Dakota Beacon

LEGAL BATTLES BEGIN  The Washington D.C. federal judge who ordered the shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline also denied a hold on that decision.  The matter moves on to the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C.  The pipeline operator say it is impossible to comply with the 30-day shutdown order because it takes three months to empty the 1,200 mile pipeline and replace the oil with nitrogen (to prevent corrosion).  Costs to empty and maintain the pipeline will be enormous.  At its peak, the pipeline was carrying 570,000 barrels a day, 4.5% of U.S. production.

ECONOMIC DEVASTATION  Adam Willis, a new Forum Bismarck staff member, tackled the consequences of the DAPL decision.  One effect of a pipeline closure would be the loss of thousands of jobs in the Oil Patch, some permanent.  What about the appeal of what Willis called “a shocking opinion?”  He thinks DAPL has an uphill battle — it’s limited to questioning the judge’s remedy or whether he abused his discretion.  Economic devastation is considered to be the most likely avenue of appeal.

DAPL HAS ALLIES  Both the state of ND and the federal government have urged the appeals court to halt the shutdown of the DAPL.  The state claims the shutdown will devastate the oil industry and cost the state billions of dollars in tax revenue.  The ND Solicitor General Matt Sagsveen made this argument:  "These definite consequences vastly outweigh the entirely speculative potential harm of a spill or leak while the (study) proceeds.”  In a common sense move, the appeals court granted a temporary stay.

GOVERNOR BURGUM has made a concerted effort to improve ND’s relations with the Standing Rock Sioux.  Their efforts to close the DAPL, which is instrumental to the ND oil industry, frustrates the governor’s initiative.

WE STILL NEED POLICE  Lloyd Omdahl’s column this week was headed “Nobody is abolishing law enforcement.”  He agrees steps must be taken to bring fairness to law enforcement, but says only people “ignorant about the operation of our governments” are worrying about the abolishment of law enforcement.  Any change will require considerable time and negotiation and, in the end, “nobody will get what they wanted, and everyone will feel cheated.”

BYE-BYE BIG RETAILERS  National retailing is in a slump with numerous store closings and rising bankruptcies.  Grand Forks is an extreme example of that trend — many of its leading retail names have closed.  This brings yet another problem — Grand Forks is less attractive to Canadian visitors.  Retail losses have been somewhat offset by manufacturing gains which have recently grown faster in Grand Forks than most other regions.

WHAT A DEAL!  The Dickinson School Board has an opportunity to buy a modern, 114,000 square foot facility for $6 million that they value at $60 million.  The 40-acre property has become surplus to Halliburton, an international oilfield service company.  The Board and advisors are carefully scrutinizing the deal to make sure it’s not a Trojan Horse.  The Dickinson schools would use the facility as a technical eduction center in collaboration with Dickinson State.

PRAIRIE KIDS DID WELL  A search of the Minneapolis Star Tribune last Sunday turned up seven obituaries that day for people born in ND.  In a way it was encouraging, almost all lived well into their 80s and 90s and had interesting lives and successful careers.  Here is one example, Wayne Waldera (90) spent his first eight grades in a one-room school near Lidgerwood — not an uncommon experience at the time.  After obtaining his economics degree at NDSU, he rose in retail ranks to become president of both Gambles Stores and Coast to Coast Hardware stores. 

QUITE A LIFE!  Dr. Rev. Louden Flisk died this month at his farm in Nortonville, ND (a town south of Jamestown that has virtually disappeared) and is buried at a family mausoleum there.  Born in Chicago, he entered the Navy where he served as a Chaplain’s assistant traveling to Vietnam.  On his next bounce, he became president of an Illinois mortgage company, while at the same time earning a Medal of Valor working with local law enforcement.  Needing more challenge, he adopted 11 children as a single parent.  Completing that task, he entered the priesthood and was assigned to a church in Sykeston, ND.  He joined the school board there and in 2004 used his personal wealth in a controversial attempt to save the Sykeston school from merging with Carrington — an effort that failed.  He led a laudable life of community service.

NOT A NICE THING TO SAY!  Patrick Reusse, a sports columnist for the Star Tribune, wrote about the move of St. Thomas University from NCAA Division III to Division I.  He included the following comment: “The move is also fine for a 20th program, women’s hockey, with the WCHA more than willing to embrace the Tommies as its eighth team. The league has been looking for one since those chauvinistic clowns at North Dakota dropped women’s hockey in 2017.”  The reason given at the time by UND was women’s hockey lost big money and had weak attendance at its games. 

PAWNING AN HEIRLOOM  There is a note of desperation in city government in Duluth, Minnesota.  The city has already laid off 100 employees, but is still facing a $25 million budget shortfall.  The city is considering selling two Tiffany stained-glass windows designated as local heritage landmarks, now displayed at the downtown depot and possibly worth millions.  One window was commissioned for the 1893 Chicago World Fair.  A member of the group which obtained the landmark designation said, "For cities to look at plugging short-term budget holes by selling off very valuable public art is very shortsighted,"

DAKTOIDS:  The UND Med School leads all med schools in percentage of American Indian grads . . . Crops in ND generally look good, although 1 million acres of 39 million acres statewide remain unplanted because it was too wet . . . This week ND set a record for daily new coronavirus cases (108) and hospitalized residents (43) . . .  From 2010 to 2019 ND’s Hispanic population grew 129% — the highest rate in the nation.  SD was next at 66%.