The name David Vorland might ring a bell. Vorland spent most of his career at the University of North Dakota. As a UND student, he reported part time at the Grand Forks Herald and summers at the Harvey (N.D.) Herald-Press. After teaching journalism full time for five years at UND and St. Cloud (Minn.) State, he returned to UND as …
Bloomington, Minn., photographer Dave Vorland has an eye for the outdoors, as evidenced by these photos: A hummingbird checking out one of his partner Dorette Kerian’s feeders at their home, an orange-ish moon over the city Friday evening and a scenic view of the St. Croix River near Taylor Falls. The optical effect as shown in the moon photo is known …
Scenes from Le Crest, Chateau De la Verrerie in La Creusot and Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune in France caught the eye of Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson during his recent trip.
The large forest fires in the western United States have made for some spectacular photos of the moon and sun the past several days. Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons captures that beauty in these images.
Can Donald Trump keep it up? When will he implode? What explains his rise in the polls? How do we stop him? The pundits wring their hands. Josh Marshall thinks Trump is a doofus who uses sophisticated military strategy. Peggy Noonan, who penned the phrase “1000 points of light” for George H. W. Bush, declares Trump to be a sign of molecules …
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson captured these images from Paris recently. Among them are shots from Notre-Dame-de-Paris, also known as Notre Dame Cathedral; the Latin Quarter; The Sainte-Chapelle, a royal medieval Gothic chapel, located near the Palais de la Cité, on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris; and the Eiffel Tower.
Shrimp and rice are staples of New Orleans and Cajun cooking. Jambalaya and gumbo are just two of the mouth-watering dishes that combine the two and have made Louisiana cuisine a favorite of many people. However, for those who work or are on the go, time is at a premium and preparing entrees such as those listed above is not always …
I watched the “CBS Evening News” last night. Not surprisingly, the lead story was about another shooting. But because this one involved journalists, in a small market, covering an everyday story about a worthwhile community activity, it resonated a bit more. No, this wasn’t KXMD in Williston, N.D. Or KXMB in Bismarck. Or KXJB in Fargo. But the faces of …
I want to bring you up to date on the threats to the Elkhorn Ranch, Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch in the North Dakota Badlands, called by many the “Cradle of Conservation.” It was there that the future president began developing his deep conservation ethic and later became our greatest conservation president ever. I’ve mentioned these things a couple of times in …
Maybe the name Eric Bergeson sounds familiar to you. For the past 15 years, several northwestern Minnesota newspapers have carried Bergeson’s weekly columns. Or maybe you’ve read one of six books, including “Pirates on the Prairie,” which the Minneapolis Tribune called “a Minnesota cultural and historical treasure.” Or maybe you saw his name in the news when he sought the …
Even though plants may look ripe for picking in August, most gardeners say you shouldn’t harvest rhubarb after the Fourth of July. That is good advice, since rhubarb becomes coarse and woody and loses its flavor later in the summer. And continued harvest through the summer months weakens the rhubarb plants and reduces the yield and quality of next year’s crop. But if …
The Minnesota Twins salvaged their season by sweeping the Baltimore Orioles this past weekend. Their offense is still stagnant, but their pitching seems to be gaining steam. On Sept. 1, the rosters expand from 25 to 40 players. In the past, the Twins have been conservative about bringing up prospects for the month of September. This year should be different. …
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons has an eye for the outdoors. Here are some of the photos he took recently on a trip to western North Dakota. Among the shots is the majestic Milky Way photo taken above the Medora Musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheater just as the show concluded. The bull elk pictured came out to feed above the …
In 1981, I was a young broadcaster at KXMD-TV in Williston, N.D. Although the station had hired me to be their sports director, it became clear early on that I would wear many hats, due to the small staff and limited resources. That included shooting video and doubling as a news reporter from time to time. One afternoon, our News …
Most gardeners love large vegetables. So do the people who are the recipients of extra veggies from gardening friends whose bounty is beyond expectations. But there is an exception: large zucchini. Over my 40-plus years of gardening, I’ve never had any trouble giving away vegetables from my garden. That’s unless the vegetable is a humongous zucchini. (And in the case of one …
Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons took in the 50th Medora Musical recently. Here are some classic shots of the summer favorite. Among the performers in the musical is Misti Koop from Grand Forks.
If the early-fruiting apples are any indications, this year’s crop will be big. That’s unlike the 2014 harvest, which was down due to the awful winter the trees endured. The past winter was very mild, though, and we will have the apples as evidence. Apples are the most-dependable fruit for this area, which is in Zone 3. A frequent question is when will …
It’s been quite the (traumatic) year for those of us who enjoy the late night talk shows, what with the recent departures of Jon Stewart from “The Daily Show” and David Letterman from “The Late Show.” Earlier, Craig Ferguson from “The Late Late Show.” And earlier still, Jay Leno from “The Tonight Show.” It seemed like a good time to pick …
Anyone who has read one of Donna Leon’s best-selling novels knows about Commissario Guido Brunetti. Brunetti is the intelligent and capable police commissioner who confronts crime around his hometown of Venice, Italy. And he’s also the namesake of a cookbook by Leon and Roberta Pianaro, which features Venetian recipes such as orecchiette with asparagus; ravioli with squash, butter and sage; artichokes stuffed with …
I live in New York City, and have for 10 years. I lived in North Dakota, my home state, for 25. To me, these are mundane facts. But given the stunned reaction when I tell North Dakotans that I now live in NYC or when I tell New Yorkers that I am from N.D., most of you find me just slightly less …
Glads are a wonderful addition to any garden as we discussed in a recent column on this wonderful flower. There is so much information, though, so we want to devote a second column to glads. Glads are more effective and easier to care for if they have their own exclusive bed in the garden. If grown for cutting, the glads …
Hats off to teachers on the move! All across Minnesota and North Dakota, fresh education graduates are setting off right about now for the great unknown … along with the rest of the tribe of itinerant teachers whose careers take them beyond the beaten track each August to classrooms over the horizon. If teaching is a calling, it often turns …
Home-grown tomatoes are nothing like those that can be purchased in grocery stores or supermarkets. That might be an understatement. In fact, in the opinion of many gardeners, there probably isn’t any food better than the first tomato of summer. I just sampled my first of the season — with just a dab of salt — from our garden today. It …
Thursday is the end of the workweek in the Arab world. Friday is the Sabbath. The sidewalks on Souk Street (Market Street) in Al Khoud are almost empty this Thursday night. Usually on Thursday night, the plastic tables and chairs outside the restaurants and coffee shops that line Souk Street are filled with men gathering to eat and talk. Moms, …
The great British writer and poet Rudyard Kippling wrote a book in 1901 titled “Kim.” In it, Kim, the young orphan of Irish parents, who has grown up among Indian playmates in old Lehore, is called “Friend of All the World” by an old Muslim horse trader who uses Kim to run errands. The modern-day Friend of All the World …
This morning’s Bismarck Tribune had a front page story about the Catholic bishop of Bismarck announcing that he would no longer allow Catholic churches in his diocese to sponsor Boy Scout troops. He said in the story that the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow gay Scout leaders “prompted him to decide that the diocese, its parishes and schools …
According to the man who says he killed Kristopher “K.C.” Clarke, the young oilfield worker who disappeared more than three years ago is buried in one of North Dakota’s Bad Lands parks — likely Little Missouri State Park or the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. That’s one of the apparent confessions made by Timothy Suckow of Spokane, Wash., …
Hand-me-down recipes are among the most treasured gifts our parents or grandparents can pass on to us. I’ve always had an affinity for them, no matter if they are mine or someone else’s. That is why I was intrigued when seeing Yvonne Wasvick-Kalka’s post on Facebook the other day. Yvonne, who teaches English and speech at Grand Forks Central and also coaches …
August is a wonderful time for gardeners. Much of the heavy lifting is done for another year, and we can claim our rewards. One of those rewards is the beautiful gladiolus we have in many of our gardens. Few flowers have so much to offer. Every garden should have glads! According to Steve Sagaser, Grand Forks County horticulturist, glads range from …
Elaine and I left Oman on June 20, 2012, after living there 9½ months. We had come to the country with five suitcases. We were leaving with nine. Everything was packed, we had wedged each last item into the bulging bags and were sitting in the flat until it was time to go to the airport. One of my students …
Chris Allen’s journal dispatches from the Middle East country of Oman are an unusual and very welcome addition to Unheralded.fish. Allen is a professor of journalism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he has taught since August 1996. In addition to his teaching duties, he is the general manager of UNO Television and a board member and past-president …
I started my doctorate this summer (I know, I’m crazy, you may never hear from me again). One of the most memorable pieces of advice I received before I started this process was to be aware that I would be learning “increasingly more about increasingly less” (I don’t remember who said this — see, the memory loss has already begun). That …
I almost killed my class Thursday. Not in the way a teacher may say that after a difficult day. I really almost killed them. Understand that I really like students. I rely on a steady and abundant supply of them for my living, and I do truly like students. Have I mentioned how hot is here in Oman? I mean, …
Jeff Olson snapped these photos Saturday night at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Alexandria, Va., photographer and his wife, Joanne Plager Burke Olson, joined thousands of other people who also were enjoying the nice evening in our nation’s capital.
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff captured these images Friday night (July 31) in our nation’s capital from the Netherlands Carillon. The blue moon in four of the photos was the first in about three years, and here it shows off a couple of different colors.
I feel at home. I’m 6,000 miles or more from my house, the town I live in, the university where I teach, and yet I feel at home. I’m in Oman, a country my wife, Elaine, and I came to love when we were here in 2011-2012 while I taught at Sultan Qaboos University on a Fulbright Award. I loved …
A lot of people are confused about the “blue moon.” The moon isn’t really blue, it is just named that because it is rare. It happens about every three years and is called that when there are two full moons in the same month. We had one July 2 and had another July 31. The official exact moment of the full moon was at 4:43 …
Country music star Lynn Anderson left us this week, much too soon. She died at the age of 67. “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden” became a gigantic crossover hit in the early 1970s. In her career, she had a dozen No. 1 hits. She won a Grammy and seven Grammy nominations. Twice she was named the Country Music Association’s …
The hydrangeas are putting on a beautiful show this summer. The large white-flowering perennial thrives in cool, moist weather, which we have been enjoying for the most part this summer. Due to our cold winters, we can’t grow the “Endless Summer” hydrangeas, which come in green and blue shades. Instead, we have to make due with the white varieties, which do …
Here are some more images from photographer Russ Hons of Sunday’s Fargo Airsho, which featured many vintage aircraft as well as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, who were back after a 4-year hiatus. It was hot and sunny , but that didn’t stop thousands of fans of all ages from coming out. The show was nonstop for more than five hours …
Anyone who cans knows that smaller cucumbers make better pickles. It doesn’t matter if you’re making dills, bread and butters or chunky sweet ones. Large cucumbers often tend to be seedy, which makes them unsuitable for every kind of pickle. Sometimes, just a day or two can make the difference between perfect pickling cucumbers and those that are better off being de-seeded and used …
A great time was had by all who attended Saturday night’s Blues on the Red Concert in downtown Grand Forks. Sponsored by Grand Forks Downtown Development Association, performers were RB Stone and Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys.
It was hot and sunny Sunday in Fargo, but that didn’t stop thousands of fans of all ages from coming out to see the Fargo AirSho and to welcome back the U.S. Navy Blue Angels after a 4-year hiatus. The show was nonstop for more than five hours and was thrilling. If you weren’t able to see the performance live, here …
I thought I knew everything. But until I read Mike Sacks’ terrific new book about comedy writing called “Poking a Dead Frog,” I had never heard the name Peg Lynch. Even though in her day she was a huge star. She was a comedy performer on radio and later television in the 1940 and 1950s. But her even larger talent was …