SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
“WHO HAS A TEST CENTER for unmanned systems that’s integrated with a major university?” -- ND University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott explaining why UND is uniquely positioned to be in the forefront of UAS development. He believes most institutions engaged in UAS research don’t have space and facilities for testing.
THE BEST LAID PLANS OF . . . Carson Wentz is a Bismarck native and former NDSU quarterback drafted this year by the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz was expected to develop behind two experienced quarterbacks and have little playing time in his first year. Last Saturday that all changed, Sam Bradford, the Eagle’s starting quarterback, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings to fill a hole left by injuries. Rookie Wentz is now the Eagle’s starting quarterback.
VIKING FANS ARE ABOARD The Star Tribune polled readers about the Vikings trade for Sam Bradford. Results: Yes, he was needed (57%) and yes, but too expensive (23%), no (20%).
BIG IRON NEEDS YOU The Fargo farm show in mid-September is the largest in the Upper Midwest with more than 900 exhibitors and draws 65,000 to 85,000 visitors. But volunteers are its engine and are needed to greet visitors, check in exhibitors and operate trams and people movers.
STANDOFF A 3-story, 44-unit apartment building (Blue Hawk Square) in Dickinson designed for Dickinson State students is empty, another casualty of the DSU Foundation dissolution. Dacotah Bank acquired the property in foreclosure. The city and residents of the neighborhood will not allow further occupancy until parking is arranged. Earlier, the building was filled with students, but they jammed neighboring streets with cars.
IT’S NOT PEACEFUL “Three private security officers at the site were injured by protesters. One of them required hospitalization. Two security K-9s were also taken to veterinarians to be treated for injuries.” -- Donnell Preskey, spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Office. Protesters broke down a fence at a pipeline construction site and rushed the construction workers.
THE ND PETROLEUM COUNCIL contends the protests are about more than the Missouri River pipeline crossing. They contend national environmental groups have latched on to the Standing Rock Sioux protest “as a last-ditch effort to stop a project that they could not prevent through a regular, orderly review process.” The protesters did not attend a series of pipeline hearings.
PROTESTS ATTRACT POLITICAL FIGURES John Strand, a member of the Fargo City Commission, visited the pipeline protests. Strand said he is not opposed to pipelines believing they are safer and more effective than oil trains. He said his objective was to grow trust with native peoples. Arrest warrants have been issued for Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for president, and her running mate for spray painting a bulldozer at a protest demonstration.
PROCESS IS NOT ENOUGH Columnist Mike Jacobs includes the Dakota Access Pipeline (above) among five examples of ND public decision making gone awry. The other four are the UND nickname controversy, the tenure of NDSU presidents, a hog farm near Buffalo, and the location of the Grand Forks library. He said “the unifying theme is an emphasis on process.” In each instance process failed -- Jacobs said “Process is not Progress.” Jacobs carefully avoided solutions, but we can fill in the blank - it’s leadership.
THE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX of Minnesota are a tribe of millionaires due to their successful casino. But wealth has nearly ruined their lives and is seen as the cause of a dependency that has brought alcoholism, suicides and parental dysfunction. They have lost the incentive to get education and jobs. The Klamath Tribes of Oregon went down a similar path -- timber sales were the source of their wealth and dependency. Retired Star Tribune writer Joe Rigert makes these assertions in a new book, “The Dependency Curse.”
TIME OUT This September 1, Seth and Lauren Stevenson of Dickinson welcomed 9-pound, 12-ounce Henry, their third child. Tommie (a sister) was born on September 1, 2015 and Axel was born September 1, 2014. There is no record of this many siblings born on the same date in back-to-back years. The Stevensons plan to give themselves a little break.
ARNOLD ANDERSON’s prairie story was not unusual for its time. He received an eighth grade education and then his father died and Arnold was needed to manage the family farm. Anderson (104) was a native of the Bottineau area. His obituary said “Arnold’s Christlike spirit, strength and patience were so evident.”
FRIEDA NEUMILLER WATSON of Carrington was ten years younger than Anderson. She was the middle child of 17 children and also left school after the eighth grade to care for younger siblings when her mother died. Her obituary indicated she outlived all but two of her siblings.
DAKTOIDS ND is one of 10 states where only white candidates have been elected to statewide offices. Neighboring states South Dakota and Wyoming are also in that group . . . Tomorrow, the Eastern Washington football team plays NDSU in Fargo. This is a formidable challenge for the Bison -- last Saturday EW upset Washington State, a PAC 12 member . . . Tim Davies died -- he was the son of famed federal jurist Judge Ronald Davies. Tim, a 1961 UND law school graduate, became a prominent Fargo attorney.
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