Tony Bender is a writer from rural Venturia, N.D. He is the publisher of the Ashley (N.D.) Tribune and the Wishek (N.D.) Star. He has written a weekly column, That’s Life, for 25 years, which is published by various papers. He has published two novels and three collections of his columns.
A note to Fish readers: On Jan. 2, I began a nutrition plan complete with a certified nutritionist coach. After learning that I’m a journalist and blogger, she invited me to blog about my experiences. The following is the 12th of my weekly blogs. For more than 20 years I’ve participated in a transformational educational program with the international company called Landmark …
Dear Doug Burgum, You’re killing me. How can you be an outsider who is going to break up the good old boy network when you keep acting like an insider good old boy? So all it takes to get your support is an “R” behind the name? (See Donald Trump.) You’ll endorse a cartoon character for president just because you …
It’s still many months until home-grown apples will be ready for pies, crisps and the like, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook tasty recipes that feature the main ingredient of the aforementioned desserts. That’s what I did yesterday, pulling a 4- to 6-cup bag of cored, peeled and sliced apples out of the freezer to make a tasty 9-by-13-inch pan …
“Marsy’s Law” is a bad idea. It proposes to amend the North Dakota Constitution because victims’ rights have not been respected … in California. North Dakota already has remedies in place that accomplish what this nationally promoted measure seeks to accomplish. Just ask Fargo attorney Mark Friese of the Vogel Law Firm. Mark worked in the Bismarck Police Department before …
Love may last forever, but dogs don’t. We said goodbye to our wiggly little yapdoodle last week. She’s gone in body but not quite gone in spirit. When I get home, I still expect to see Molly standing sentry at the top of the stairs, waiting for us to take up our positions ― I at my desk, she curled …
Photographer Dave Bruner and his wife, Sheila, look an area road trip Sunday and ended up having a weekend wildlife adventure.
The Shrine Circus returned to Grand Forks this past weekend, and photographer Michael Bogert was in Ralph Engelstad Arena to capture the action.
Since the 1930s, beginning with our great-grandfather’s clan, family members have heard wolves howl, grouse drum, deer blow, coyotes yip and bark, owls hoot, frogs croak. Then, there are the frequent, mysterious and sometimes scary unidentified critters who scream or moan or bray worse than almost all of our impressive presidential candidates. Most of the time we hear the sounds …
Here are some nice shots from Dave Vorland, taken this past month in the Twin Cities and New York City.
I intended to start this story with the words “This is a story about some Really Stupid People.” I thought that was a bit harsh, so I changed it to “This is a story about People who did some Really Stupid Things.” I decided that was pretty lame. So I’ve come up with a new start. “This is a Really …
I am now convinced that planning what to use in my column is simply not working. I’ll have what I consider some great ideas, but when I sit down to do the story, something always distracts me. For example, I was sitting at my home computer and looked over my left shoulder to observe the beauty of Elephant Park, across …
Women and money ― bring the two up at your own risk! Once we get beyond Neanderthal jokes about gold diggers, we find ourselves amidst the fruitless 50-year debate over “equal pay for equal work.” But while that remains unresolved, still a dream too far (and a whole ‘nother topic), our gender’s relationship to cash has smacked back into the …
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to make great soup. That’s what I’ve been telling my friends and acquaintances for years when they’ve inquired about why my homemade soups are so tasty. Actually, there is one thing that sets good soups apart from those that are just fair or mediocre: the stock. Of course, you can …
Here we go again. Readers of this little blog know I like to play a game with scammers. The ones who hang around our Facebook pages pretending to be somebody they aren’t. All in an effort to separate us from our personal information and eventually our money. Here’s my latest effort, written mostly during television commercials in prime time last …
Even before the untimely death of Minnesota music icon Prince a few days ago, 2016 was shaping up to be a particularly bad year for celebrity deaths. Yahoo lists something like 30 celebrities ― major and minor ― who have left us so far this year alone. David Bowie, Glen Frey, Patty Duke, Merle Haggard, George Kennedy and Abe Vigoda among them. On Facebook, …
National Hockey League prospect Jesse Puljujarvi scored three goals to lead Team Finland to a 6-1 victory over Team Sweden in the title game of the 2016 IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Sunday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The win marked the third U18 championship for Finland, which hadn’t won one since 2000. Also scoring for the Finns were Eeli Tolvanen, Otto Somppi …
Team USA rebounded from a semifinal loss to Team Finland with a 10-3 thrashing of rival Team Canada in the third-place game of the 2016 IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Sunday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Logan Brown and Joe Anderson each scored two goals to lead the Americans. Single goals were scored by Kailer Yamamoto, Kieffer Bellows, Nicholas Pastujov, Zach …
As a college professor, every so often I would encounter a student who left me perplexed when it came time to determine their final grade. A strong score on the last test was encouraging, but their overall numbers were still barely good enough to pass the class. Were they struggling to comprehend the curriculum or simply putting in just enough work …
I’m compelled to confess that I skipped church Sunday. A friend called Saturday evening and wanted to go to First Avenue and Paisley Park to mark Prince’s passing and leave some purple mementoes. It was surprising even to me that both my husband and I said yes to the spontaneous plan. We were curious. We’ve listened to more Prince music …
Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner took in the University of North Dakota Indian Association Time-Out’s 46th Wacipi Powwow on Saturday in UND’s Hyslop Sport Center. Dave enjoys going to this entertaining event to observe and photograph the dancers, who take great pride in their outfits and who display a great amount of energy and skills in their dance performances.
The University of North Dakota Indian Association Time-Out’s 46th Wacipi Powwow is taking place this weekend in UND’s Hyslop Sport Center. Photographer Russ Hons captured these colorful images Saturday. Russ has been taking in the Wacipi the past several years and enjoys photographing it. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.
Team Finland, which lost in overtime last year to Team United States in the title game of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Switzerland, gots its revenge with a 4-2 win over the Americans in the semifinals of this year’s tournament Saturday in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The game was tied 1-1 going into the third period. It marks only the second time in 13 years and first …
It’s natural, I guess, for the media to celebrate the stars ― the genius inventors, the builders, the visionaries whose names light up their headlines. Reporters beat the bushes to spot them ― the software entrepreneurs, the high-rise developers, the aspiring leaders who attract applause for their vast though ephemeral visions. Perhaps someday, one of their much-ballyhooed smartphone apps or …
A note to Fish readers: On Jan. 2, I began a nutrition plan complete with a certified nutritionist coach. After learning that I’m a journalist and blogger, she invited me to blog about my experiences. The following is the 11th of my weekly blogs. One of the practices I create taking on a new project is to set an end result goal …
The following is the definition of an Ally: “a country that supports and helps another country in a war.” Saudi Arabia is considered an ally of the United States. We basically support that country in every way possible, but let’s examine their support of the United States. (Please note that my comments are directed at an intense dislike of the …
There are literally a million ways to fix pork chops. If you don’t believe me, do a Google search for pork chop recipes. What you will get is about 1.2 million results. A lot of those recipes are similar in the respect the chops are cooked in some sort of creamed soup, albeit mushroom, chicken or celery. That’s probably because the gravy …
Team USA closed out pool play of the 2016 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in style, shutting out Team Switzerland 4-0 on Tuesday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Americans (4-0) were led by Casey Mittelstadt, who scored two goals, and linemates Kailer Yamamoto (a goal and an assist) and Logan Brown (two assists). Also scoring for Team USA was Graham McPhee. USA …
Michael Bogert is a freelance photographer whose first interest in photography started in the mid 1970s after taking a course at Grand Forks Central High School. Despite a detour of many years, Bogert never lost interest in shooting and recently rejoined the digital age of photography. Mike enjoys trying to any of life’s moments from sunrise to sunset — the …
Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert has had an eye for the birds this spring, capturing these images in his backyard and along the English Coulee in Grand Forks.
Trent Frederic scored three goals and Kailer Yamamoto added two as Team USA rolled over Team Latvia 12-1 in pool plan of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Sunday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Also scoring for the Americans was Adam Fox, Joey Anderson, Kieffer Bellows, James Sanchez, Nicolas Pastujov and Zach Walker. Vladislavs Nazarovs scored the only goal for …
A couple of weeks ago, I posted an article here about the Little Missouri State Scenic River Commission and how important it had been to protecting the integrity of North Dakota’s only “State Scenic River” during our first oil boom in the 1970s and ’80s. If you missed it, you can go here to catch up. Well, we’ve had another boom …
Team USA used balanced scoring to defeat Team Sweden 6-1 in pool play of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Saturday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The win upped USA’s record to 2-0, while Sweden has now lost once and won another in overtime. Casey Mittelstadt, Kieffer Bellows, Ryan Lindgren, James Greenway, Keegan Howdeshell and Joey Anderson each scored for Team USA. Timothy …
First, it was the fact that he existed. Then, it was the full-body plank off a committee room desk. And now — an accurate description of quantum computing that the average person could understand. Canada, I love you, but when are you going to stop rubbing your prime minister’s ridiculously handsome face in our face? You’re like a new fiancee sporting …
The IIHF World Under-18 Championship IIHF World Under-18 Championship opened Thursday in Ralph Engelstad Arena with the Team USA, behind its first line of Kieffer Bellows, Clayton Keller and Joey Anderson, defeated Team Russia 8-2. Keller had two goals and an assist, Anderson a goal and an assist and Bellows a goal. Kailer Yamamoto also scored twice for Team USA, while James Sanchez and Logan …
Thomas G. Bearson — 18 years old. Does anyone remember Thomas? Let me remind you. Tom was a young man from Sartell, Minnesota … a high school basketball, track and football player; a young man with an outgoing personality; a student who got to know many around him as a freshman at North Dakota State University in Fargo. According to …
A note to Fish readers: On Jan. 2, I began a nutrition plan complete with a certified nutritionist coach. After learning that I’m a journalist and blogger, she invited me to blog about my experiences. The following is the 10th of my weekly blogs. Keeping on plan at home, while not necessarily a “piece of cake,” is relatively easy once you’re …
They’re going to bury Jim Pomeroy today. Former State Sen. Jim Pomeroy. Jim was a lot of things in his life. A minister. A carpenter. A musician. A counselor to the aged, sick and infirm. A husband. A father. A grandfather. A volunteer. A loyal Democrat. A cousin to a U.S. congressman. He was those things on purpose. He was a …
Are you tired of fixing that beef roast the same old way? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with throwing a roast ― after it’s been browned ― in a Dutch oven with some potatoes, carrots and an onion for a couple of hours. That’s always a delightful meal. But if you’re up for a change of pace, a French dip is a …
Approximately 6,000 fans showed up Monday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena for the celebration of eighth national championship of the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team. The Fighting Hawks defeated Quinnipiac University 5-1 on Saturday night in Tampa, Fla., to win its first national crown since 2000. Here are some shots of the night’s festivities from photographer Russ Hons. Check …
The University of North Dakota’s men’s hockey team celebrates its national championship after the Fighting Hawks 5-1 victory over Quinnipiac University in the title game of the Frozen Four on Saturday night in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team ended a 16-year drought with a convincing 5-1 win over Quinnipiac University in the championship game of the NCAA Frozen Four on Saturday night in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The Fighting Hawks (34-6-4) added their eighth title ― and their first since 2000 ― before 19,358 fans and left no doubt …
Here are some more photos from Russ Hons of the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team’s NCAA Frozen Four semifinal win over Denver Universityn on Thursday night. The victory advances the Fighting Hawks (33-6-4) to the championship game tonight in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. UND will meet Quinnipiac (32-1-7) at 7 p.m., looking for its first national title since 2000 and eighth overall. Check out …
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team, led by its talented CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz, kicked the semifinal jinx with a 4-2 win over Denver University to advance to the championship game of the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday night in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The Fighting Hawks (33-6-4), who had lost …