Editorial

Happy 22nd birthday to us!

September 16th, 2016

By John Strand

jas@hpr1.com

The Little Newspaper That Could turned 22 last Thursday. It’s been a pretty wild journey, we have to admit, yet it continues. We are immensely proud of HPR’s path to where it is now. Bear with us as we reflect and ponder about the significance of such accomplishment.

Going back to the beginning, we’d be remiss for not thanking Peter Ryan, Ian Swanson, Rex Sorgatz, Led Schmid, Jim Johnson and others who back in 1994 decided while drinking a beer at…

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​It’s a small world after all…

September 8th, 2016

By Sabrina Hornung and Tom Bixby

sabrina@hpr1.com

Since its inception--America has been heralded as the land of opportunity. This week’s cover story is Welcoming Week, an opportunity to introduce New Americans to their American-born neighbors through a variety of events, whether they be meals, soccer games, art events, and the list goes on.

These New Americans have had a significant impact on our community. Some have introduced new flavors to our primarily European taste buds with the…

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​The original crossing of the Missouri was to be north of Bismarck

August 31st, 2016

In case the North Dakota governor’s office has not figured it out yet, someone needs to tell them what an embarrassment they are. The Dalrymple-Wrigley team could not mishandle the Standing Rock protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline more than they already have, short of deploying the National Guard.

In our America it’s a fundamental right to stand up and voice disagreement with government. These rights are guaranteed and protected: free speech, assembly, religion, and redress of…

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​How do we satisfy our thirst for oil?

August 24th, 2016

There’s something to be said about our cover story this week. To say that the people’s fight against the pipeline is inspiring would be the understatement of the decade. The people versus Big Oil, youths making a 2,000 mile relay from North Dakota to DC to raise awareness of what’s going on and make their voices heard. That’s what we call true grit folks, and that is hard to find.

We think the rest of North Dakota could learn from this: multiple generations and races banding…

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​Breaking new ground

August 19th, 2016

By Tom Bixby

tom@hpr1.com

Malvina Massey kept a house of prostitution in Fargo from about 1891 to 1905. She was the main madam, the most successful, then and now the most famous. Partly because she was black and barred from other professions, she’s a monumental personage in the history of Fargo-Moorhead.

Her house, the Crystal Palace, was in the neighborhood called The Hollow, a low spot now filled in, below what used to be the City Hall parking lot, on the northwest corner of Third…

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It’s my job

August 3rd, 2016

It may be a cliché to say it, but time flies when you are having fun--it’s true. I’ve been your humble--okay, maybe not so humble editor--for a little over a year now, and to say that it has been rewarding would be the understatement of the year.

I started writing for the Reader nearly a year and a half before I came on as editor, because I wanted to enhance my résumé and make a contribution to the art community. In doing so I killed two birds with one stone.

I returned to my…

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​More productive less destructive

July 20th, 2016

As clichéd as it is to say that you learn something new everyday, it always seems to hold true, though some things have a lot more intellectual value than others.

This week the High Plains Reader had the privilege of interviewing Mud Morganfield, bluesman and son of blues legend Muddy Waters. We also spoke to Canned Heat drummer Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra, prior to their appearance at the 2016 Fargo Blues Festival.

Both provided unique perspectives on the genre. Morganfield spoke of…

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Summertime Splendor

July 14th, 2016

Winnipeg Folk Fest

Last weekend we ventured way up north to the great Winnipeg Folk Festival. It was my first outdoor festival camping experience and what an experience it was. The acts were a lively mixture of folk (obviously), rock, electronic, gypsy punk, indie, and anything else one can imagine.

Acts that caught our eye included The Wainright Sisters, Loudon Wainright III, Milky Chance, Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers, The Funk Bandits, The Lemon Bucket Orchestra, and Ryan Adams.

The…

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​We’re not so different you and I

July 6th, 2016

It’s been about a week since we returned from Norway. The experience itself was life changing. While Raul and I were there for ten days, the students had a month to immerse themselves in the culture of Oslo and dig their fingers deep into the underground dirt of what makes the city truly unique.

Three people out of 11 had the opportunity to meet up with their Norwegian relatives, while your editor had an opportunity to reunite with her German cousin. Exploring a foreign city with two…

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Norwegian Firearm Legislation

June 23rd, 2016

By Tom Bixby

On July 22, 2011, Anders Breivik murdered 77 young people on the island of Utoya, in Norway. Norwegians call it 22 juli, July 22nd, and it’s as familiar to them as 9/11 is to us.

In Norway, to own a gun, you apply to the police authority in your district for an acquisition permit (ervervstillatelsen). You specify the firearms for which you will be responsible. The permit to buy is valid for a year.

The dealer selling the gun sends the original permit to buy to the police,…

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