Fred Rogers and I had known each other for three years by that day in the fall of 1998 when I learned that my brother, Steve, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. My first call was to my wife, my second to the children’s television icon at his home in Pittsburgh. It was his wife, Joanne, who answered that day, and …
The Minnesota strawberry season is just around the corner, so dig out the recipes. But you have to enjoy them as soon as they appear; they don’t last long. Strawberries have such a delicate flavor that they are best eaten right when picked. Some people use a bit of sugar and drizzle cream for that old favorite. A fresh strawberry pie …
The air was electric Saturday at the Tri-City Northstar’s Midwest Premier Football League game at Cushman Field in Grand Forks. Electric, as in lighting and storms all around. But that didn’t dampen the fun for the young fans. After a weather delay, the Northstars defeated Bismarck Wolves 29-0.
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson returned to his home state of North Dakota recently and captured these shots in the capital city Bismarck.
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons took in the Fargo RedHawks American Association pro baseball game against the St. Paul Saints on Friday night at Newman Field in Fargo. Fargo made a great comeback to tie the game 9-9 but lost 10-9 in extra innings. The game was followed by a great fireworks show. It was a great summer night in North …
Star Tribune photographer captures the essence of Minnesota You’ve seen his photos. Brian Peterson has worked for the Star Tribune since 1987. Or maybe you’ve seen Peterson’s photos published in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and many more publications. His work has earned him a boatload of awards. His book, “Minnesota State of Wonders” probably will, too. Peterson double-teamed the book …
Last March, I wrote here about my friends Harley and Peggy Stahlecker, from my hometown of Crookston, Minn. Both had lost older brothers in World War II. Another brother of Harley’s, Milton Stahlecker, survived combat in the Pacific but came back a changed man. When we talked this spring, neither Peggy or Harley had yet read my new novel, “Every …
Welcome to Dog Terror Week. As fireworks sales commence in North Dakota, families who are blessed with dog companions can be divided into two camps: those whose pooches can accompany them to the picnics and Fourth of July festivities with nary a qualm … and the rest of us, who celebrate America’s independence with our quaking hounds drooling under the …
Over the past couple of years, I have written several times about the decline in North Dakota’s wildlife population since the Bakken Boom began. It may just be a coincidence that numbers of game species (deer, sage grouse, bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope, to name a few) have been decimated at the same time as the big oil boom took …
Once there were a ton of them, television variety shows. Shows like “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Andy Williams Show” with big names and big production numbers. Then, suddenly, they were gone. It was almost as if television executives had all gotten together to set the price of gasoline or something. Much is riding on a new television variety show …
No Midwest garden would be complete without a rhubarb patch. Add to that a nice bed of strawberries, and you have the makings for some wonderful desserts. We are fortunate enough to have both. A stand of rhubarb was growing next to the garage when Therese bought our house about 25 years ago. And four years ago, I bought a bunch …
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons captured the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) at their best Monday night. The spectacular show could be seen across almost the entire North American continent, with people from New England, Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas posting magnificent photos on social media of the illuminated sky. Scientists say the phenomenon can be attributed to a perfect storm of space …
The peonies have put on a picture-perfect show this past spring. Cooler temperatures, adequate rainfall and a lack of blustery winds at blooming made for wonderful memories of those magnificent flowers. If you don’t have peonies in your garden, consider adding some this fall. They require little care and can stay in the same location for a half-century or longer. …
My husband, Arnie Bigbee and I went downtown today — my first trip on light rail — it felt like being on vacation in a different city seeing the sights from the train. Then, we went to the amazing new Star Tribune offices with Chihuly glass bowls behind glass cases to take in the discussion about the dining scene with …
Not only is Nick Offerman one of my favorite actors and television talk show guests. Now, it turns out he has become one of my favorite humorists. Some people are just good at everything. (Oh, how I hate people who are good at everything.) His latest book, “Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers,” is part of my …
Americans have lost confidence in just about everything The USA, Americans say, basically sucks right now. The latest Gallup Poll says Americans over the past two years have lost confidence in, well — name it: Congress (8 percent); the presidency (33 percent); Supreme Court (32 percent); big friggin banks (“institutions” that made $4 billion charging customers for money transactions … 28 …
There are a lot of ways a family can stretch its budget. That’s important these days when salaries aren’t keeping up with the cost of living increases, and benefits to lower income families are being tightened at every turn. For example, one can clip coupons or grab them online for deals at the grocery store. Coupons are like free money to be used …
Cruise the Coolest Maps of Minnesota’s water ever made Blogger David Montgomery presents on twincities.com a few maps that capture Minnesota’s water in the Land of 10,000 lakes — or is it 28,176 distinct wetlands, ponds and lakes? And don’t forget to checkout the state’s flowing water, including rivers and 3,768 unnamed streams and 2,032 unnamed creeks — not including drainage ditches …
For some, writing is a passion. For professionals, it’s a job. When you invest your entire career in churning out words, your Muse devolves rather quickly from an inspiration into a math problem. Eventually, you come to take what you’ve written entirely for granted. It’s all about the kind of output that a dismissive BBC documentary on the digital age recently …
With Father’s Day coming up Sunday (June 21), you may want to take dear old Dad on a trip to see the showy lady’s slipper, the state flower of Minnesota. Named the state flower in the early 1900s, the lady’s slipper is unique in that it is a member of the orchid family. In fact, the showy lady’s slipper is the …
There’s no doubt that the cuisines of most countries are influenced by those of others. These days, when the culinary tastes of two or more cultures are combined, it is called fusion cooking. In this country, that is no more evident than in Tex-Mex food, which is a combination of Southwestern U.S. and Mexican cuisines. Another example of fusion cooking …
After a 35-year career in broadcasting, Tom Coyne admits he’s getting old. Coyne is a former North Dakota TV sportscaster who worked in Williston, Bismarck and Fargo for the KX Network from 1980 to 1991. His last 23 years have been spent as a broadcasting instructor at Sanford-Brown College (formerly Brown Institute) in Mendota Heights, Minn. Born in south Minneapolis …
It was the morning after Labor Day, 1962. I was a shy, nervous fourth-grader, attempting to fit in with my classmates on the first day of school. Having moved from southeast Minneapolis to suburban Golden Valley, Minn., just a year before, I was slowly building friendships but still a little gunshy. Mrs. Larson, who eventually would become one of my all-time …
Here are some photos taken Thursday morning at the Alexandria City Marina By Old Town of the French frigate Hermoine, a replica of the tall ship that brought Gen. Marquis de Lafayette from France to America in 1780. The stop is part of a 12-city tour along the East Coast that includes public tours of the ship and traveling exhibit.
If you head for the Bad Lands this summer, be prepared for some new scenery. All along I-94 from Dickinson to Medora, N.D., you’re going to see the latest abomination brought to us by the oil industry: “repurposed” semi-trailers painted up with advertising messages parked along the ditches beside the freeway. It’s what happens when greedy, tasteless money-grubbers stretch the …
Variety is said to be the spice of life, no matter what context. So, it’s not surprising that variety also can pertain to gardening. Years ago, Gurney’s a nursery then out of Yankton, S.D., offered a pack of seed for a penny to children. You never knew what you would end up in your packet to plant. What fun! Now that we are …
On Friday night, the 1970s rock band The Eagles came to town. I remember a comment someone made on Facebook when the announcement was made: “But they’re so old!” From my seat in Section 213 at the Alerus Center, the age of the Eagles did not show at all. Of course, they aren’t in their 20s, but if I were …
It was a rainy, soggy Saturday afternoon in Grand Forks. What better time for the Tri-City Northstars to take on the North Shore Grizzlies in Midwest Premier Football League action at Cushman Field. The Northstars remain undefeated after the 48-6 victory. Their next home game is at 4 p.m. June 27 at at Cushman Field. For more information, go to …
With all the attention being heaped on the now infamous Duggar clan and their “19 Kids and Counting” television series these days, it’s interesting to recall that large families were not always as uncommon as they are now. Above is a picture of my father’s family that hangs on our wall at home. I’ll save you the trouble of counting. …
Cooks who are worth their salt know there are some recipes that just can’t be beaten. A lot of those recipes are ones that are passed down generation to generation. I have some of those recipes. For example, I still make stuffing the way my mom and grandma used make it. The baked oyster dressing I fix during the holidays is one that …
It’s hard to beat a bowl of beef stew on a cool, windy spring day, especially when it’s homemade. I remember as a kid the wonderful stew we used to have for school hot lunch and also the kind my mom used to make for us at home. After I moved away from home after college, about the closest my …
The planes that circle over cities for hours? Don’t worry, it’s just the FBI The Associated Press has discovered the FBI has an air force with planes that have spied on 30 cities including Minneapolis and St. Paul since 2003. Fictitious companies that are government fronts camouflage the planes and their purpose, which, of course, has nothing to do with …
California’s drought hits rock bottom Snow in California’s Sierra mountains usually lasts all summer, which means surface runoff sustains cities and farms. Not this year. The snow is all but gone sending the state’s fragile water supply has entered into worst-case scenario territory. Last year was California’s hottest in history; 2015 will be hotter. Some relief could arrive come fall with …
Nothing says summer better than tomatoes. Those orbs of summer are what get us through the cold and snow of a long Minnesota winter. Growing tomatoes is not difficult. You can either begin with started plants from a nursery or you can grow you own using milk cartons, peat pots or other kinds of containers and, of course, a sunny …
If ever there was a dish that hunters should embrace, it’s cacciatore. It means hunter’s style in Italian. (The French call it chasseur, the Spanish cazadores.) The stew, which is usually made with chicken, also includes mushrooms, onions, sometimes sweet bell peppers and an assortment of spices. It is fairly low-cal and quite tasty. Apparently, the dish originated during the …
This morning while driving to work, I came across a mother duck and her brood of at least two dozen baby ducklings bravely attempting to cross Columbia Road toward the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. I turned my car around a long block to come upon them again in hopes of snapping a picture. Perhaps I’d stop my …
When I got my fateful call to work at the Grand Forks Herald, I was a cub reporter down U.S. Highway 2 a bit, in the Magic City of Minot, N.D. If you counted my internship the previous summer, I had been at the Daily News a year. I had covered tornadoes, fires, strikes and the perplexing issue of Western …
Lori Nitschke covered City Hall at the Grand Forks Herald doors from 1992 and 1994. A native of Ashley in southeast North Dakota, Lori is a 1991 University of North Dakota journalism/political science graduate who also has a master’s degree in journalism (2002) and an MBA (2003) from Columbia University. She got her start in journalism at the Minot (N.D.) Daily …
I was in Las Vegas last week. When I told friends and family I was going, I got similar reactions from everyone: “You?” “Why?” “Are you serious?” Some were speechless. When I told them I was going for a nutrition conference, that helped ease the mystery. They all know it’s not my “kind of city.” How did it go? Let’s …
There’s been a lot of joy in Mudville this past week. Let me clarify that. Minnesota Twins fans like me have a lot to be happy about these days. Our “Boys of Summer” share first place with the Kansas City Royals in the American League’s Central Division with a 28-18 record. They also are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for …
This has been a terribly sad week in Grand Forks, made all the sadder by the passing of Jim Bollman. If you never got to hear Jim’s morning program on KNOX radio, I feel badly for you. You missed something. I know I’m dating myself when I say Jim’s work always reminded me of the legendary broadcaster and entertainer Arthur …
Ah, spring — when a young man’s fancy turns to … cruising. Roll the windows down, turn the tunes up and step on the gas. Or a young woman’s, for that matter. It’s the “young” part that counts. Whether that’s true for you in real time or merely a distant memory, there’s something about driving on these long early summer …
A few scenes on Memorial Day from New York City.
Dry rubs can greatly enhance the flavor of meats such as beef and pork with very little effort. Combine that method with a nice sauce, and you’ve got something that would bring a smile to the face of any Kansas City barbecuer. That’s just what I did today to celebrate Memorial Day. I chose to accompany my applewood-rubbed baby back pork ribs with baked …