bring us new business through increased attention. But that isn’t the only reason to blog. Blogging is just as much for the blogger as it is for the reader and potential customer. If no one ever read your blog, it would still be worth writing every word. Why?

can easily pass from the front to the back of the brain, without so much as a second thought. Writing ideas down forces us to fill in the gaps, making us better at communicating our ideas to others and to ourselves. It helps us retain those fleeting thoughts. Blogging trains us to write down random ideas for future blog posts, allowing even those small ideas a chance to prove themselves as we revisit the topic at a later time.

Moon

You can save yourself some time by writing about it once, and then distributing it to your audience on your blog or in other published formats. We have been able to do this several times, and have saved ourselves some leg work

with clients.

As a side note, blogging can can also expose Bringing People Together a bad idea quickly, and prevent wasted time on Creative Outlets And Clarified Thinking We recently started sharing more content things that will ultimately bear no fruit. about our team on our company blog. Each Blogging is a creative outlet. As a designer, member contributes regularly and shares I have plenty of opportunity to be creative The Usefulness Of Content things that they are learning with the rest of visually, but I enjoy the creative aspect of the team as well as our readers. They can write writing. If you are someone whose job doesn’t There are a number of times when I have things that are directly related to their job, allow for a lot of creative work, blogging could used our own blog to go back and review or something more peripheral. In this way, a be a great way to express your creative side. historical events that have happened in the blog can be a great tool for building a shared life of our company. These blog posts show Blogging can energize your thinking by purpose among a team. forcing you to refine your thinking and solidify us how we have changed and progressed over time, both in how they are written and the Blogs, of course, are excellent for building your thoughts. There is something about community outside of a team as well. transferring ideas to “paper” that forces you to story they tell us. A good blog will accurately tell the story of a business. clarify things. Blogging will bring you closer to the rest Additionally, a blog can help in answering When ideas are left to sit in our mind they of the web community, and get you involved easily grow fuzzy, lacking detail. Good ideas in the conversation that is already happening the questions that customers repeatedly ask.

online. This is a great way to gather new ideas that you can bring to your own products or services. Blog for All the Right Reasons At its core, blogging should be a selfless activity. It should be something that you do to share your ideas with the world and create community around ideas. However, in doing that, you’ll find some benefits for yourself and your team that go beyond typical marketing expectations. By connecting yourself with like-minded readers and professionals, you will find more work, more professional satisfaction, and no shortage of positives that come with writing and cataloging your thoughts. If you have a blog that has been neglected for a while, this is the perfect time to dust it off and hit the publish button. — (Garrett Moon is the co-founder and marketing director at Todaymade.com , a web software and design company in Bismarck, and the makers of TodayLaunch, a social media app for easy social media and content management. Garrett can be contacted at Garrett@ TodayMade.com.)

Finance & Economics

Pension Questions After the Detroit Bankruptcy How many retirees face the possibility of less recurring income?

Provided by Wayne Papke Financial Advisor, Financial Planning Specialist

On July 18, Detroit became the largest American city to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. What will happen to the pensions of its 20,000+ retired public employees? There is a possibility they could be reduced — perhaps greatly. In the wake of Detroit’s fiscal problems, current and future pension recipients across the country are wondering about the stability and amount of their promised incomes. In Michigan, the fate of the pension checks for these employees may be determined in the courts. While a federal judge is overseeing Detroit’s bankruptcy proceedings, Michigan’s state constitution states that pension benefits can’t be altered. On July 24, the aforementioned federal judge froze assorted state-court lawsuits brought against the city arguing that the bankruptcy filing was unconstitutional (at the state level). As much as Detroit might want to scale back pensions for fiscal relief, it may be prohibited from doing so. When pensions shrink after municipal bankruptcies, how bad is it? For a sobering example, look at Central Falls, RI, which filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Following that

declaration, the city whittled away more than 50% of the pension checks issued to a third of its retirees. For example, the average retired firefighter’s annual pension income went from $68,414 to $30,786. That’s certainly drastic, and it may not be replicated in Detroit or Papke in Stockton, CA (the second largest American city to go bankrupt). Stockton is reducing bond payments, but so far has refrained from slashing pensions. (As it happens, the city’s biggest creditor is CalPERS, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.) California’s state constitution also bars reductions in pension benefits, so Stockton’s retired public employees may be waiting on the courts as well. Municipal pensions aren’t the only ones at risk. Polaroid went bankrupt, and as a consequence, its retirees are receiving pension checks courtesy of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) — checks that, as MarketWatch columnist Robert Powell recently noted, represent “a fraction of what they were supposed to receive.” The

biggest multiemployer pension fund in America is that of the Teamsters (the Teamsters’ Central States, Southeast & Southwest Pension Plan). When 2012 ended, it held $17.8 billion in assets. Its liabilities were at $34.9 billion. The worst-case scenario is worth considering — just in case. If you receive a pension or are in line for one, developments like these may give you pause. It might be time to ask “what if” — what options you might have if your pension shrinks. Suppose your pension income was cut 20-30%. What choices would you make? Would you try to live on less, and maybe move to a region where living expenses might be lower? Would you explore becoming a consultant or a solopreneur, or look into part-time work? Could you find methods to generate passive income, or make financial moves to replace any recurring income that would be lost? With too many pensions on shaky ground these days, a conversation with a financial professional about these what-ifs is a very good idea. — Wayne Papke may be reached at Tel. 701-204-7434 or by cell at 701-226-2739 or by email at [email protected]


20

Church The Necessity of God’s Grace

Calendar Bismarck

Church of the Ascension 1825 S. 3 St. Bismarck 58504 Mass Weekdays - 8 :00 AM, Tuesday through Friday Weekends - S aturday, 5:00 PM Sunday, 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 AM

By Matt Thompson

Holy Days - 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8)

7th Day Adventist Church

In the Presidential Election of 2012, 21% of voters decided who to vote for based on the question, “Does the candidate care about people like me.” And of those 21%, 81% voted for President Obama. As ridiculous and unpractical as this question is for the election of a President, the outcome shouldn’t really surprise us. The human need for leadership goes well beyond questions of utilitarian performance and outcomes.

(701) 223-6830 - (701) 202-8748 cell

The human heart requires the love and good will of those who lead them. Children need to be loved by their parents. Students require the approval of their teachers. Athletes seek the praise of their coaches. Citizens desire that their leaders care about them. Thompson So much so that politicians and other leaders can get away with all kinds of shenanigans and poor performance, so long as the people attribute to them good will. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” So also, the question of God’s disposition toward humanity is very important in Christian theology. In His heart, how does God feel toward a human race which has sinned against Him? We have offended him by our sin and have fallen short of the glory of God. He created us in His image and in His likeness, yet we rebelled against Him and turned to our own way and sought our own will. The disaster of this fall into sin is all around us and when a person comes to his senses and acknowledges who he truly is and what he has done, the question comes alive concerning God: “How does God feel in His heart toward me?” It’s a question of God’s grace. Do we have an ungracious God who delights in judging us and who seeks our destruction? Or do we have a gracious God who loves us and is ready to forgive? For us this a question of life and death and the Christian answer to this question has brought joy to the hearts of millions for two thousand years: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) God is gracious and we know this in the face of Jesus Christ. — Matt Thompson is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Bismarck, ND. You can follow him on Twitter at @dakotapastor~

August 2013

1109 N 26th St, Bismarck Bible study Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and worship at 11:00 a.m.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 106 Osage Ave., Bismarck 701-255-1001 www.GoodShepherdBismarck.com Saturday – Heritage Worship, 5 p.m. Sunday – Festival Worship, 8:30 a.m. Sunday – Celebrate Worship, 9:45 a.m. Sunday – Celebrate Worship, 11 a.m. Sunday – The Well Worship, 6 p.m. Charity Lutheran Church 120 Aspen Ave., Bismarck 701-258-1228 Sunday Service - 8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. Trinity Lutheran Church 502 N. 4th St., Bismarck 701-223-3560 Wednesday Service - 6:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship & Church 818 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck 701-223-6788 www.bismanuu.org Sunday Service — 10:30 a.m. The Bismarck-Mandan Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Church celebrates diversity of belief, the worth and dignity of every person, encouragement to spiritual growth and the responsible search for truth and meaning. We seek to nurture our spirits and put our faith into action. Bismarck Community Church 1617 Michigan Ave., Bismarck 701-223-3304 Sunday Service - 10:15 a.m. First Presbyterian Church 214 East Thayer Ave., Bismarck 701-223-6091 Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m. First Lutheran Church 800 N. 7th St., Bismarck 701-223-4340 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Cathedral of the Holy Spirit 519 Raymond St., Bismarck 701-223-1033 Saturday Vigil Mass - 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass - 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Faith Lutheran Church 1402 E. Ave. C, Bismarck 701-223-2236 Wednesday Service - 7:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

McCabe United Methodist Church 1030 N. 6th St., Bismarck 701-255-1160 Saturday Service - 5 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m.,11:15 a.m. Book Discussion Group - 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays Open Door Baptist Church 623 N. 7th St., Bismarck 701-258-7573 Wednesday Service - 7:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m. St. George’s Episcopal Church 601 N. 4th St., Bismarck 701-223-1942 Wednesday Service - 5:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. Legacy United Methodist Church 924 N. 11th St., Bismarck 701-223-4401 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Evangel Assembly of God 3225 N. 14th St., Bismarck 701-255-050 Sunday Services - 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. First Evangelical Free Church 205 43rd Ave. NE, Bismarck 701-223-3330 Sunday Service - 10:00 a.m. CALVARY CHAPEL 513 East Bismarck Expressway www.calvarybisman.com 701-214-1945 Sundays 10:30-11:30 a.m. New singles ministry begins this summer New Life Church 1720 Burnt Boat Dr. Suite 204, Bismarck Redefinition Cafe Service - 9:00am Celebration Service -10:45am 4916 N Washington St, Bismarck New Song Church 3200 N. 11th St., Bismarck 701-258-5683 Sunday Service - 8:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. St. Mary’s Parish 806 E. Broadway Ave., Bismarck 701-223-5562 Saturday Service - 4:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Zion Lutheran Church 413 E. Ave. D, Bismarck 701-223-8286 Saturday Service - 5:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. Lord of Life Lutheran Church 1143 N. 26th St., Bismarck 701-223-2986 Wednesday Service - 6:15 p.m. Sunday Service - 9:30 a.m. Bible Baptist Church 1100 E. Ave. B, Bismarck 701-255-3229 Wednesday Service - 7:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Cornerstone Community Church 111 E. Wachter Ave., Bismarck 701-222-3649 Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m.

Living Hope Church of the Nazarene 1826 N. 8th St., Bismarck 701-223-0332 Sunday Service - 11:00 a.m., Spanish Worship - 5:00 p.m. St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church 2510 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck 701-223-4885 Sunday Service - 10:00 a.m. House of Prayer Lutheran Church 1470 S. Washington St., Bismarck 701-223-2202 Wednesday Service - 6:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

Lincoln Peace Lutheran Church 3310 66th St. SE, Lincoln 701-255-1343 Sunday Service - 9:30 a.m.

Mandan Church of Saint Joseph 100 3rd St. NE, Mandan 701-663-9562 Saturday Mass - 4:00 p.m. Sunday Mass - 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Spirit of Life Roman Catholic Community

Lord of Life 1143 N. 26th St., Bismarck 701-223-2986 Wednesday Service - 6:15 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

801 1st St. SE, Mandan

Lutheran Church of the Cross 1004 E. Highland Acres Rd., Bismarck 701-223-1001 Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m.

408 9th St. NW, Mandan

Calvary United Methodist Church 609 N 34th St., Bismarck 701-255-4281 Sunday Service - 8:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Word of Faith Church and Outreach Center 1503 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck 701-222-1004 Wednesday Service - 7:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 10:00 a.m. Century Baptist Church 205 Colt Ave., Bismarck 701-223-0478 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Bismarck Baptist Church 2211 Laforest Ave., Bismarck 701-223-4445 Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m. CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 1919 N. 2nd St. 701-255-4600 Saturday Service - 4:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Capitol Heights Baptist 4307 43rd Ave. NE, Bismarck 701-223-5479 Wednesday Service - 6:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 10:45 a.m. Shepherd of the Valley 801 E. Denver Ave., Bismarck, ND 58504 701-224-9070 Sunday Service - 9:30 a.m. Wednesday - 7 p.m. Sunday School & Education Hour Sunday 10:45 a.m. ST. ANNE’S CATHOLIC CHURCH 1321 Braman Ave. 701-223-1549 Saturday Service - 4:30 p.m. Sunday Service - 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m. Solomon’s Rest 703 N. 5th St., Bismarck 701-220-1435 Saturday Service - 10:00 a.m.

701-663-1660 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. First Lutheran 701-663-3594 Wednesday Service - 6:00 p.m. Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Christ the King Catholic Church 505 10th Ave. NW, Mandan 701-663-8842 Sunday Mass - 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. Redeemer Lutheran Church 904 8th Ave. SE, Mandan 701-663-5344 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m. Messiah Lutheran Church 1020 Boundary Rd. NW, Mandan 701-663-8545 Sunday Service - 9:00 a.m. First Baptist Church of Mandan 1100 Collins Ave., Mandan 701-663-5020 Wednesday Service - 6:45 p.m. Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m. Church of the Nazarene 4209 Old Red Trail, Mandan 701-663-8975 Sunday Service - 9:30 a.m. Heart River Lutheran Church 701 16th Ave. SW, Mandan 701-663-6520 Sunday Service - 10:00 a.m. Lutheran Church of the Living Water Fort Lincoln Elementary School Cafeteria 19th St. and 8th Ave. SE, Mandan 701-663-4702 Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m. Mandan Baptist Church 1007 3rd Street Southwest Sunday School 9 a.m. Sunday Morning Service 10 a.m. Sunday Evening Service 6 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study 7 p.m. All services are traditional with oldfashioned hymn-book singing. You are welcome to attend any or all services.

August 2013


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Church Profile: Century Baptist Church

By Deone Emineth

What follows are a few snapshots in At first I wasn’t sure which one was the words which I think will convey the heart pastor. For seven o’clock on a mid-summer and vision for this vibrant congregation evening, there were an awful lot of people located at the corner of Washington and 43rd Avenue on the northwest corner. in the yard and evidence of even more activity in the gathering space. Everyone 1. This operation is a team effort and was dressed in identical blue t-shirts and the lead pastor is a team player. I rarely several wore Seuss-like striped felt hats. heard the word “I” in reference to what My second thought was that I had made a was going on at the church. Instead, wrong turn — but I knew better because there seems to be a healthy sharing of the the letters loomed large on the front of the burdens incumbent to the leadership of large auditorium-like building. a church body of this size. Pastor Stork readily invited me to visit with any of the It turns out they were in the middle of Vacation Bible School, And when I finally other staff members with any questions I might have. found the pastor he was the really tall guy laughing at someone’s remarks, standing in the corner by the north entrance, waving at me. It was then it hit me this is not your grandmother’s Baptist church. Now to qualify this statement, let me say this: Century Baptist is North American Baptist by conference. This lands them squarely in the ranks of conservative evangelicalism. In my view, that means they have a script and they follow it — and it probably hasn’t changed much — and for that grandma would be thankful! Even though other elements of church life may have grown or evolved to keep step with a dynamic and changing world — padded pews, a full orchestra and a coffee bar — I have a feeling grandma would have approved of most of them especially after I got a glimpse into the thought processes of the lead pastor at Century, Gordon Stork.

2. I was right about the doctrinal statement (or the script I mentioned earlier). What they believe remains basically the same as it was written at the inception of the North American Baptist Conference in the 1800s. It starts with the sole authority of the Scriptures as a source of truth and guidance, continues with the deity of Jesus Christ and his person and work as a member of the Trinity. It is published on their website. 3. Something that is in the process of change or revision is their vision or mission statement. Prompted by the bold and fearless question “Would the church at this address be missed if it somehow ceased to exist?” Right away something told me I wasn’t going to get much more information than this — and I was right. They were still in process and I truly got the feeling they would prefer to have an

outside observer articulate what they were hoping to accomplish in the community because it was happening rather than to announce their intentions. They would like to be like light and salt — known by their effects on their surroundings rather than a visual presence.

opportunities both locally and around the world.

Referring to themselves as followers of Christ with a desire to bring glory to the Lord God, it was easy gets a pretty clear picture of what these people are about. These are believers in Christ and his “Let your light shine so that men will see message who have felt the effects of what your good works and glorify your Father goes on inside this church — where the in heaven” Matthew 5:16 Word is preached and the name of Christ is lifted up--so that what goes on outside “You are the salt of the earth; but if the this place when they leave it is a result of salt has lost its savour, why bother using the change taking place in them. Others it?” Matthew 5:13 they encounter in their neighborhoods, 4. They have a burning desire to be families and in the workplace can’t help authentic and relevant in a changing but see it, feel it and taste it. Maybe this world while holding fast to the essentials is what it means to be the change you of the Christian faith and not allowing want to see in the world. Hey that sounds convictions to be passed off as mere like something grandma might have said! opinion. To live with this tension.,while Maybe grandma would be more at home reaching out to people in the community who have a variety of needs, is a challenge here than I thought! this church takes seriously. They are — If you would like your church profiled, contact [email protected]. involved in a broad spectrum of service

Rebuilding Lives by Building Bridges: Stories From North Dakota’s New Frontier By Julie Hudson

and she started the soccer program for kids. Since mine played soccer, I saw her We at the Great Plains Examiner introduce this series of stories every Monday evening during practice inspired by North Dakota’s richest natural resource--her people. Our and every Saturday at soccer games. I desire is to connect people with people through the stories of those saw her black and blue many times but extraordinary individuals who live and work in the regions most never where it would really show. She impacted by the oil boom. As North Dakotans face the interruptions, moved stiffly at times as if she was in challenges and changes, they once again emerge as pioneers in the tremendous pain. She eventually left things that matter most Hudson her abuser leaving behind her material Her name is Emily and she was born in western North goods. She took the only things that mattered, her children. She grew strong through her struggles Dakota in the 1950’s. She was raised on a ranch along with and became an amazing woman and a good loving mother. seven siblings in the northwestern region of the state known as the Bakken. The family was not rich, but they had each other She moved back to our small town after her ex-husband died and all the things they needed. This family was typical by North from complications due to alcoholism and our lives intersected Dakota standards — tenacious, caring and always willing to give once more. She served on so many volunteer committees such a hand when a needed or a few dollars to a cause that would as the local Dollars for Scholars board. She was poor in money, make other’s lives better. but rich in friends and in the love of family. I believe that all she did and experienced in her life gave her strength for the hardest Emily graduated from high school and went to NDSU. After graduation she headed to one of the reservations in North journey of her life. Dakota to work. I met her years later when she came to visit Emily was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast her sister, who at the time was one of my roommates. As fate cancer. She was diagnosed at stage four through the help of would have it, our lives intersected many times after that. We Women’s Way. According to the Women’s Way website it is a had similar careers and she married and moved to the town breast and cervical cancer early detection program that provides a way to pay for most breast and cervical cancer screenings for where I was working. Our youngest children were classmates

eligible North Dakota women. In 2001 Governor John Hoeven signed legislation allowing uninsured Women’s Way clients who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer to access treatment coverage through the Medicaid-Women’s Way Treatment Program. Without Women’s Way Emily would have not lived out the year Emily moved to a larger city and I always made it a point to contact her when I was able to get there. I still see her and take her to treatments whenever I can. She is an amazing woman who has remembered where she came from and that no matter what she should give back. Oil was found on the family property in the Bakken. Although she shares the proceeds with her siblings she has a little money to breathe easy. She is very ill, but now she gives back in dollars. She is an example of the generosity of North Dakotans everywhere and she is a role model for others following her that the people from the Bakken and the people from North Dakota always give back. Those of us that love her understand that her physical presence will be gone, but her spirit and desire to make the most of every moment will live on long after.. — Julie Hudson lives in West Fargo, is a former McLean County Commissioner. And the mother of three grown children.


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August 2013

Living hand to mouth? I’m loving it! By Erik Hagen

Times are tough all around. You know it. I know it. Or at least I know I know it. I guess I don’t know about you. You might have an oil derrick you let them build in your back yard, or potentially you’re the one who built the oil derrick in that guy’s yard, in which case, hey. How’s it going? How’s life in your solid gold house? Seems like it’d get hot in the summer. Anyway, times are tough for myself and presumably some other people unkempt like me, because there’s a sizable income disparity going on in this fine nation we live in. So how are we, the livers of the land, the makers of the hay, the up-pullers of the boot straps to get by in this new economic reality that we find ourselves in? Good question. I’ll get back to you when I figure it out, after I’ve finished eating my other shoe. But you know who does have the answers? McDonald’s does. Because of course they do. They used to have those ice cream cones that were chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other. That’s all the proof you need that they know exactly what they’re doing. Which is why they decided to spread their knowledge down to the poor, tired, unfortunate, huddles masses who, for a combination of reasons, have to actually work at McDonald’s. So they, in partnership with Visa, recently put up a financial advice website for their workers at practicalmoneyskills.com (Which, please, pay no attention to the fact that that url reads vaguely as practical monkeys kills dot com. It probably means nothing. Do not worry yourself about the practical monkeys.). And it is a doozy, as far as doozies go, because it contained a helpful budgetary planner for McDonald’s workers that, one assumes, was put together by an upper income, particularly out-of-touch, though assumedly practical with his money skills, orangutan. So what exactly is so amusing/infuriating about said budget planner? Well, a few things really. The sample budget lists $1,105 as your McDonald’s “1st job” monthly income, which one assumes

is what a full-time minimum wage McDonald’s job probably pays. And then $955 is listed as a secondary monthly income. Because that makes sense, right? Hagen You can totally work a full-time 40 hour week at McDonald’s and then work another 33.5 hours on top of it somewhere else. That’s just a measly 73.5 hours of working in a week. You can do that. Sleep is for the weak. Moving on, now that we’ve determined how much money you will be making in total after devoting your every free minute to slaving away for a multi-national corporation, we must now figure out your living expenses. Which, according to McDonald’s, are not too shabby! For instance, did you know that heating only costs you $0 a month? What a deal! Because the sun is up there in the sky, giving you all that heat, and it costs you nothing. Thanks, sun! And then health insurance? That’s a steal at only $20 a month. Boy, where do I get that non-existent health plan? Because I totally want it. It seems like a great deal, and also completely imaginary. More good news, though. You’re penciled in a $150 car payment, which means new car! Sure, any car you can get $150 monthly payments for is probably currently on fire and/or not necessarily on all four tires at the moment, but still, they did remember that you need a car to get to both of your jobs on time. Unfortunately, they did not remember that cars need gasoline to operate, so no gas costs have been included. Sorry, kid. The car is for living in, not driving. Also, hey, you know what else you don’t need? Money for college! Why would you? You’re already living the dream!

the money you spend on food and clothing and other things that you need in order to stay alive. And $100, yeah, that seems like a reasonable amount of money to sustain yourself with for a month. You can eat money, right? Get yourself 100 dollar bills from the bank and then each day, you have three whole bills to eat, one for each meal. Sure, you’re naked, but at least you’re not malnourished.

Most of the other stuff they conveniently forgot to include is helpfully lumped into the Other section, which is budgeted at a generous $100. Other, in this case, being

So yeah, McDonald’s wants you to know, employees, that “You can have almost anything as long as you plan ahead and save for it.” Except for human dignity. That

you can’t afford. But anything else, there is a vague possibility that you will be able to buy it someday, assuming you can give up eating for a little while and if you have enough time to go buy it in between shifts at your two full-time jobs. Get off your butts, lower classes. Those Big Macs aren’t just going to make themselves. Although we are working on that. — Bismarck resident Erik Hagen is the author of the SodBlog and assembling a Big Mac-making robot in his basement. Sorry, working poor. Send your budgetary tips and hints to [email protected] or visit his website at sodblog.com.

August 2013

Dear Man:


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Dear Man: The answer is always no at this paper as they are reading: NO!!) This question posed by women probably as far back as Eve is really a relational gift that is offered to their man. In essence, she is saying, “You are such a stupid man, but I really don’t feel like fighting so why don’t you just say “no,” admit you are an idiot and I will pretend that you did not say it… until such time as it can be used against you in an argument or divorce court.

My girlfriend has a habit of asking me if I mean what I say. For example, the other night at dinner she asked me if there was anything I wanted her to change about herself. In the spirit of relational honesty, and since she asked, I offered that she can be a bit moody. She then asked me: “Did you mean what you just said?” I thought about it for a few seconds and said, “yes” in the spirit of relational honesty. Now Let me put it bluntly. Anytime a women she says we need to go to counseling. What did lowers and tilts her head, furrows her eyebrows I do wrong? and looks at you a bit out of the corner of her eye and asks: “Do you really mean that?” The Dear Relational Honesty Expert: answer is ALWAYS no. Do not think about Any man with any amount relational experience knows that there is only one answer it. Do not look away or gaze off in the distance to the question: “Do you really mean what you as if you are considering the question or the just said.” (There are married men screaming answer. Simply say, :no.” Say it immediately,

without hesitation, and hope that you will be let off the hook by a woman who loves you… for a time. Regarding relational honesty… let me define it in the context of a love relationship from a woman’s perspective. Relational honesty is when she needs to tell you that the two of you “need to talk” or when you have done, are doing, or will do something that will anger or annoy her. Relational honesty is when she needs to tell you how she is feeling about you, about your mother, your friends, your habits, your snoring, your singing, or even your unique smells. It may also include your time-keeping abilities, your choice in movies and TV shows, and your ability to pick up your socks or raise a toilet seat. On the flip side,

relational honesty does NOT include anything you may think about her unless it has to do with her captivating beauty, her strength, her compassion, or the way she drives you crazy in bed. There are men who have held on to a much more encompassing definition of “relational honesty” feeling that they have the right to “tell it like it is” under the guise of being “completely honest” with their woman. Most of these men are divorced or single. My advice: If a woman ever asks if you meant what you said and it isn’t because you just accidentally complimented her, realize she is giving you a second chance at a slow pitch you just missed. Say “no” and live to swing another day.

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Should your ad be here? Call Dustin @ 701-390-9231

August 2013

August 2013


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WinePage

The

Wine and Sunshine By Maurice Cook

vibration.

An old wine, like Rose, well preserved, is a thing of subtle beauty. As I quoted my oenophile (wine lover) friend in my last column, it’s like seeing a lovely older woman and knowing that she must have been a beauty when she was young. The cellaring (wine talk for storing) of red wine for a few years should cause it to lose most of its youthful tartness and intense fruit but what is left behind can be an elegant taste experience. If you have taken to buying wine by the case I have some cellaring tips for you.

Let me share a wine horror story with you. While attending a bond closing dinner one night at the 21 Club restaurant in NYC, those of us who Cook were interested were taken on a tour of the restaurant’s underground wine cellar. The entrance had been camouflaged during prohibition and you had to duck your head to enter through a piece of stone wall that swung back on invisible hinges. The cellar holds wines stored there by the restaurant and by celebrities who store celebration wines (really, really expensive wines) for special occasions. I saw racks of dusty bottles of Châeau Lafite Rothschild and Château Latour worth hundreds of dollars per bottle. Years ago, to their dismay, upon opening, many of the vintage Burgundies and Bordeaux’s (bôr do) were found to be past maturity. They shouldn’t have been over the hill because the same vintages (years when they were bottled) cellared elsewhere were doing fine. The cellar is dark and cool so what could be the problem? Then someone felt the vibration from the nearby subway that went by ever twenty or thirty minutes. Problem solved. The

You don’t need a dedicated room for a wine cellar with temperature and humidity control and racks for hundreds of bottles. But, if you can afford it and have room for it great! If you are of limited means, like most of us, you can still experience the benefits of cellaring. Especially those cases that you bought because the wine tasted good even though it had lots of tannin and lots of fruit because you felt that it would most likely improve with age. Again, the balance between the fruit and the tannin determines whether or not aging will improve the taste. There are at least three things that wines being stored (cellared/laid down) don’t like, direct sunlight, temperature spikes and

wines didn’t like the constant vibration and matured more quickly than they would have if had they been allowed to rest quietly. I don’t think they were influential enough to stop the subway from running so I assume they learned what vibration will do and just opened the wines sooner.

because the sediments will go back into solution and the wine will look cloudy in the glass. When you decant the wine be sure to have a light under the neck of the bottle so you can see when the dark stream starts down toward the neck of the bottle and stop pouring before they flow into the decanter. If you hate to see even the remaining ounce or two wasted, run the rest through a coffee filter to remove the residue. I know, it sounds like a lot of bother but it is worth the effort.

If you decide to cellar some wine, find a place in your house or apartment that is dark, cool and free of vibration. Leave the bottles in the cardboard box they came in because cardboard is a good insulator and I’m like old wine. moderates temperature I’m assuming that variations. Even better They don’t bring me out the wine you have are the styrofoam very often, but I’m well bought to cellar/lay cases that some wine is down, is not going to preserved. shipped in. Be sure to be your every day wine — Rose Kennedy lay the bottles on their so I suggest that you sides so the corks stay open a bottle every six moist. Dry corks let in months and see how it’s air and air oxidizes the wine and spoils it. doing. If it is mellowed out, start drinking it on those special occasions that you bought After about eight years, sediments, it for. If it is still young and spirited, let it mostly tannins, will begin to precipitate age a little longer. out of the wine. I make it a point to store the bottles label up so I know where the Eat and drink well, be well and enjoy the sediments are located. Before opening an elegant simple gifts of life. old bottle stand it up for a couple of days — Maurice can be reach via email at so the sediment slides down to the bottom of the bottle. Try not to jiggle the bottle [email protected].

The Power of Friendship By Deone Emineth [email protected]

Friendship is a powerful thing. To some degree, most members of the human race have experienced it. The Bible says there is a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” and describes the greatest love of all as one which “lays down its life for a friend.” The love of a friend may be the impetus behind one giving up status, possessions and personal happiness for the benefit of the beloved. God considered Abraham, the man who became the Father of the Hebrew nation of Israel, his friend and Jesus referred to his followers as friends, “if they do what I (Jesus) command.” Put simply and succinctly, he summed up his commands with the words, “Love God and love others — and your neighbor as yourself.” The question that arose then and still arises today is this, “What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?” In answer to this inquiry, I will attempt to do what Jesus often did when asked such poignant questions as this one, and tell a story from real life. This is a story about two friends who live this out with deliberate intention and no sense of pretention. My guess is that they might even be surprised that I would notice. But I have noticed and it seems obvious to me that they do

what they out of a genuine fondness and love for one another that is anything but self-serving. Once upon a time, there was a young man in his late teens (I will call him “Sam”) who liked girls. One day, his latest girlfriend invited to go on a picnic down by the river eMINETH that ran by the town they both lived in. About the time they were ready to leave, her six year old brother, Sam, showed up and asked if he could come along. Before his sister could intervene, the good natured Joe smiled his easy and affable smile at the boy, touseled his coal black hair and answered, “Sure. Go get your fishing pole.” The elated brother of the not so elated girlfriend quickly complied and the three were off for a day of sunshine and relaxation. Later when the girl questioned Sam about it, he shrugged and offered, “I was just being me.’’ Fast forward ten years or more and once again Joe extended the hand of friendship to a young college student by way of employment to enable him to supplement the cost of tuition. Over the years, the relationship between Sam and Joe had continued to grow even though Joe no longer dated Sam’s older sister.

Sam had come to see Joe as a big brother and mentor and ultimately someone he could trust and count on. Several years after college and several hundred miles away. Sam hit a wall in his journey and it was Joe he called on for help. And like so many times before, without hesitation, Joe reached out to help his young friend navigate that wall. Just recently, my husband and I attended a wedding reception for a very successful businessman and his lovely new wife. When the time came for the toast, there was Joe and his family wishing the newlyweds well with words exuding a warmth and sincerity received with tears of gratitude by the couple. For a moment, we caught a glimpse of true friendship — the kind that reaches beyond oneself and into the life of another with a life-changing impact. Now I am fairly certain after what I witnessed, that there is much more to this story. Time and circumstances did not permit that evening, but I would like to hear more of the tale of these two friends and how their relationship has enriched their lives. Maybe I’ll get that chance someday. In the meantime, it is a great example of the kind of love Jesus had in mind when he spoke those words, “Love your neighbor as yourself” almost 2000 years ago.

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URBAN HARVEST August 1 10 am – 8 pm Farmers Market, Craft Fair, Performances, Food and other local vendors will have booths on 4th Street between Thayer and Broadway. Free admission DAKOTA STAGE “The Taming of the Shrew” August 1 7 pm Performance at the Former Governors Mansion, 320 East Avenue B, Bismarck. A cool, contemporary telling of the classic comedy by William Shakespeare. Designed for young peformers and general audiences

DAKOTA STAGE “The Taming of the Shrew” August 3 & 4 Performance at Capitol A’Fair. A cool, contemporary telling of the classic comedy by William Shakespeare. Designed for young performers and general audiences

August 2013

DAKOTA STAGE LIMITED – Shade Tree Players “Alice in Wonderland” August 8 – 11 7 pm, 2 pm Sunday Follow that rabbit to a delightful, entertaining world of childhood fantasies. Alice journeys into a world of talking animals, comic royalty and races where the contestants run in circles! Performances at Dakota Stage.

BISMARCK ARTS AND GALLERIES “Square Foot Show” Member Artist: Tom Berger DAKOTA STAGE All art submitted for this show is done on one “The Taming of the Shrew” square foot. Show runs August 6 – 30. Opening August 9 reception Tuesday, August 6, 5 pm – 7 pm Performance at the Former Governor’s Mansion, 320 East Avenue B, Bismarck. A cool, contemporary telling of the classic comedy by William DAKOTA STAGE Shakespeare. Designed for young performers and general audiences “The Taming of the Shrew” August 3 & 4 DAKOTA STAGE Performance at Eslinger Yard, NW Bismarck. “The Hobbit (Musical) DAKOTA WEST ARTS COUNCIL A cool, contemporary telling of the classic August 1 – 4 comedy by William Shakespeare. Designed for Bis-Market 7 pm, 2 pm Sunday August 10 young performers and general audiences Performances at the Frances Leach High Prairie 9 am – 1 pm Arts and Science Center Farmer’s Market and a variety of vendors. Performances at 9 am (Sarah’s Band), 11 am (Belles URBAN HARVEST and Beaus Square Dance Club). Free admission August 8 DAKOTA STAGE 10 am – 8 pm “The Taming of the Shrew” Farmers Market, Craft Fair, Performances, Food August 2 URBAN HARVEST and other local vendors will have booths on 7 pm August 15 4th Street between Thayer and Broadway. Free Performance at Eckroth Plaza. A cool, 10 am – 8 pm admission contemporary telling of the classic comedy Farmers Market, Craft Fair, Performances, Food and by William Shakespeare. Designed for young other local vendors will have booths on 4th Street performers and general audiences between Thayer and Broadway. Free admission DOWNTOWNERS ASSOCIATION Art & Wine Walk August 8 BISMARCK ARTS AND GALLERIES DAKOTA WEST ARTS COUNCIL 5:30 pm Capitol A’Fair Harmonyfest Enjoy Beautiful Downtown Bismarck while you August 3 & 4 August 17 sample twenty unique wines, enjoy appetizers, 10am – 8 pm 10 – 6 Saturday, 10 – 4 Sunday Arts and crafts fair on the North Dakota Capitol and take in all forms of art that our community Watch area musicians perform along with has to offer at each of our many great locations. artists and craftsman set up in Custer Park, just grounds along the rotunda. Performances by Tickets $40 area organizations, food vendors, sidewalk north of Elks Pool on Washington Street. Free chalk art and much more. Free admission Admission

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Connecting With Her Heritage

By Melissa Gordon

Many people are familiar with the name John Christensen, pioneer and first settler of New Salem, ND, but not much has been written about his wife Sophia…until now. Local author Josie Blaine has set out to change that. In her upcoming historical fiction novel, “Something About Sophia”, the great-great-granddaughter of John Christensen sets out to tell the story of the wife of this influential man. As was often the case back then, wives were expected to remain hidden in the background, running the household and raising children — tasks that are the backbone of a happy successful family — without any accolades, even if well-deserved. The book is based on stories told to the author by her own now 98 year-old grandmother who remembers much of the times around the Great Depression when legends were born from survival of Gordon the Dust Bowl and making ends meet when there wasn’t much rope to be had. “Somebody needs to tell these tales of our ancestors and the lives they led. Much has been written about my great- great-grandfather, but not his wife and so someone needed to write something about Sophia.” Josie says of why she wrote this book. “Also, my grandmother needs to hold it in her hands.” Josie (a pen name born of a two-hour college brainstorming session which combines the author’s real middle name with a nearby Minnesota town) has recently moved back to North Dakota after a career in broadcasting that took her around the country to such big markets as Atlantic City, Memphis and San Antonio. She returned three years ago because she was homesick and took a job as a recruiter with Advanced Staffing Professionals, “At this job I get to meet lots of people and make those connections between employer and employee.” This keeps her busy during the day, but at night and on weekends, Josie was busy putting her grandmother’s stories together on the advice of a friend.

A writer since the age of 9, she finds that she can’t not write. “I’ve got a lot of experience with writing commercials and things like that, but coming from a long line of storytellers, spinning tales is something that comes naturally to me.” Descended from pioneers who had to be tough and make things work when all seems hopeless is another gift from her ancestors she puts to good use. “I truly believe that this is why North Dakotans are the way they are in overcoming the hardships that living on the prairie create.” Josie also recommends that people everywhere sit down and take the time to visit with older relatives and hear their stories because “We’ll never know what it was like to grow up in those times and what it was like to live back

courtesy photo

The opportunity to have the book published came from the other side of her family when a distant relative introduced her to Erica Glessing of Happy Publishing via Facebook. “I had been participating in a Build-a-Book telecast and when the time came to pick a company to publish with, I chose theirs as the connection had been made.” The publisher is so excited about the upcoming book they have asked her to build a trilogy of stories based on her family history, which Josie already begun work on. then. And once those stories are gone, they’re gone and we really need to know about the things they went through to survive.” Kathleen Wrigley: Kathleen Wrigley, the Lieutenant Governor’s wife says of the book: “I read “Something About Sophia” in nearly one sitting; Sophia’s voice envelopes your heart. Immigrant women lived the adage: “Strength is honor.” With a culmination of grit and determination, faith and hope, strength and sacrifice they helped to build a better life--and risked everything-- for the love of their families and future

generations, whom they’d never even meet. This is a beautiful, compelling story of courage and love.” “Something About Sophia” will be available soon on Amazon and promoted around the Bismarck-Mandan area. Be watching for book signings in New Salem at an upcoming ice-cream social and also the possibility of an event at Barnes and Noble as well. She has spoken with local news and radio stations and will be making appearances in local media too. You can find out more about Josie Blaine online at: www.josieblaine.com — If you know a local artist, author, or musician that should be profiled, let Melissa know by emailing her at [email protected].


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August 2013

Photo by David Borlaug

Legendary North Dakota: Williston Historic Sites

Fort Union Trading Post is a National Historic Site near Williston. Photo by North Dakota Tourism/Jason Lindsey.

By David Borlaug

We’ve been exploring North Dakota’s rich cultural heritage attractions since this column commenced three months ago. So far, we’ve looked at Fort Mandan and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at Washburn; Medora, with its multitude of exciting attractions at the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park; and Bismarck/Mandan, with all that this exciting Capital City has to offer. This month, we’ll venture to the very heart of the Bakken oil play, just outside of Williston, where the exciting fur trade and early military era of North Dakota is kept alive at two sites, one federal and the other state-operated. 185 years ago, at the request of the Assiniboin Indians, John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company opened Fort Union in 1828 at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. Twentytwo years earlier, explorer William Clark, passing through the region, noted that it would be an excellent location for a trading outpost. Many people are confused that Fort Union was a military post, when in fact it was a privately-owned enterprise, dedicated to trading with the Assiniboine and other tribes of the Upper Missouri, notably the Cree, Blackfeet, Chippewa, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. This commerce continued until 1867, making Fort Union one of the longest-lived outposts of the era. With annual revenues often exceeding $100,000, it was a highly

profitable venture for its Eastern owners, and served as a cultural crossroads until the post-Civil War era, when the federal government created its own presence in the region. The bustling Bakken Boom is a fitting legacy of the Fort Union days, when tribes from a wide swath of geography would gather for the purpose of commerce. Today, you can visit an exacting replica of Fort Union, maintained by the National Park Service. Admssion is free and the site is open year round, although certain components are open Memorial Day to Labor Day. Closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days, Fort Union is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the summer and 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Labor Day to Memorial Day. In the curious manner in which North Dakota divides itself into time zones (following the Missouri River, sort of) Fort Union operates in Central Time, even though it is situated on the North Dakota/Montana border. For more information and calendar of events, go to www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm or call 701-572-9083. A short jaunt away from Fort Union you will discover Fort Buford, a State Historical Site maintained by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. This military outpost, named for Major General John Buford, one of the Union heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg, was constructed by the US Army in 1866. While the area was traditionally Hidatsa country, the Sioux had taken up in the

area by the time the fort was built. Not too happy by the presence of the US Army, the fort was subjected to a series of attacks soon after completion. Through the years, the fort underwent a series of renovations and expansions, reacting to the Sioux presence and accommodating a growing contingent of soldiers. Before it was disbanded in 1895, Fort Buford was the location where Sioux Chief Sitting Bull, who had fled to Canada not long after the defeat of Custer at Little Bighorn during what became known as the Sioux Wars, finally surrendered along with a band of nearly 200 on July 20, 1881. Today, you can visit the reconstructed Fort Buford, open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily May 15 through September 15; and weekdays by appointment the rest of the year. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children. For more information, contact the site at www.nd.gov/historicsites/buford/ or call 701-572-9034. Complementing both of these sites is the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center, located just a half mile east of Fort Buford. This State Historical Society facility is worth the visit just for the dramatic view of the confluence of two remarkable rivers. But you’ll find more, including displays telling the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily May 16 to September 15, and the rest of the year, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Sundays 1:00 p.m.

to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children. For more information go to www.nd.gov/ historicsites/myic/ or call 701-572-9034. The Williston area offers a multitude of other attractions, including the beautiful north unit of the Badlands. Don’t be deterred by stories of Bakken truck traffic. You’ll find you can navigate through the Williston area and with a burst in hotel construction, you’ll find rooms available in the region. For lodging information and news of special events throughout the year, contact the Williston Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitwilliston.com or call them at 701-774-9041. For years, North Dakota’s northwest corner has been often overlooked, due to its remote location and sparse population. That’s been a shame, as the area is rich in cultural sites and offers some of the most dramatic scenery anywhere in the state. Today, the Bakken play has brought global attention to Williston and surrounding area. Plan a trip to see what it’s all about, and learn something about the remarkable history of the area at the same time. You’ll be glad you did. — David Borlaug is a former newspaper publisher and president of the Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation and its Dakota Institute. Contact him at dborlaug@fortmandan. org or go to www.FortMandan.com for more information. North Dakota’s tourism website is www.ndtourism.com.

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Grasshopper Swarms near Bismarck in the 1870s By Steve Hoffbeck\

Farmers in Dakota Territory planted their seeds in the soil in spring and had to patiently wait to harvest the bounty of the crop in the late summer or fall. Many natural hazards could ruin a wheat crop, whether it would be hail or drought or flooding. However, in the 1870s, great swarms of Rocky Mountain Locusts came from the West, devouring grain crops and garden vegetables alike. “The great abundance of grasshoppers” in the region, wrote Isaac Stevens in 1853, “has made sad havoc with what had grown here.”

“Immense swarms appeared in Dakota” in 1875, however. At Bismarck they flew in, carried by the wind, from June 6 until July 15th, “inflicting great damage on all crops except potatoes.” The “innumerable swarms” resembled “clouds of smoke from prairie fires while passing over” the city. The grasshoppers came in “like a cloud and they would go between the sun and it would shade the sun.” The airborne ‘hoppers traveled as fast as the wind — 3 to 20 miles per hour. It was said that a locust swarm might contain 40 billion locusts in a cloud that could be twenty miles long. A swarm would eat about 100,000 tons of food in a day. Grasshoppers feasted especially on corn and oats crops, but they ate wheat and barley, also. They preferred garden plants that were “young and tender,” especially lettuce and onion tops and potato vines. They did not like eating peas or beets. Grasshoppers chewed on everything — “coats, or other clothing, saddles, leather whips . . . left on the ground a few hours would be ruined.” Dakota newspapers minimized the severity of the grasshopper invasion that year, not wishing to discourage potential new settlers. The winged scourges came back again in 1876, the year noted for General Custer’s disaster at the Little Big Horn. Grasshopper eggs hatched out in enormous numbers in the spring and “flying swarms” hit Bismarck in July and August and September, making it a “bad year for Dakota” for crops. The following year brought only “scattered bands” of locusts, for most were devastating

courtesy photo

The Rocky Mountain locusts invaded Bismarck and its environs beginning in 1873 and 1874, and the insects caused some damage. A farmer named Henry Suttle got only “half a crop” due to grasshoppers and drought.

Minnesota’s crops and Bismarck’s farmers had “little damage.” News headlines in 1878 told of the “reappearance of the locust scourge” in the vicinity of Bismarck. “The grasshoppers came flying from the west last week, doing considerable damage to gardens and root crops on the west side of the Missouri,” wrote an observer, noting that “several fields of corn were destroyed, and all the gardens of the military post at Fort Lincoln” were devastated. “They have come and gone,” wrote a Bismarck Tribune reporter. The initial “swarm was about three miles wide,” and its grasshoppers ate up “nearly all the gardens.” Thankfully, the “wheat and oat crop was all harvested before they came.” What could be done in the face of a multitude of ravenous grasshoppers? Natural enemies could kill some of the ‘hoppers. Blackbirds, prairie chickens, and toads ate as many as they could. Domestic fowl, including chickens and turkeys, feasted on the invaders. Farmers fought back by burning smudge piles of straw next to their croplands, using flame and smoke to made the grasshoppers pass around their fields. All able-bodied citizens mobilized to physically crush or chase away the locusts with “shovels and broomsticks . . . rolling pins, and whatever else” was within reach. People “made loud noises” by

banging on pots and pans, and “by shrieking and yelling” to disturb the ‘hoppers, inducing them to fly away. When locusts landed on ripening grain, farmers stretched a rope across the field and continually ran it back and forth to knock them off the heads of grain. Others used a “hopper-dozer, a strip of sheet-iron . . . 14 feet long, turned up at the back” and sides and front to make a large pan that they filled with tar. When farmers dragged the hopperdozer into a locust-swarm, the grasshoppers landed in the tar and were stuck in it. They lit fire to the tar to incinerate the entrapped grasshoppers. The large locust-invasions ended in 1878 as the Rocky Mountain locusts returned to the west. Thankful farmers continued their work, enduring times of hail and drought and blight, relieved to see the end of the grasshopper depredations. In the 1930s, however, the grasshoppers came back, in the worst of the Dakota Dust Bowl Days. (Which is food for next month’s column.)


August 2013

photo by Kevin Setterlund

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Stone Cloud Sunday rocks out at The ONE in Mandan.

Stone Cloud Sunday a Hit Any Day of the Week By Michael Anhalt

A successful band derives from diverse and interchangeable band members. This same band thrives on its eclectic abilities. This band is Stone Cloud Sunday. Stone Cloud Sunday was officially organized, with its original and current five band members, in June, 2011. Austin is the lead vocalist, Tim is the drummer, Dustin plays bass and sings vocals, and Jaime and Matt play guitar. Even though each one has a set position in the band, many are interchangeable as well, besides the drummer. “I could sing vocals if I needed to. A lot of us are able to do multiple things in the band, other than the drummer. We have an excellent drummer, but drummers can’t do much else,” said Jamie Paul. Austin Peterson, the lead vocalist, said some bands get in fights when another member tries to help with creating the lyrics or music, but he is grateful. “We bounce ideas off of each other when I’m writing lyrics. Without their inspiration, I would be stuck in a rut. We have very democratic ideas when it comes to forming sing lyrics.” Stone Cloud Sunday describes their genre as Dirty Mandan Rock because of the large mixture of genres that form the band’s music. “Our inspiration comes from Blues, Rock and Metal,” said Matt Foster. When I asked the band to name some other bands they were inspired by the band decided to name genres instead

since many of the band names would be unrecognizable to a lot of people. “It’s very mixed up music. That’s why it’s called Dirty Mandan Rock,” said Foster. All of the members of Stone Cloud Sunday have been interested in music since they can remember. “I’ve been jamming since 15 or 16,” said Paul. “All of our band members have been playing since our wind instruments in middle school,” said Peterson. There are many great things in life, but the experience of playing a live show is at the top of the list for these rockers. Peterson said, “There is nothing to compare a live show to. It’s like being on top of whatever world you want to be that night.” Foster agreed, “It’s like being an athlete and winning the big game. There is always a spot of a riff in the middle of a song when the crowd will cheer. That’s when you know you’re doing good.” Paul said, “A live show is a constant evolution. The energy you put out is the energy that will be returned.” — Stone Cloud Sunday’s first EP, “Secrets of our alchemy”, is available everywhere, on ITunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Soundcloud. The band hopes to release a new EP each year. Check out the band and their music at their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/StoneCloudSunday

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August 2013