Ryan Bakken
Ryan Bakken writes about news in the region and his column appears Tuesday and Sunday.Articles
Shootin' par with the Predators
As new mission nears, life goes on at GF air base — and that includes a few rounds of golf.
RELATED CONTENTEGF taxes, but not spending, may rise
The city of East Grand Forks won’t be spending more money in 2011. But property owners may see as much as a 7.8 percent tax increase, anyway. The culprit for that anomaly, as city officials have repeated in recent years, is the cut in local government aid by Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s unallotments.
Kickball gains a toe-hold in GF
Recess, with beer.
In a nutshell, that’s adult co-ed kickball, the latest craze — OK, mini-craze — in Grand Forks. About 80 grownups are reliving their favorite schoolyard recess activity.
GF Park District reorganizes management structure
The administration restructuring is being done because Steve Mullally, superintendent of parks, is retiring at the end of the year. Under the long-time structure, Mullally ran the parks and Bill Palmiscno ran recreation, both under head administrator John Staley.
Ed and the eggs — both can make you sick 
Our life is cozy and safe here in the hinterlands.
Our worries are limited to the likes of having a bedbug as a bunkmate, biting into a salmonella-laced omelet and being in the same room during an Ed Schultz meltdown.
U.S. Highway 2 construction near Crookston to begin wrapping up
If the weather cooperates, the U.S. Highway 2 construction just east of Crookston should be finished by mid-September.
RELATED CONTENTNo slowin’ down
Age has hindered Jeanne Erickson in only one discernible way: She needs to stand on tiptoes to peer over the raised counter of the pharmacists’ work area.
RELATED CONTENTPark Board considers 2011 budget
The Grand Forks Park Board soon will be considering what its top administrator is calling a “no-growth budget.”
Cremations rise nationally, locally
Reducing their footprint was the motivation for Gordon and Trudy Iseminger. Donating their bodies to science was the incentive for Walt and Darlene Mikkelson.
RELATED CONTENTWEATHER: Northern valley manages to escape storms
Although it was hot and humid and a tornado watch lasted throughout the evening, the northern half of the Red River Valley escaped the worst of Saturday’s weather.
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The slow news of summer 2010
The smoking ban in Grand Forks public places went into effect in August, resulting in a shift from indoor air pollution to outside butt-littering pollution.
RELATED CONTENT50 sturdy years for Ben Franklin
When Ben Franklin Elementary in Grand Forks opened 50 years ago, John F. Kennedy was president.
RELATED CONTENTThose darn facts always get in the way
A national poll last week showed that 1 of 5 Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim. Such ignorance is disturbing.
RELATED CONTENTNorth Dakota boys being ‘Bois’
North Dakotans have many fine qualities, one of the better ones being the ability to laugh at ourselves. If you’re not one of them, proceed to the comics.
RELATED CONTENTRYAN BAKKEN: On the short end no more
Finally, there’s some good news for us short people. It comes via the UND med school and professor Holly Brown-Borg. Her research shows that dwarf mice live longer than the regular-sized variety.
RELATED CONTENTThe four-letter word for today is humidity
Heat is a four-letter word. But humidity is even more profane, especially in August.
RELATED CONTENTANN BAILEY: Outdoor fun
Last week I found out another good reason for raising my children in rural North Dakota instead in more populated areas. Apparently kids in places like Portland, Ore., no longer know how to play. The Associated Press quoted Susan McElroy, principal of Grout Elementary School in Portland, as saying that she hired a recess coach because the rise of electronic entertainment and the decline of spontaneous neighborhood play have left many children ill-equipped to handle unstructured playground time; they don’t have the social skills.
RELATED CONTENTRYAN BAKKEN: Fame is what is most important these days
If you know who Snooki is, well, shame on you. You should be embarrassed if you’ve watched the reality TV show “Jersey Shore” that features Snooki. I know I am.
RELATED CONTENTThe manic, mischievous, unmatched month of June
June had serious news, such as lethal tornadoes, the death of former North Dakota Gov. Art Link, the ever-rising Devils Lake and the obligatory twists and turns of the Fighting Sioux nickname issue.
RELATED CONTENTGM owes Bagley mom a Corvette
General Motors should give Amanda (Norgaard) McBride a Corvette for giving bith while driving a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. That's what GM gave Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga after he lost a perfect game because of an umpire's blown call.
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