SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - AUGUST 3, 2014
NEW PHASE OF THE ND OIL BOOM The boom is stabilizing and the mix of job openings is shifting. The Bismarck Tribune said, “As the boom stabilizes, job openings will be less focused on temporary exploration positions and more on permanent production-related positions.” Retail sales people, registered nurses and bookkeepers are types of occupations which will also be in demand.
OIL TAX MONEY A special allocation goes to “hub cities.” A hub city must have a population over 12,500 and have meaningful oil and gas industry employment. Currently, Williston, Dickinson and Minot meet the test. Six more cities are close to qualifying, interestingly, all are outside the Oil Patch -- cities such as Jamestown and W. Fargo are included. Over 15 percent of the state’s private sector jobs are in the oil and gas industry.
NEW WINNER For years, Sioux Falls owned first place in the Forbes list of Best Small PLaces for Business in America. No longer, Fargo slipped into that position -- Sioux Falls is ranked fifth. Bismarck is pedaling hard in 17th place.
GET TO THE AIRPORT EARLY A Wall Street Journal headline reads "The Fastest-Growing Airports Are in ... North Dakota." The article discusses the agony of passengers who must navigate the Minot and Williston terminals operating at over double their design capacity. A new Minot terminal is expected to open in late 2015.
RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT HUDDLED MASSES In a column on immigration, Lloyd Omdahl said, “Times have changed . . . In view of the strong undercurrent against accepting the poor, huddled masses of kids from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, we need take a second look at this blanket invitation to the world.” Omdahl believes that, “Once they are released, my guess is that they will simply disappear among the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country never to be seen again.” If the system is to be rebalanced, he says Washington needs to get its act together.
MIDSUMMER IN OSLO In 1914, a delegation of Nodaks traveled to Norway and delivered a bust of Abraham Lincoln to be placed in Oslo’s Frogner Park on the 4th of July. I’ve seen it -- it’s still prominent and well-maintained. This year, an equally large delegation, including descendants of the earlier group, went to Oslo to commemorate the 100th anniversary. The men in the 1914 group wore suits and the women long white dresses -- the 2014 group wore jeans and T-shirts stenciled with Norwegian flags. The latter delegation brought a letter from ND Gov. Jack Dalrymple crediting part of the state’s economic growth “to the hard work and integrity of the Norwegian people’s culture and heritage.”
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL Blogger Rob Port sorted polling data to identify ND’s most liberal and conservative communities. Among larger cities, Fargo was most liberal and Bismarck most conservative. Among rural towns, Ft. Yates (Standing Rock Reservation) was most liberal closely followed by a flock of other reservation communities. Dickey (south of Jamestown) was the most conservative rural town.
DIVINING FUTURE ND Economist Ralph Kingsbury, writing on Port’s blog, predicted future ND will consist of three “Dakotas.” The first is the Oil Patch. The second is the state’s eight largest cities, although he’s not certain Jamestown and Devils Lake will make that cut. The third is “Farm Country,” or, if you like, everything else. As farms become larger, more technical and mechanized the population of Farm Country will get thinner and thinner -- a few hamlets strung along farm to market roads. Because of the distances, Kingsbury visualizes helicopters fetching parts for farm equipment. Hey, why not drones?
AND HE HAD A FRIENDLY FACE. Francis Dale Romsdal (63) was a joiner with boundless energy. His obituary was clear, If there is some organization in Jamestown he did not join, head or found, it’s hardly worth mentioning. For 38 years, he worked at Central Sales, a family implement business where he retired as President and General Manager. He graduated as an engineer at NDSU, but played goalie earlier for the U. of Minnesota Duluth “Bulldogs.” A Jamestown Citizen of the Year, he headed many community organizations and was President of the ND Implement Dealers Association. Romsdal enjoyed a touch of drama. When he was 53, he remarried on 12-12-12 at 12:12 p.m.
ALSO, HONOR THE QUIET MAN A few make their mark in dramatic ways and become celebrities, politicians or tycoons. Others make their mark in quiet ways. Bob Kloubec (88) graduated from NDSU in 1950 with a degree in agriculture and retired in 1982. The Lamoure native then began a life of trees, flowers and birds. As a member of the Gladiolus society, he raised glads and was a judge at the Winnipeg Gladiola Show. He loved birding trips . . . his nominations for ND Champion Trees were accepted 20 times . . . he volunteered at a science center, gave nature hikes, designed landscapes and belonged to the FM Horticulture Club. His obituary mentioned many other ways the quiet man made his mark.
A TON OF FUN Dasil Twinn (19) of Ft. Yates strolled by two Bismarck police officers having coffee at Denny’s. Something didn’t seem right -- Twinn’s hands were handcuffed in front of him. A chase ensued and Twinn was brought to the ground near Snoopers Tons of Fun. Twinn had escaped from Morton County Sheriff’s deputies.
VIOLENCE REDUCTION A few years ago, the Minneapolis Somali community appeared ready to erupt. Recruiting by terrorists and a wave of crime were among the symptoms of turmoil. Since then, an FBI task force has monitored the community. Beginning in 2013, a federally funded community-policing initiative began to strengthen ties with Minneapolis Somalis. Other city agencies, such as the Hennepin County attorney’s office, have special programs for the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Minneapolis hopes their programs become a national model for violence reduction in immigrant communities.
SCORE: JESSE 2 - EXPERTS 0 In 1998, experts thought Jesse Ventura was over his head, yet he became Minnesota’s governor. Similarly, legal experts considered him an underdog this year when Ventura brought a defamation suit against the estate of a deceased author. Ventura was awarded $1.8 million against the estate of Chris Kyle.
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