Culture

​Five ways to rock Oktoberfest

September 25th, 2019

Munich Oktoberfest - photograph by Alicia Underlee Nelson

It’s prime Oktoberfest season, both in Germany and here in the upper Midwest. I visited a biergarten and a beer tent at Oktoberfest in Munich (the place where the party started way back in 1810), then bellied up to a communal table at Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart to hoist a beer stein and learn how the Germans celebrate.

I came away with five tips for enjoying Oktoberfest to the fullest, whether you’re in Germany or the Midwest. Try them yourself at one (or five!) of the…

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Research and data collection around the web

September 18th, 2019

I am sure that you have reflected about how some of the web sites you use get your name or other facts about you, shopping habits, area of the country you live in or even your closest friends. The answer to your questions is data collection. Collecting data is valuable because you can use it to make informed decisions. The more relevant, high-quality data you have, the more likely you are to make good choices when it comes to marketing, sales, customer service, product development and…

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​Do You have a router in your house?

September 18th, 2019

I guess I have to assume that most of you do. It is useful when you have more than one computer that you want to connect to the Internet. There are also many other advantages to owning a router but that is a story for another time. This time I want you to know about resetting the router.

A factory reset wipes your router’s custom settings and returns it to a like-new state. This is an important step when troubleshooting some network problems. Factory-resetting is relatively easy, but…

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​Fall Equinox at Medicine Wheel Park

September 18th, 2019

Joe Steckler - photograph by Michael Gabbard

By Kristin Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com

Amongst the many charms of autumn in Valley City, North Dakota, at the top of a huge hill, in a serene, semi-secluded area, you'll find Medicine Wheel Park.

The park offers 30 acres of scenic trails, 12 burial mounds between 500 and 2,000 years old, a 3,000 square foot flower garden, a distance-scaled solar system and more. Its centerpiece is the Medicine Wheel.

Measuring 213 ft around and built with fieldstones, the Medicine Wheel, inspired by the Big…

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Chrome Web Browser

September 11th, 2019

We haven’t talked about the Chrome web browser for a while and now is a good time because Google is coming out with a new version of the browser. This will be Chrome 77 which will be arriving as I write this. Disclaimer- I use the Chrome web browser for almost all of my work and I use Firefox, Edge, and Opera for various tasks when setting up a website, etc. In years past, if a website didn’t work properly with one browser, you simply tried another one. These days, Chrome knows how…

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Living a dream

September 11th, 2019

Shari Lindsley

This past week, Shari Lindsley had the chance to live out the dream of a lifetime when she participated in the USA Powerlifting Athlete Camp which was held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Shari was one of 35 powerlifters who had the opportunity to train under world-class coaches like Zac Cooper, Arian Khamesi, and Priscilla Ribic during the 4-day event.

Shari said she has always had a passion for powerlifting and, when she was young, had success at the world…

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25 years…where do I begin?

September 4th, 2019

By Raul Gomez, Publisher
raul@hpr1.com

I have come to think of the High Plains Reader, not as an extension of John Strand or myself, but as its own living breathing entity that wants and feeds and strives for its own personal fulfillment. And sometimes when I look back at where it started, I feel a closeness to it. We share a bond, like a parent or gay uncle, and I’m proud of what it’s become.

When I first saw the Reader I was in Grafton, North Dakota, fresh on my second week of…

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​The Main Guys

September 4th, 2019

Photograph by Raul Gomez

I was pretty depressed. I was new in town, very much alone and my main entertainment was going to the supermarket. I walked there to make it last longer.

On March 7, 2007, I overcame my shyness and walked up the stairs and into the headquarters and only quarters of the High Plains Reader, to volunteer my services. John Strand, the co-proprietor, asked me what I’d like to do. I said that for starters, what nobody else wants to do, and he put me to work answering the phone.

That’s…

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​Fargo VFW Revs Their Engines with Motorcycle Show

September 4th, 2019

There has always been a certain allure about motorcycles. Even after they have become a fixture on roads everywhere they still evoke a sense of freedom, rugged individualism, and danger. It is that aura of mystique that has enthralled Dan Jacobson Sr. aka “Dangerous Dakota Dan”, well-known motorcycle celebrity emcee, ever since he was twelve and still holds him in its thrall to this day. This passion inspired him to spearhead the first ever downtown motorcycle show to be held in…

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​Finding sanctuary on the prairie: Hawkes Homestead Animal Sanctuary

September 4th, 2019

Photograph provided by Jessica Hawkes

North Dakota is often known for its multigenerational family farms; not so much for its animal rescues and sanctuaries. But Jessica Hawkes, a New Rockford local, is currently working to convert a 600-acre, fifth-generation homestead into the Hawkes Homestead Animal Sanctuary.

“We currently house approximately 125 animals,” Hawkes says. “I say approximately because they are always coming and going—last week we adopted out five cats and four chicks, and this morning three more…

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