May 10th, 2017
Telling people how to act online is a tricky subject, because it’s hard to come off as anything other than patronizing.
As such, I’m not here to insist that there is any right way to act online, but I am here to share some tools I use to have effective conversations with people who disagree with me and my positions. These tools are not politically associated and I recommend their consideration by every person who uses social media.
Before I go on, I want to share that I didn’t…
May 5th, 2017
Last week I shared why I was leaving North Dakota. The long and short of it is that by moving a few miles across a river I will gain access to healthcare I don’t have here and I will feel safer knowing that I live in a state that protects my rights in housing, public accommodation, and employment.
However, I’m one person and this story is so much more than me. To get a wider perspective I asked LGBTQ+ community members who have moved to share a bit of their story. I asked them why…
May 4th, 2017
Each week we do our best to set the scene and let you know the whos and whats of Fargo-Moorhead. Once a year we reach out to you, our readers, to put in your two cents for the HPR’s Best of the Best, the area’s longest-running media poll, with over 20 years on the scene.
The voting will all be done online at http://botb2017.hpr1.com/ or via our Facebook page. We set up an online poll in which you nominate your favorite local heroes in the community and tell us where the action is, so…
May 3rd, 2017
The surface of the former city hall parking lot had been filled in, was much lower long ago.
It flooded nearly every spring, was called The Hollow, and was Fargo’s red light district, full of illegal swinging-door saloons -- and what are called “female boarding houses” in the old insurance maps.
The most famous house of prostitution in the history of the Red River Valley was Melvina Massey’s Crystal Palace, at what was once 201 Third Street North.
Until recently, there was a…
April 27th, 2017
I have purchased many computer printers in my time, some good, some bad, some terrible! It has always been a necessary evil to have a printer on your desk.
Early dot matrix printers were a nightmare to keep running, keep the paper from jamming, keep the ink cartridges fresh and making sure you made the monthly payment after you charged the printer on your VISA card.
All of that is changed (except for paying for it). You still hear about the headaches caused by printers in the review…
April 26th, 2017
Finland won its independence from Russia on December 9, 1917, but the Red River Finns, Nordic Culture Clubs, and Folkways are celebrating early, in the most Finnish possible way, by hosting a sauna in the Viking Ship Park in Moorhead, near the Hjemkomst Center.
“We are not Swedes, we do not want to become Russians, let us therefore be Finns,” said Adolf Ivar Arwidsson (1791-1858), and we agree entirely, even if it’s only for two days -- and being Finnish means lengthy and repeated…
April 26th, 2017
I have lived in North Dakota my whole life, and up to a point I had hoped to continue to living here. I wanted to make a positive change in this state and make it a place I was proud to be a resident of.
With this goal I have written over thirty articles, provided mentoring for the last three years, and delivered cultural competency training to a number of organizations. I’ve testified in front of a house committee on the need of protections and watched hundreds of others through the…
April 26th, 2017
Schollander Pavilion, in West Fargo, was home to many aspiring motorcycle racers from late 1969 until 1980. Every Saturday night from fall to spring, daredevils would roll up to the starting line seeking victory.
The Schollander is known for close quarters indoor motorcycle racing action across North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana and Canada, attracting over one hundred entries. Fans would find the danger factor extreme, with a dozen motorcycles flying inches…
April 26th, 2017
The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) and the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) will host a talk by local researcher Angela Beaton at the Historic Solomon G. Comstock House on Thursday, April 27, at 6:30PM. Beaton’s talk will illuminate the service and sacrifices of local nurses during World War I. This date was chosen to observe the 100th anniversary of Woodrow Wilson’s signing of a joint resolution declaring war on Germany, bringing our country into World…
April 19th, 2017
Theresa Marshall leads Gender Friendly Grand Forks (GFGF) and is the first person I contact if someone comes to me looking for trans-related resources or support and lives near the Grand Forks area. In that regard, she’s helped a good number of people start the journey to become their authentic selves. She is also a fierce and determined activist who is fighting to make our state more inclusive for trans people. I had the honor of interviewing her to learn more about what she does and…
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Alicia Underlee NelsonMore than 1,000 pro-worker events are planned for Thursday, May 1 across the country, including rallies in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Minot and Jamestown. East Grand Forks and Bismarck will host protests…
From concerts and car shows to Japanese art and Juneteenth celebrations, there's so much going on around the region this summer. This year's High Plains Reader Summer Events Calendar is back and bigger than ever. It's packed with…
June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com One description that perhaps aptly describes the mental state of many lately is that they feel they are attached to a string. Or several strings. Call it the notion that people are played like puppets,…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comFor sale: White House in D.C. housing dung beetles and giant leechesI suspect someone close to Donald Trump has read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,”because the Trump administration is…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com The writing/directing partnership of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck has to be one of the most curious cases of crazy connect-the-dots career moves in recent cinema. From short documentaries and…
By Raul Gomezraul@hpr1.com Minutes before Modern’s Celebration of Life opened its door at the Sons of Norway, I was fiddling with the bar computer, trying to pull up the playlists of Modern’s work I had set aside for the…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There appear to be differences in the incidence of mental illnesses between men and women. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…
