ERIC BERGESON: The Country Scribe —Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata, 1st Movement’
Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata, 1st Movement.”
Unheralded
Unheralded
TOM DAVIES: The Verdict — I Know Where Jimmy Hoffa Is Buried
There has been a lot of idle talk about who killed Jimmy Hoffa and how they disposed of his body. Well, I’m not going there because I know nothing about it … but it was a great hook to get your attention. My sermon of the day relates to an extent about politics, decency and civil rights … or, more …
TOM COYNE: Back In Circulation — Are We Allowed To Get Excited Yet?
If you bleed purple, then you know the feeling. Just about the time you think your favorite football team is finally ready to win the BIG ONE, something happens that only a Minnesota Viking follower would understand. 65 Toss Power Trap. 41 Donut. Wide Left. 12 Men in the Huddle. If you not only make sense of these phrases, but …
ERIC BERGESON: The Country Scribe — A Garden Tour
A brief tour of the gardens, yesterday … what a beautiful time of year.
NATASHA THOMAS: Challenging Conversation Corners — New Life, New Challenges
It’s been some time since my last post on Unheralded. There are a few reasons for this: The start of the fall semester is always a busy time, especially since it follows a summer PhD residency for me, the second — of three — of which I completed just this past July. But ultimately, the heaviest hitting contributing to my …
ERIC BERGESON: The Country Scribe — Scott Joplin’s ‘Elite Synchopations’
“Elite Synchopations,” a lesser-known ragtime by Scott Joplin, but probably one the most fun to play. Joplin said it is never right to play ragtime fast. Long may he spin in his grave!
JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — West Coast Wonders
The California and Oregon landscapes can offer some pretty spectacular viewing. Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson recently traveled to those two West Coast states, and here are some of the images that caught his eye.
CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Salmon Loaf With Creamed Peas and Potatoes
There are some foods that are made to go together. Bacon and eggs. Peanut butter and jelly. Hamburgers and fries. Macaroni and cheese. Mashed potatoes and gravy. I’d like to add another combo to the list: Salmon loaf with creamed peas and potatoes, a pairing that’s been part of my food repertoire since my youth. As are many of the …
LA VALLEUR COMMUNICATES: Musings By Barbara La Valleur — Minnehaha Falls And Park
A perfect autumn afternoon presented an opportunity to explore Minnehaha Falls and Park, while close by, is a place we’ve not visited for several years. We had a picnic, a walk and I had a chance to take photos of the beautiful park. Enjoy! We sure did. At the end, we stopped for a glass of wine at the pavilion …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University Of North Dakota Vs. Cal Poly
The University of North Dakota knocked off No. 16-ranked Cal Poly 31-24 in Big Sky Conference football action Saturday in the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. The Fighting Hawks were led by quarterback Keaton Studsrud, who passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another. UND (3-2, 2-0 BSC) has now won three straight, while the Mustangs (3-2, 1-1 BSC) saw a two-game winning …
NANCY EDMONDS HANSON: After Thought — A Tale Of Two Protests
So, The Forum’s antiabortion columnist is shocked — shocked! — that WDAY broadcast a story on the Red River Women’s Clinic’s need for more volunteer escorts during the stepped-up protests of the nationwide “40 Days of Life.” She says, “(Their story) reads like an advertisement for our state’s only abortion clinic” and calls it a “stab in the heart.” As …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University Of North Dakota Vs. University Of Manitoba
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team didn’t disappoint a crowd of 11,706 on Saturday night that came to see the Fighting Hawks play the University of Manitoba in an exhibition game that was preceded by a ceremony in which the school’s eighth NCAA national championship banner was hung in Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND, with goal-scoring coming from five …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Celebrity Showdown At Ryder Cup
It’s not all serious competition at the Ryder Cup. On Tuesday, the first day of the 41st annual event that pits the best golfers from the United States and Europe against each other, the pros practiced in the morning, and then the celebrities took over with matches in the afternoon. Actor Bill Murray, swimmer Michael Phelps, musician Huey Lewis, former …
Tony J Bender: That’s Life —The Siege, Part II
UNDERGROUND BUNKER, MCINTOSH COUNTY, N.D. — Hi folks, it’s your intrepid reporter. I’m still hunkered down, clinging to my guns and my Sports Illustrated. I don’t care if we’re in a State of Emergency. (Play ominous organ music here.) It’s football season. In that regard, it is a personal emergency. My fantasy football team is so iffy, I may be …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Day 3 At Ryder Cup
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons took in the last practice round of the Ryder Cup on Thursday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Here are some of the images he captured. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.
DAVE BRUNER: Photo Gallery — September Snapshots
Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner took these gems this past month.
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Day 2 At Ryder Cup
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons is taking in the 41st Annual Ryder Cup, which is being played at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. The tournament, which pits the best golfers from the United States and Europe against each other, starts Friday morning with foursome competition. Wednesday (Day 2) was practice day, and here are some of the images that caught …
CLAY JENKINSON: Notice The Effects Of Terror — Standing Rock
As perhaps you know, the Native Americans encamped on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation felt that they were perhaps being sprayed with tear gas yesterday, Sept. 28. They were not. Although Morton County law enforcement brought armored vehicles and a range of other paramilitary devices to the scenes of protest, the spray plane turned out to be a crop duster. …
TOM DAVIES: The Verdict — There Are More Horses’ Behinds Than There Are Horses
In February 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice published a report that I have never before seen. Among its revelations: American Indians experience per capita rates of violence that are more than twice those of the U.S. resident population as a whole. In the category of murder, blacks lead the way by a vast number, followed by Native Americans and …
NANCY EDMONDS HANSON: After Thought — To Form A More Perfect Pumpkin
Russ spotted a row of pumpkin pies at the Village Inn the other day. He stopped dead in his tracks, and breathed one wistful outburst: “Yummm.” So now, it’s officially autumn. A few weeks earlier, he’d never have wasted a second glance for a brown ugly duckling pushed toward the back of the pie case, skulking behind the more glamorous …
MARTIN C. FREDRICKS IV: Four The Record — Carson Wentz – The Dakota Kid?
The great ones have nicknames. Peyton Manning was and forever will be “The Sheriff.” Brett Favre is “The Gunslinger.” And despite the drubbing the Pittsburgh Steelers took at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend, “Big Ben” Roethlisberger rightfully commands the respect of defenses across the league. So here’s a thought: Carson Wentz, “The Dakota Kid.” After only …
KEVIN GRINDE: Rhythm Of The Trail — Another Hike, Another Fantastic Mushroom Discovery
Fall has finally arrived, and we’re on a roll. I said two blogs ago Nature is pregnant with surprises and looked forward to a return trip to the Brainerd (Minn.) Lakes Area to discover more of them. A couple of weeks ago, my oldest daughter, Arin, and her mountain climbing son, Asher, stumbled on a delicious species of edible mushroom called the …
CLAY JENKINSON: Campaign Diary — One
The conventional wisdom is that Hillary Clinton won the first presidential debate Monday. I was less certain. She was clearly better at talking policy, but I doubt that she really drew many undecided voters to her side. If she had been debating an inspired or charismatic opponent, she would come off as dull and uninspiring. My own study of American …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Twin Cities Zoos
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons has an eye for wildlife, so it’s no surprise that he recently visited the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley and the Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul. The Minnesota Zoo, which opened in May 1978, is a state agency that has been a destination home to more than 4,700 animals — many endangered …
CLAY JENKINSON: The Lakota Protest — Head and Heart
This is just going to be a personal meditation, and I apologize to anyone who would rather have more analytics and argumentation. When I was still a teenager, my best friend gave me a copy of “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown. I read it hard and fast, cover to cover, and it changed my life. It’s basically …
JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Thoughts On Arnold Palmer
Last year, when I was getting ready for my 50-year class reunion of the 1965 graduating class from Hettinger (N.D.) High School, I dug through boxes of keepsakes downstairs and found my senior class yearbook. It was actually an expanded edition of the Hettinger Hi-Lites, our high school newspaper, but it was the same format as a yearbook, slick paper …
JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — Yosemite National Park
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson recently took part in a tour of Yosemite National Park in California. Yosemite is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, and for Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome. Here are some of the images Jeff captured.
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Remembering Arnold Palmer
The world of golf lost a legend Sunday. Arnold Palmer, who was nicknamed “The King,” died in a Pittsburgh hospital while awaiting heart surgery. Palmer won seven major championships during his professional career, which spanned more than five decades. He won the Masters four times, The Open twice and the U.S. Open once. Here are some photos taken by Russ …
JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Bottom Line: In Your Face
There was a discussion at my table Saturday night about whether Indians in North Dakota have gained or lost respect as a result of the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy. There was no consensus. But what I do know is that important voices are rising in support of Tribal actions (although not so much in support of Tribal agitators), and there is …
Tony J Bender: That’s Life — The Real Cannonball Ranch Story
If you think you’re up to speed after a two-minute segment on the news and a Facebook meme about the pipeline, here’s your reality check. The purchase of the Cannonball Ranch by Dakota Access Pipeline exposes more of billionaire Kelcy Warren’s Machiavellian relentlessness. He ordered a sacred burial site bulldozed, brought in attack dogs to defend the destruction, and now …
CLAY JENKINSON: Indian Sovereignty As Monopoly Money
Non-Indians have a very hard time understanding and recognizing the concept of tribal sovereignty. No matter what the U.S. Constitution might say, or Chief Justice John Marshall, most non-Indians see Native Americans as a poor, ghettoized and dysfunctional people living on the fringes of American society. They are aware that Indians license their vehicles with special plates, according to the …
TERRY DULLUM: The Dullum File — Funeral Food
The other day, I mentioned casually on Facebook that a nice neighbor of ours had come to the door with a Tupperware container full of tuna noodle hotdish (minus the crumbled potato chips for the top). I added snarkily something about it being almost as much fun as attending at a Lutheran funeral. Well, that seemed to wake up the internet a bit. Almost 200 Facebook friends chimed in with …
CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Bean Soup with Pork Hocks
Anyone who has contemplated making bean soup for the first time and goes to the internet looking for a recipe will likely find one that suits his or her tastes. That’s because there’s hardly any limit to the number of bean soups that a cook can make. Perhaps the main reason is that beans come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and when you …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Minnesota Twins Vs. Detroit Tigers
The Minnesota Twins aren’t having the season most of their fans were expecting, but that doesn’t stop some of them from going to a game. Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons was at Target Field on Thursday night for the second game of two the Twins played against the Detroit Tigers. And here’s what caught his eye. Check out more photos from Russ …
NANCY EDMONDS HANSON: After Thought — Back On The Roads Again
This week, south Moorhead finally got a glimpse of the silver lining inside the stormy construction season of 2016: It feels so delicious when it’s almost over. That must be why an otherwise-inexplicable happy cloud of good cheer has settled across the south quarter of town — the neighborhoods around Ground Zero. Something wonderful has happened. On what would otherwise …
MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Signs Of Fall
Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert offers some early and colorful signs of autumn from a recent outing in northwestern Minnesota.
TOM DAVIES: The Verdict — Bravo For Gov. Dayton And His Diversion Comments
Fargo leaders and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be well-advised to heed the warning of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. He didn’t fire a shot across the bow; he can cause the sinking of the entire ship known as “The Fargo Flood Diversion.” Dayton is a politician with the courage of his convictions who knows how to stand up …
JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — A Day For The Pulitzers
America’s best journalist — ever — Seymour Hersh, and North Dakota’s best journalist — ever — Mike Jacobs, will share a stage with the publisher and editor of America’s first “national newspaper” — Ben Franklin — at the North Dakota Humanities Council’s “GameChanger Ideas Festival” on Saturday in Bismarck. It may be the most distinguished panel of writers gathered anywhere in …
Tony J Bender: That’s Life — Seven Generations
You’re wondering why a small-town newspaperman has invested so much time covering a pipeline protest across the river? Because this is a global, national and local issue right in our backyard. Our rural water comes from the spot near the pipeline’s path, a violation of the state’s Source Water Protection Program and another sign the state’s regulatory process is a …
KEVIN GRINDE: Rhythm Of The Trail — A Coupon Lesson In Toilet Paper Mathematics
Coupon grocery shopping is sort of like hunting for Easter eggs. Since I have no say in our household, I do both the shopping and egg hunting. The local family-owned grocery monopoly mails coupons to residents every once in awhile. Two weeks ago, we received some, so I decided I’d go spend and save some money. The colorful coupon package …
TERRY DULLUM: The Dullum File — Truman
It was 1976. Just a half-dozen years old, already The UND Writers Conference was a well-established and highly regarded cultural event. But conference founder John Little had outdone himself that year, booking two of the country’s best-known authors, Tom Wolf and Truman Capote. Wolf, ever the clothes horse, opened the weeklong conference with a reading of his works wearing a blazing yellow three-piece suit, …
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — The Sky’s The Limit
The sky has provided a backdrop for Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons the past few weeks. Whether it is a glowing sunrise or sunset, a majestic full moon or storm clouds rising, Russ displays a knack for capturing the essence of celestial beauty as it graces the Northland. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.
RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery —College Football, University Of North Dakota Vs. University Of South Dakota
Keaton Studsrud’s 1-yard plunge in overtime gave the University of North Dakota a stunning 47-44 come-from-behind victory over the University of South Dakota in the 51st annual Potato Bowl game Saturday in the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. The Fighting Hawks trailed 34-14 in the the third quarter before staging the comeback. UND (1-2) forced the extra session by scoring the final …
TOM COYNE: Back In Circulation — Trending To The Back In The Front Office
As another steamy summer slips slowly southward, I’ll remember this one for two reasons: monstrous Midwestern mosquitoes and batches of bad baseball. Yes, our lawn has never looked greener in late September, but I’m looking forward to the fall. I would imagine the Minnesota Twins are, too. It seems we’ll both be eager to get the bugs out. While the …