Editorial

Use that energy to combat hate speech with love

May 3rd, 2017

Last week a handful of posters appeared spewing hate speech and singing the praise of the alt right. Fargo resident Christopher Smith took photos and posted them on his facebook and the comment response lit up like wildfire.

It’s hard to understand, rationalize, or logically justify this hate speech, but it seems to be contagious--not just for the people who support the alt right ideology but also from those of us who vehemently disagree. The posters elicited a response of anger and…

Drink the good stuff while you still can

April 26th, 2017

We’re living through hard times, but they are hard times with an important basic amenity: strong, tasty beer and ale, brewed by independent craft brewers.

When did it all start? Historians are in disagreement. In 1976, the low point, there were only 50 breweries left in the entire nation, all of them brewing yellow soda pop. That was when Jack McAuliffe, one of our heroes, founded New Albion Brewing in Sonoma County, California, and kept it going for six years.

And though he didn’t…

Venting online

April 19th, 2017

“I am incredibly sorry for all that's happened. I'm young and made a mistake, and now it has caused me to walk away from my job, have incredible anxiety and guilt, and panic even going outside for the amount of death threats I've gotten,” said Sheridan Tihista via facebook messenger.

Montana native Tihista, a young educator, recently resigned from her special education position at Liberty Middle School in West Fargo due to some unsavory tweets on her personal profile, some of which…

Bands on the run

March 29th, 2017

Who wouldn’t want to go to Austin for the SXSW? And not just for the music. There is joy in the air, the whole city having a street party, everyone walking from one event to another.

But many bands from other countries were refused entry into the U.S., and for a number of different reasons, or no reason was given.

These bands are not well off. The typical budget for going through the visa process, visiting and performing, is about $15 thousand. The typical group is an obscure indie…

Bullying in the Women’s National Basketball Association

March 22nd, 2017

In the WNBA, was there ever a team like the 2011 Minnesota Lynx? People argue about it, but we say they’re the best.

Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Bronson, Maya Moore, Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

The Lynx drew first in the draft and chose Maya Moore, dominant for four years in the UConn basketball factory. They traded for WNBA All Star Lindsay Whalen, a hometown girl who would pull in bigger crowds. They had the elusive, unguardable Seimone Augustus, the all-star shooting…

Rolling stops

March 15th, 2017

As more people get around on bikes, the rules of the road should change to reflect a changed reality.

A proper bike lane has a raised portion such as a curb between the bikes and vehicle traffic. A bike lane without such a divider is not a bike lane. It doesn’t protect riders from drivers who text or young male drivers showing off.

We are unaware of any bike lanes in the U.S. The nearest one is probably in Vancouver, British Columbia, in a more civilized part of the world.

Cyclists…

Small business incubation

March 9th, 2017

Liz Gelardi of the Denver Channel was In the kitchen of the Comal Restaurant, talking to Silvia Hernandez, who was singing as she made tostadas.

Hernandez is inspired by her mother’s recipes, but she receives restaurant training at Comal. ‘"It's not books, it's not reading, you have to do it every day. So it helps me a lot, because when I'm going to open my business, I'm going to be ready,’”

According to columnist Laura Shunk, the restaurant is part of a community outreach program…

The corners that rocked

March 1st, 2017

Spring is here and it doesn’t matter what the weather is. How do we know?

When the Moorhead Dairy Queen opens on March first, it’s officially spring hereabouts.

And a group of eminent Moorheadians is planning to restore downtown Moorhead to its former liveliness.

It is encouraging that such a distinguished group is involved in a challenging and long-term project: Concordia President William J. Craft; MSUM President Anne Blackhurst; Tim Beaton, Executive Director of the Fargo-Moorhead…

Our opinion: Ask questions, express your opinion at Fargo town hall

February 21st, 2017

Citizens and voters, including Republicans, are upset by the the first month of the present administration. Republican leaders advised congresspeople to hold town hall meetings during the week-long Presidents Day recess.

Molly K. Hooper of The Hill spoke to Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). His advice to his colleagues was “Don’t shy away from the public...Be prepared intellectually, knowledge-wise, be polite and don’t fall for the bait if they try to get you in an uncomfortable…

Strangers in a strange land

February 15th, 2017

They met in Minneapolis, at the bus station. They were both from Ghana, and both had been refused asylum in the U.S. They decided to go to Canada, and took a bus to Grand Forks.

Razak Iyal, 35, says only that he had political and other problems. Seidu Mohammed, 24, was afraid to go back to his native country. It’s dangerous to be gay in Ghana.

The criminal code of Ghana has no clear-cut definition of homosexuality. A prosecuting attorney will use a portion that talks about “unnatural…