Dakota Beacon

VEXING QUESTION  Almost anyone who has been to Norway comes away with the same question: “Why would they leave such a beautiful spot?”  StarTribune columnist Lee Schafer attempted to explain why Norwegians were so willing to immigrate to places like Minnesota and ND.  He offered the usual explanations of overpopulation and poverty in Norway, but indicated it was more complicated then that.  He mentioned “American Fever” that swept Norway in the late 19th Century — the U.S. Homestead Act presented a new opportunity to young Norwegians concerned about their futures.  Early immigrants described rich possibilities and resources to their families back in Norway — this had a contagious effect.

THE TWO KENNEDYS  The Forum News Service summarized Mark Kennedy’s time as UND president.  It was almost as if they described two individuals.  The overriding view was that he greatly focused and changed UND with a strategic plan that put the university on the right future path.  The conflicting view was that, in the process, he alienated many people.  That view was articulated by Brigit Pruess, faculty representative on the state higher ed board: “I think he may be one of those people who may be low in emotional intelligence relative to conventional intelligence.  He may not always notice that he’s stepped onto someone’s feet.”

MODERATE?  Heidi Heitkamp believes if the national Democratic party becomes more moderate, that will help moderate Democrats in ND.  She has co-founded a national advocacy group having that purpose.  Rob Port questions whether ND Demos are in fact moderate.  He mentions their U.S. House candidate in 2016 was Chase Iron Eyes, a multiple felon, who was defeated and later arrested on felony charges in connection with the Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrations.  He said another example is state Rep. Ruth Buffalo of Fargo, who is affiliated with the Red River Valley chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and also supported the demonstrations.

HOW ABOUT A GROCERY UPS?  Here’s the problem in a nutshell:  Grocery stores in ND towns with fewer than 2,000 people are rapidly drying up and many in the state’s rural parts must drive long distances for fresh food.  The livability of rural communities is threatened.  What is the Legislature going to do about it?  As you might expect, they are forming a study committee.  The committee will probably discover that, as rural populations thin, basic economics reduces the number of grocery stores.  Something other than traditional grocery stores may be needed to fill the gap.

BUY HIGH, SELL LOW seemed to be the strategy of grain buyer Hunter Hanson (age 22).  It didn’t matter, since he rarely paid the sellers and racked up $11.4 million in debts to 60 ND farmers, elevators and grain brokers.  Hanson has agreed to plead guilty to various frauds and pay “full restitution.”  How do you suppose that will work out? 

TRY REALITY  A Minot Daily News editorial said some Minot area residents are still waiting for the return of the oil boom.  The editorial said forget it — “It seems an unlikely proposition.”  The News said the oil industry is doing fine, but requires fewer people —  “Technology enables fewer sites to produce more oil and gas with less labor.”

WALLET HUB ELVES were at it again — this time, determining “The Best States to Live in.”  Minnesotans can smile, their state was overall #2 and did especially well in Education and Health.  ND (#11) was #1 in Economy, but pulled down by a low (#46) Quality of Life ranking.  Wyoming (#15) and South Dakota (#18) were also hurt by poor Quality of Life rankings, which are heavily weighted for amenities that are scarce in rural states.  Montana (#24) got dinged for Safety, a ranking largely influenced by crime and quality of law enforcement.

MASSACHUSETTS was the #1 ”Best State” followed by Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Colorado.  Huddled at the bottom was the unlucky cluster of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  New Mexico rounded out the bottom five, which generally scored well in Affordability, but were dismal in areas like Education and Health.

HISTORIC DIAMOND C RANCH  The life of Alvin Dvorak, who died recently at age 100, was built around the Diamond C Ranch on Killdeer Mt. — one of ND’s oldest ranches.  Alvin was lucky to get an eighth grade education and learned ranching from his father and trail cowboys.  He trailed cows which grazed on the Ft. Berthold reservation in the summer and at other times accompanied his father on cattle trains to St. Paul and Chicago.  Alvin was named “Rancher of the Year” in 1994 and inducted into the ND Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008.  The 11-square-mile Diamond C is now run by Alvin’s son, Craig.

DRIVERLESS BULLDOZERS are used in remote areas (ND qualifies) by Twin Cities-based Mortensen Construction to perform repetitive earth-moving tasks.  Leveling ground for wind towers is an example.  Also, remote controlled excavators are used to dig foundations for the towers.  Human operators in construction trailers monitor the equipment with video cameras.  The “autonomous robotic equipment technology” was developed by San Francisco-based Built Robotics.  This is a very touchy subject with labor unions whose members operate construction equipment.

THE DEATH PENALTY is a hopeless waste of public resources.  Since 1998, 78 people have been sentenced to death and only three executed.  Alfonso Rodriguez, who murdered UND student Dru Sjodin in 2006, is a case in point.  His prosecution, defense and detention have cost millions of dollars — experts say his appeals may last another decade.

PUBLIC ART  A new Fargo Civic Plaza will feature the refurbished $500,000 “Sodbuster” sculpture by the late artist Luis Jimenez.  The 24-foot sculpture, which shows a determined farmer and a pair of oxen plowing a field, was Jimenez's first public outdoor sculpture.  He became famous for such sculptures throughout the American West.  “Sodbuster” has been refurbished and made more weather resistant with a $143,000 grant.

DAKTOIDS:  April oil production in ND remained near record levels, but a state energy official expressed “very signifiant” worries over a recent drop in prices . . . A teacher from Standing Rock received a “Bravo” from the Jamestown Sun for rescuing a baby from a hot car in the Fargo West Acres Mall . . . Minnesota has the third best state ranking for DUI deaths; ND is the third worst . . . ND crops got a late start; the ensuing cool weather has been good for grain, but not for row crops . . . In 2018, ND was the only state growing younger — it’s the 4th youngest.