Culture

Skip the clichés and reclaim Valentine’s Day

February 12th, 2020

cover design by Raul Gomez

Valentine’s Day can inspire annoying questions if you’re single and the spending of a whole lot of time or money if you’re not. So shake up the old routine with fun, unusual and affordable (or even free) activities.

Feel free to disregard traditions that don’t work for you and make new ones that matter. Override date night (even if you’re part of a couple) and meet a group of friends for cocoa, a concert or a barn dance. Trade your usual dinner for two for a salsa lesson, a…

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Nature of the North: Bringing People Inside to Get Them Outside

February 5th, 2020

photo provided by John Showalter - Nature of the North - Construction of Fargo-MoorheadYs first-ever retail rock and bouldering wall is underway.  The bouldering wall will be open to the public for use spring of 2020.

A lot of us may sigh and roll our eyes when our parents or grandparents chastise us for spending too much time attached to our electronic devices. There may be a grain of truth in their complaints, however. According to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2019 Outdoor Participation Report, almost half of Americans did not go outdoors for recreation. We went on one billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 than in 2008. How should this loss of passion for the great outdoors be addressed? …

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New grant expands coverage for mental health in North Dakota.

January 29th, 2020

by Jill Finkelson
jsfinkelson99@gmail.com

A new grant from the Department of Corrections and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota allows for victims of crime to receive help for PTSD and related mental health issues. HPR arched out to Terri Burns of LSS about the new grant and how it’s working to bridge the gap left by conventional insurance. Working alongside Abound Counseling, the program is available state wide. There are telehealth and language interpretation options to reach…

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Weather this Winter Joyfully - Frostival 2020!

January 22nd, 2020

design by Raul Gomez

by Taylor Markel taylormarkel@cableone.net

What began as a single weekend of wintry activities, has now, for the first time in its history, snowballed into a multi-week celebration of all things winter! With countless, exhilarating activities like the beloved cardboard sled races, a coffee and cocoa crawl, a winter gear swap event and even an outdoor winter movie night. Frostival is by far one of the coolest winter traditions for you, your friends, family and coworkers to be a part of in…

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Hardy, Healthy Hemp : NDHA Membership Drive

January 22nd, 2020

by Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com

Hemp is a Cannabis plant grown all over the world, in temperate climates. It is fast-growing, beneficial to the soil, requires minimal fertilizer, and is pest resistant. The fibers are processed and used for cordage, fabric, bioplastics, construction material and paper. The seeds are edible, with a mild, nutty taste, and nutritious--even surpassing flax, chia and fish oil. The list of the benefits from hemp is long. Containing all 20 known amino acids, an…

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Looking Forward: 3 Bits of Tech I Want Right Now

January 22nd, 2020

To everything, there is a season, a time to weep and a time to laugh and of course, a time to make 2020 predictions. I can hear it, the prediction clock is ticking, and while many of us are great at making predictions, hardly any of us short of Warren Buffet are great at getting them to stick. Clearly, the fear of being wrong isn’t stopping anyone, not even me.

The trick to prediction is being vague enough in your prediction wording that there are multiple ways to interpret them.

In…

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MLK Day : Listen, Reflect and Do Good

January 15th, 2020

by Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com

Two teenagers rescued around 20 Koalas from the horrific bushfires in Australia, fitting them in their car.

An anonymous donor pays off back taxes for several mobile home residents.

Neighbors with snow blowers free their buried counterparts after the storm of the decade.

People are doing good. Good deeds, good works, good words.

It is easy to lose focus on the good, in a turbulent time of political unrest, unstable weather patterns, incalculable loss from…

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What are you doing New Year’s Eve?

December 23rd, 2019

Design by Raul Gomez

New Year’s Eve celebrations usually go one of three ways – you either end up introverting at home, go out to eat at your old standby or ring in another year at your favorite local bar. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of that.

But if you want to shake it up this year, you can drink champagne in 1920s formalwear or your best 80s looks, lace up your roller skates, twirl light-up hoops or prepare your own lobster dinner from scratch with someone special. Toast the New Year…

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You’ve been pwned!

December 23rd, 2019

Pwned, in this context, simply means that your account has been the victim of a data breach.The word itself takes its name from player-to-player messaging in online computer gaming. When one player is defeated, another might type out a message to say ‘You’ve been owned’.

This was so frequently misspelt as ‘pwned’, the word itself took off. There are a lot of younger folks who don’t spell very well.

Sorry, I digressed...

I spend a fair amount of time in this column talking…

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The Hurd Round House: Nestled in a sea of prairie

December 23rd, 2019

Photo by Sabrina Hornung

photo by Sabrina Hornung

The Hurd Roundhouse is a unique site situated in the rolling hills of Wells county, the structure, as well as the nearby town of Hurdsfield, bears the name of Warren Hurd who worked as a land agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The Hurd house’s initial purpose was to serve as a land office and space to entertain potential land buyers. The house is two stories high, has a wrap-around porch and a round roof that also supported an observation deck. To this…

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