Editorial

It isn’t easy being green

October 25th, 2017

Our opinion: Unlocking the potential of industrial hemp

Hopefully we’ve all heard of industrial hemp referred to as “The Planet Plant.” It has the capability to be used for food, fuel, fiber and pulp for paper.

It has long roots in US history, stemming from the Colonial era to World War II. During the second world war hemp was planted across the nation in the name of victory. In fact, hemp was cultivated in North Dakota during the second world war to help out the war effort.

It’s…

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You too? Me too.

October 18th, 2017

Our opinion: We’ve all been there, been followed, stalked, or worse...

On Sunday night, Alyssa Milano tweeted: "Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote "Me too" as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

“Me too” is the viral battle cry of those tweeting--or rather speaking out against sexual assault and sexual harassment over social media as a direct response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal.…

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That’s all folk

October 11th, 2017

Our opinion: Folk art as a connector and a hard goodbye

Last week my friend Molly Mclain and I started a rosemaling apprenticeship through the Folkart and traditional Art Apprenticeship program, through the NDCA under master painter Pieper Bloomquist.

Rosemaling is the traditional decorative painting of rural Norway. Not only are we learning the craft -- we are learning the history as well.

Norwegian rosemaling was a direct reaction to the painting styles of the Renaissance, Rococo, and…

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Death in Las Vegas

October 4th, 2017

By Logan Macrae

logan@hpr1.com

Guest editorial: As death toll rises, where do we stand as a nation?

The American dream is not to be shot in a crowd of people. It is not to carry an automatic weapon. It is not to fear for your life due to a system that cannot control the rights of men so drastically that these occurrences are becoming a regularity.

How can this so easily be portrayed in the news cycle as people missing, dead and injured? I live in Fargo, North Dakota. States away from…

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Good Anger?

September 27th, 2017

Our opinion: To the president and NFL owners: put up or shut up

According to Merriam Webster the definition of anger is as follows:

1. a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism (see antagonism 1b) You could hear the anger in his voice.She found it hard to control her anger:rage 2

At 5:35am on September 26, Donald Trump tweeted, “The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great Anger.”…

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We get by with a little help from our friends

September 21st, 2017

Our opinion: We’re more than the sum of our parts

Over the weekend I was telling a friend of mine that one of the most valuable things a person can gain in life is perspective. My time at the High Plains Reader has gifted me just that.

Last week John Strand led our 23 year birthday cheer. I’m happy to say that I’ve had the privilege of serving as editor-in-chief for two of those years. As cliched as it may sound, time flies when you’re having fun, right?

It has been simultaneously…

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Thanks to you, HPR is now going forward in its 24th year

September 13th, 2017

The Little Newspaper That Could turned 24 last week. Although it was without much fanfare, it’s an accomplishment that is without compare in Fargo over the past many decades. We are proud to say the least.

HPR is the people’s paper. It’s distributed for free and we have thousands of readers weekly. Our press run weekly typically exceeds 12,000 papers. We have several hundred business partners who allow HPR to be distributed at their locations. Additionally, thousands more read our…

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The heart and soul of Ralph’s Corner

September 6th, 2017

Our opinion: We are made of memories, all of us.

It’s always tough to talk about people passing and in the last few years there have been many friends, acquaintances and icons that have left us. This past week I have had five people that I knew and have shared time with pass away, and yes, it’s sad.

The first thing I did was try to remember the good times, the memories. For some it was many and for others I had to think about a long time ago when we shared our time.

Donald Wood was my…

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Pick your poison

August 30th, 2017

Our opinion: Don’t fear the pigweed

One man’s nuisance might be another man’s super food. Palmer Amaranth is a known nuisance to farmers in the southeastern part of the United States, and is slowly making its way through the Midwest.

It’s reported to be damaging to machinery with its thick woody stems, limits soybean and corn yields and according to an article in The Jamestown Sun “Palmer’s Amaranth was voted the most troublesome weed in the U.S. by the Weed Science Society…

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A little art on the prairie

August 16th, 2017

Our opinion: We all breathe the same air, and we all drank the same beer.

Last weekend I helped a pal plan a small festival in an even smaller town. In fact, you may find me bartending there once in a blue moon, flexing my extensive knowledge of cheap beer and rail whiskeys if Janet (their regular bartendress) needs a night off. We invited an eclectic group of talented musicians from across North Dakota and even asked our pals to bring in a pop-up art show in the old WPA-era town…

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