SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - OCTOBER 12, 2015
WHY IS IT? Former residents of most states feel nostalgia, but those from ND seem to be in another class. They enjoy their present lives and do not plan to return, but still strongly identify with North Dakota. It’s a matter of degree, but their nostalgia seems stronger than those of former residents from almost any other state. Tributes often come in the form of a letters to ND newspapers. Michael Norton of Tuscon, Arizona, told Nodaks, “Your wonderful spirit and appreciation of the little things and of the big important things in life are what is truly amazing about you all . . . the people of North Dakota remain some of the best there are anywhere.” Norton calls himself “a loyal son” and suggests Nodaks have maintained values that may have slackened in other states.
THE ANNE E CASEY FOUNDATION said childhood poverty in ND increased a shocking 25 percent in 2014 -- one of the highest rate increases in the nation. Historically, childhood poverty in ND has been largely confined to the Indian reservations. More recently, cities such Grand Forks and Fargo have become problems. Explanations are vague, such as, “a higher number of financially struggling families moving into the state.”
HERE’S A CLUE A federal report indicates ND leads the nation in refugees per capita and 70 percent go to Fargo. A petition in Fargo asks for a moratorium on new refugees. U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer said “state and local governments should be concerned” about the financial impact. He said, "It will be taxpayers footing the bill for these refugees." The CEO of Lutheran Social Services of ND, the resettlement agency, gave a stock response -- she disputes the notion that refugees are a taxpayer burden.
EYES BIGGER THAN STOMACH? “Western North Dakota has made huge investments . . . there is more than a half-billion dollars in debt accrued between the Oil Patch hub cities of Dickinson, Williston, Watford City and Minot.” -- Shawn Kessel, Dickinson city administrator. Western ND cities racked up huge debt at the height of oil prices. Repayment was predicated on high oil revenues, sales tax revenue and state assistance, all of which have been placed in question.
OH, OH! Second quarter taxable sales in ND dropped 16 percent from the same quarter last year. The state saw a 130 percent increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in September. Both are ripple effects of depressed crude oil prices.
YOUNG AND PROSPEROUS Despite the above concerns the Governor’s Summit on Economic Growth in Fargo emphasized economic positives. Gov. Dalrymple reported in 2004 ND was 38th in the nation for personal income per capita; in 2014, the state jumped to fourth. Perhaps even more surprising, ND now has the fourth-youngest population in the country.
COLUMNIST CLAY JENKINSON closed ten years with the Bismarck Tribune. His column evolved during that period. In the beginning, he made many sharp observations about culture, economics and politics in ND. In recent years he’s used a mellower tone, a combination of a travelogue and personal slice of life stories. His final column reflects his personal ambivalence about the Bakken oil boom. On one hand, he worries about its impact on ND’s environment and character; on the other hand, he is delighted by the “breathtaking array of possibilities.”
UND’S LAMBDA CHI ALPHA will hold a Homecoming banquet at the Ralph Engelstad Arena to honor three fraternity members from the 1950s who went on to ND prominence. Gerald VandeWalle is ND Chief Justice, Allen Olson is a former governor, and William Marcil is the chairman of Forum Communications. The three attended UND at the same time and remain friends.
A LITTLE HEAT "I'd like to know why that decision was made the way it was, where you decided to do nothing and allow this vote to continue with a president who's sort of a lame-duck president leaving our state." -- State Rep. Jim Kasper challenging new University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott as to why he let retiring UND President Robert Kelley keep “UND/North Dakota” off the nickname ballot.
PARODY LOGO An unauthorized version of the Fighting Sioux logo is showing up on clothing in ND. The modified logo squints and sticks out its tongue. The new design comes from Karl Larson, a UND alumnus in Denver, and sales on his New Sioux website are brisk. UND does not like it, but hasn’t figured out the next move.
FONDLY REMEMBERED Obituaries are increasingly written by family members and friends instead of professional obituary writers. We suspect that some go a little overboard, but then, unless we knew the deceased, who are we to say. Millicent “Mickey” Haunz (89) of Grand Forks was “likened to Marilyn Monroe” and her obituary said her favorite artist, Nat King Cole, would have crooned “Mickey, Unforgettable, that’s what you are.” She must have been terrific to be around, “Her loving and peaceful nature was a life blessing” and after her husband’s death she continued to travel with her friends “to exotic lands.” Her husband was also fondly recalled for his “well known world-wide research in diabetes.”
RASHAD TURNER (30) had a rough start in life. His father was murdered when he was 1-1/2 and he was abandoned by his mother. A grandmother raised him. He acquired a criminal record, but also acquired a criminal justice degree. He dropped out of police work. Fast forward to the present -- he is the controversial leader of BLM (Black Lives Matter) in St. Paul and organized protests at the State Fair and also shut down a light rail line. Police grew increasingly wary and when he threatened to close the annual St. Paul marathon, they indicated arrests would be made. Turner backed down and protestors stayed off the marathon course.
HOW MANY MILLIONS? “Security sources say that to follow someone without being detected government agencies needed crews of up to 36 watchers for a 24-hour shift.” -- Reuters. The Twin Cities area of Minnesota is the FBI’s most concentrated counterterrorism effort to thwart potential militants. Costs are difficult to imagine.
DAKTOIDS "We love everything about it," a patron called Sky's "the nicest restaurant in North Dakota." Sky’s is the replacement for Sanders -- a longtime Grand Forks favorite . . . It depends which side of the Red River you are on -- from 1990 to 2015 enrollment at NDSU and UND has steadily increased; during the same period Moorhead State and Concordia had steep enrollment declines.
THE ANNE E CASEY FOUNDATION said childhood poverty in ND increased a shocking 25 percent in 2014 -- one of the highest rate increases in the nation. Historically, childhood poverty in ND has been largely confined to the Indian reservations. More recently, cities such Grand Forks and Fargo have become problems. Explanations are vague, such as, “a higher number of financially struggling families moving into the state.”
HERE’S A CLUE A federal report indicates ND leads the nation in refugees per capita and 70 percent go to Fargo. A petition in Fargo asks for a moratorium on new refugees. U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer said “state and local governments should be concerned” about the financial impact. He said, "It will be taxpayers footing the bill for these refugees." The CEO of Lutheran Social Services of ND, the resettlement agency, gave a stock response -- she disputes the notion that refugees are a taxpayer burden.
EYES BIGGER THAN STOMACH? “Western North Dakota has made huge investments . . . there is more than a half-billion dollars in debt accrued between the Oil Patch hub cities of Dickinson, Williston, Watford City and Minot.” -- Shawn Kessel, Dickinson city administrator. Western ND cities racked up huge debt at the height of oil prices. Repayment was predicated on high oil revenues, sales tax revenue and state assistance, all of which have been placed in question.
OH, OH! Second quarter taxable sales in ND dropped 16 percent from the same quarter last year. The state saw a 130 percent increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in September. Both are ripple effects of depressed crude oil prices.
YOUNG AND PROSPEROUS Despite the above concerns the Governor’s Summit on Economic Growth in Fargo emphasized economic positives. Gov. Dalrymple reported in 2004 ND was 38th in the nation for personal income per capita; in 2014, the state jumped to fourth. Perhaps even more surprising, ND now has the fourth-youngest population in the country.
COLUMNIST CLAY JENKINSON closed ten years with the Bismarck Tribune. His column evolved during that period. In the beginning, he made many sharp observations about culture, economics and politics in ND. In recent years he’s used a mellower tone, a combination of a travelogue and personal slice of life stories. His final column reflects his personal ambivalence about the Bakken oil boom. On one hand, he worries about its impact on ND’s environment and character; on the other hand, he is delighted by the “breathtaking array of possibilities.”
UND’S LAMBDA CHI ALPHA will hold a Homecoming banquet at the Ralph Engelstad Arena to honor three fraternity members from the 1950s who went on to ND prominence. Gerald VandeWalle is ND Chief Justice, Allen Olson is a former governor, and William Marcil is the chairman of Forum Communications. The three attended UND at the same time and remain friends.
A LITTLE HEAT "I'd like to know why that decision was made the way it was, where you decided to do nothing and allow this vote to continue with a president who's sort of a lame-duck president leaving our state." -- State Rep. Jim Kasper challenging new University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott as to why he let retiring UND President Robert Kelley keep “UND/North Dakota” off the nickname ballot.
PARODY LOGO An unauthorized version of the Fighting Sioux logo is showing up on clothing in ND. The modified logo squints and sticks out its tongue. The new design comes from Karl Larson, a UND alumnus in Denver, and sales on his New Sioux website are brisk. UND does not like it, but hasn’t figured out the next move.
FONDLY REMEMBERED Obituaries are increasingly written by family members and friends instead of professional obituary writers. We suspect that some go a little overboard, but then, unless we knew the deceased, who are we to say. Millicent “Mickey” Haunz (89) of Grand Forks was “likened to Marilyn Monroe” and her obituary said her favorite artist, Nat King Cole, would have crooned “Mickey, Unforgettable, that’s what you are.” She must have been terrific to be around, “Her loving and peaceful nature was a life blessing” and after her husband’s death she continued to travel with her friends “to exotic lands.” Her husband was also fondly recalled for his “well known world-wide research in diabetes.”
RASHAD TURNER (30) had a rough start in life. His father was murdered when he was 1-1/2 and he was abandoned by his mother. A grandmother raised him. He acquired a criminal record, but also acquired a criminal justice degree. He dropped out of police work. Fast forward to the present -- he is the controversial leader of BLM (Black Lives Matter) in St. Paul and organized protests at the State Fair and also shut down a light rail line. Police grew increasingly wary and when he threatened to close the annual St. Paul marathon, they indicated arrests would be made. Turner backed down and protestors stayed off the marathon course.
HOW MANY MILLIONS? “Security sources say that to follow someone without being detected government agencies needed crews of up to 36 watchers for a 24-hour shift.” -- Reuters. The Twin Cities area of Minnesota is the FBI’s most concentrated counterterrorism effort to thwart potential militants. Costs are difficult to imagine.
DAKTOIDS "We love everything about it," a patron called Sky's "the nicest restaurant in North Dakota." Sky’s is the replacement for Sanders -- a longtime Grand Forks favorite . . . It depends which side of the Red River you are on -- from 1990 to 2015 enrollment at NDSU and UND has steadily increased; during the same period Moorhead State and Concordia had steep enrollment declines.
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