Editorial

Can the castle on the hill be saved?

February 28th, 2018

Painting by MJ Masilko Sometimes referred to as “the castle on the hill,” the former Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Facility, also known as the Kirkbride building, has inspired, shocked, awed, inspired and provided economic stability to the community of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, for well over a century. It served as a treatment facility, housed the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, eventually closed its doors in 2005 and has been empty ever since.

It once supported farmland, lush orchards and…

Go ask ALICE

February 21st, 2018

I was 14 in 1999 when Columbine happened. I remember feeling the shock, horror, and overall sickness that comes with a national tragedy of that caliber.

According to a February 15, 2018 article in The Washington Post by John Woodrow Cox and Steven Rich, “An ongoing Washington Post analysis has found that more than 150,000 students attending at least 170 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.”

Just think…

Savoring local flavor

February 14th, 2018

Henry Luehr’s Trojan Bull art by Sabrina Hornung What draws people to a particular area? Food? Culture? Nostalgia? It’s hard to speak on behalf of the populace but we obviously know what draws us in as individuals.

Here’s another question: What makes an area thrive and what makes up a community’s lifeblood?

I spend a lot of time travelling throughout our state and I often find myself occupying a fair share of bars and cafes along the highway. Sometimes in search of a good story (news-related or not), sometimes in search of…

Eating detergent and road apples? We’re fit to be Tide

February 7th, 2018

A couple of weeks ago Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski partnered with Tide in a social media PSA so teenagers don’t poison themselves for the sake of Snapchat. I may be dating myself while I sit back in my rocking chair and reminisce about the animated PSAs that closed out my beloved She-ra or GI Joe cartoons, which reminded youths “no talking to strangers” and “no playing with fire.” Just look where it got me. I talk to strangers for a living.

Sure, those old animated public…

Immigration and prejudice: America’s long racist stroll

January 25th, 2018

America’s immigration policies have ridden the waves of prejudice for more than 250 years, and each refusal and denial takes its toll on the country’s core values.

First, our nation stole, tricked, and traded land from Native Americans, killing indiscriminately upon resistance. Then came the Acadians, devout Catholics, and the Irish and Germans, starving and persecuted. Norwegians and Swedes came soon after, seeking land to plow. Africans became slaves, which the nation fought a…

Our opinion: The great 2018 lapdance debate

January 17th, 2018

Oasis Bar - photograph by Sabrina Hornung Last week I was asked to appear and speak on behalf of Matt Pausch, owner of the Oasis, before the Public Works and Safety Committee in Wahpeton. The Pausches are great people and I will never forget the time I spent at the Oasis. If I didn’t agree with what they’re doing, I wouldn’t have driven two hours to appear on their behalf.

The intent of the meeting last week was to address safety concerns surrounding the proposed ordinance to amend their cabaret license, and allow lap…

Hats off to 2017, onward to 2018

December 27th, 2017

Artwork by Jessi Schmit 2017 has been quite a year. Like any year, we’ve had our own triumphs and tragedies.We survived a year of Trump in office and we said goodbye to Tom Petty. In local news we shared the shock and horror of the murder of Savanna Greywind and mourned together as a community. We also lost one of our longest contributors, Christopher Jacobs who contributed to the Reader since day one and is dearly missed.

On a lighter note, we met a lot of cool new people, ate at some killer new restaurants…

Rethinking hunger in our state

December 20th, 2017

Hunger has no specific face. According to feedingamerica.org: “41 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including 13 million children. In 2015, 5.4 million seniors struggled to afford enough to eat.”

Over half (59%) of food-insecure homes participate in federally funded food assistance programs, whether they be food stamps, WIC, or school lunch programs. Another heartbreaking fact is that households with children are more likely to be hungry than those without.…

Pick ‘em cuter by computer, but protect yourself

December 13th, 2017

According to a New York Times article titled: “Tinder, the Fast-Growing Dating App, Taps an Age-Old Truth,” close to 50 million people use Tinder. On average they spend 90 minutes a day assessing their matches. Men are three times more likely (46%) than women (11%) to swipe right which is indicative of a “like.” Needless to say, a swipe left is the equivalent of a “meh.”

Granted, this information was from 2014. A 2017 statistic indicated that closer to 46 million people use…

Our Opinion: The Forum’s history of shoddy journalism repeats itself

December 8th, 2017

The Forum's 1989 story that prompted my interest in journalism In 1989, when I was 17 years old, Fargo Forum reporter Bob Lind became the inspiration for my desire to become a journalist. Lind wrote on my experiences during a string of surgeries I had while overseas in China. He came to my grandmother’s house, sat down on the old Victorian couch, pulled out his pad and pen, smiled, and asked intelligent questions. The interview didn’t last long, at most 30 minutes, but the interview is one I have never forgotten.

On Thursday, another Forum…

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