RYAN BAKKEN COLUMN
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RYAN BAKKEN: Paying for sandbagging doesn’t pay off 
Moorhead’s decision to pay its sandbag workers was a very bad idea. Moorhead estimated it would spend $166,000 on sandbagging labor, paying a day-labor company about $15 per worker hour. With fewer volunteers than anticipated, it actually spent $409,000.
Sandbagging is a volunteer endeavor. You diminish its worth by paying for it. Sandbagging serves at least two purposes: 1) It keeps water out of your living room; and 2) It develops community, a shared sense of sacrifice for the greater good.
By Ryan Bakken , April 25, 2011
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RYAN BAKKEN: Put on your fur coat and take the news quiz
With several appearances by the Siberian Express, January was frigid. Unless, of course, you were wearing a $12,000 fur coat.
Some bad guy — or bad girl — wasn’t cold, because the aforementioned fur coat was stolen from a party bus parked outside a Grand Forks eatery in the early hours.
By Ryan Bakken , January 31, 2011
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RYAN BAKKEN: Signs of the times
The Huffington Post recently created a list of items that have become obsolete in the last 10 years. Following are some of the items that are either a memory or quickly becoming one:
By Ryan Bakken , January 08, 2011
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December news quiz: Snow, gas prices and Zygi Wilf
Every time you turned around in December, there was a blizzard. Or, the price at the gas pumps jumped. Or, a KC-135 Stratotanker left, signaling the end of an era. Or, some singer was wearing a meat dress.
By Ryan Bakken , January 01, 2011
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Giving thanks for the lack of beet stink blues
The American Crystal Sugar plant in East Grand Forks has received a total of one complaint since September. The complaint was about noise, not aroma.
By Ryan Bakken , December 18, 2010
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Brothers keep on truckin’ along the weight-loss road
The Olson brothers from Oklee, Minn., have much in common. All three are in their 40s. All three are drivers for the same trucking firm, traveling across the United States during the week and at home for the weekend.
By Ryan Bakken , December 11, 2010
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On Fargo's side
Sometimes, I enjoy seeing Fargo cast in a negative light. I know I shouldn’t. It’s not nice. But, last week, I was on Fargo’s side. The reason was a survey that showed Fargo ranked 94th out of 100 cities for religious devotion. Fargo ranked just a sliver above No. 95 Jersey City, N.J.
By Ryan Bakken , November 15, 2010
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RYAN BAKKEN: Pig spleen predictions
Norbert Schultz of rural Pingree, N.D., says he can predict winter’s weather by looking at pig spleens. I tried this pig spleen formula once, resulting in this forecast: There would be six more weeks before my appetite would return.
By Ryan Bakken , November 08, 2010
Lessons learned in October: Spurs, polls and Favre
We learned a lot in October. One of the bigger lessons is that, if choosing a life of crime, don’t attempt to mug someone wearing spurs or you could be picking metal out of your dental work.
By Ryan Bakken , October 30, 2010
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For many, 10/10/10 was perfect for the big day
More than 39,000 couples chose to get married Sunday in the U.S. That’s 10 times more than normal. The reason is that Sunday’s date was 10/10/10. Romantics believed the day was a perfect 10 for getting married.
Some couples even went so far as to say their “I dos” at 10:10 a.m. Sunday, which seems like gimmicky overkill.
By Ryan Bakken , October 11, 2010
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RYAN BAKKEN COLUMN: Hillsboro Mario Bros
High school proms often have a romantic theme, something like “Enchanted Evening.” Others are mystical, like “Arabian Nights.” Then, there are themes that follow the allure of exciting places, such as “Evening in Paris” and “New York, New York.”
By Ryan Bakken , April 05, 2010
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Bakken's August news quiz
September is here, meaning the deadline has passed to sign up to be a member of a death panel. Talk about a great job. Just think of the potential kickbacks. You could be richer than Bernie Madoff. And no one would dare blow the whistle, for fear of having their Lipitor confiscated.
By Ryan Bakken , August 31, 2009
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Doing good with doo-doo
Sunday’s Herald included a story about how Kansas City, Mo., is turning human waste into fertilizer to grow trees. Do you remember the movie “The Lion King” and its message about the “Circle of Life?” This is a better example of the Circle of Life.
By Ryan Bakken , August 17, 2009
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Local man to ump big tourney
Tom Perius soon will become more famous than his car.
Starting Friday, the 63-year-old Langdon resident will be one of eight umpires working the American Legion World Series in Fargo.
By Ryan Bakken , August 10, 2009
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