Articles

First-time fathers learn by actions, not words

Stories of fathers through the generations

• Howard Haug (left) sits with his son and grandaughter, Tom (right) and Hallie Haug
• Fathers work to stay connected while providing for families far away

Grand Forks legislators on foreign trip cross paths with mass protests

Halfway across the globe on a goodwill trip, four local legislators found themselves in the middle of the protests in Turkey.

• Protesters

RYAN BAKKEN: Homecoming queen puts tiara on loan to classmates

Females in the Crookston Central High School Class of 1978 are experiencing what it’s like to be a queen for a day. Over the past year, the class’ homecoming queen has allowed her tiara to be a short-time loaner to her classmates.

• Ryan Bakken
• Present day 1977 queen Julie Dickhudt
• 1977 queen Julie Anderson

High-speed rock hits rural Hatton, N.D., home, where it came from remains a mystery

Elsie Pierce has a hole in her screen window, a hole in her glass window, a dent in her wall and splintered glass that appears as if it had spent time in a blender. What she doesn’t have is an answer for what caused all of the above.

• Elsie Pierce examines the hole in the screen and glass in her upstairs bathroom window
• The rock that Elsie Pierce found in her up stairs hallway

RYAN BAKKEN: Local rhubarb fundraiser is ‘something different’

Sandwiches also were served Saturday at University Lutheran, but the congregation’s Rhubarb Festival was all about the vegetable that masquerades as a fruit.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Wanted: a league of his own

Dear National Collegiate Hockey Association people: Please be advised that the following words will serve as my official application to become the new commissioner of the National Collegiate Hockey Association.

• Ryan Bakken

Planned Grand Forks hockey facility nets new funds, but costs rise, finish delayed

Two months ago, landing a naming rights sponsor appeared to be the last hurdle to building another Grand Forks hockey arena to serve youth.

• Grand Forks Park District new youth ice arena

Veteran group turns to Vietnam, current era for new members

When Terry Buraas took over as adjutant in 2002, American Legion Post 157 in East Grand Forks had 1,225 members. Today, it has 957, a decline of about 20 percent.

• John Davis, a Korean War veteran, joins other veterans at a hospitality event
• VFW members Steve and Vicki Paradis of West Fargo share a dance

RYAN BAKKEN: Relaxed rules for better golf

As a sixty-something, my golf scores still resemble the ones I achieved as a twenty-something.

• Ryan Bakken

VFW commander in Grand Forks for state convention

One of John Hamilton’s first jobs after returning from Vietnam was as a “heel.” That’s professional wrestling slang for being the villain in the staged matches. He’s in Grand Forks for this weekend’s North Dakota VFW annual convention.

• VFW Commander in Chief John Hamilton

Columns

RYAN BAKKEN: Need for less speed

I long have been bewildered about the casualness displayed by motorists getting speeding tickets.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Working hard just to be overweight

Ten days ago, a released study showed that overweight people live longer than those of normal weight. Now they tell me. Now, after buying a fitness club membership? Now, after pints, gallons, maybe even acre-feet, of sweat rolling off my forehead onto the treadmill?

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: More misery now, more joy in July

What we need is a blizzard. Or a cold snap. Or both. I’m serious. My wish is for our own good — in the summer. I’m referring to the Principle of Constant Weather Pleasure.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Wealth, thinness, smarts, youth — no, thanks

Ryan Bakken writes about the things American adults would most like to change about themselves.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: If Mayans are right, no Christmas shopping

With Christmas two weeks away, I’m tempted to believe the Mayans. If the Mayans are right, the world will end on Dec. 21. That means any effort I put into Christmas shopping would be wasted.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Smoking ban will broaden in Grand Forks parks

North Dakota’s public smoking ban doesn’t just cover the indoors. It also rules over the soccer fields and baseball diamonds in our rectangular slice of heaven.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Norwegians made Northwood not New Orleans

Northwood, N.D., has the highest percentage of Norwegian American ancestry of any community in the United States. That high ratio of Norwegians explains the town’s rapid and complete recovery from its 2007 tornado.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: 6 things wrong with 138-point game

138-point performance was celebrated by many. I’m not one of them.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: A town with no Twinkies

With speculation percolating that Twinkies might become extinct, I hunted for the leading stereotype of junk food. Alas, after stops at 10 grocery and convenience stores, I couldn’t find a single Twinkie in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Blindingly obvious but a longtime coming

Bakken talks about his history with tobacco and how attitudes on the subject have changed.

• Ryan Bakken