November 24th, 2015
Haji Hagopian and his wife Nouritza fled what was once Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1923 at the tail end of the Armenian genocide, Nouritza was three people away from being gunned down by a Turkish firing squad. My Grandfather was merely three months old at the time and the family soon found themselves in Marseilles, France. After Haji's death the family relocated to Chicago in 1939. From there they found themselves in central North Dakota. Haji and…
November 18th, 2015
We were all shocked by the senseless terrorist attack in Paris recently. In particular holding people hostage at a rock concert which had nothing to do with politics or religion was abhorrent to many. But before the blood had even dried on the victims, brave social media commenters were making note of France’s gun control laws and calling for closing the border in America to Syrian refugees, using the attack as…
November 11th, 2015
NEW UND LEADERSHIP
Former Gov. Ed Schafer this week was named interim President of the University of North Dakota upon the forthcoming retirement of current President Robert Kelley. This is a good decision.
Schafer has a long history of leadership not only in North Dakota but nationally after having served a stint as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He also has served on the UND Alumni Association and the UND Foundation boards of directors, which are…
November 4th, 2015
This week supporters of a medical marijuana ballot measure had their petition accepted by the ND Secretary of State. Assuming all goes to plan in the process, they hope to be out in mid-November this year gathering the over 13,000 necessary signatures to get legalizing medical marijuana on the ballot for the November 2016 general election. They shouldn’t have much trouble gathering the signatures. Polls have shown majority support for…
October 28th, 2015
There’s been a lot of talk in the community both in social media and at local watering holes about a counter protester who was going after the hypocrisy of those participating in the 40 Days For Life campaign at the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota’s one and only abortion clinic in the state.
Those protesters from the 40 Days for Life campaign say they want to “protect the innocent” yet never mind that one of them was convicted…
October 21st, 2015
This week HPR joins the family, Hotel Donaldson staff, friends and customers honoring Dale Powers, 65, who died Sunday after a year-long battle with cancer. Dale’s smile was the face of Fargo’s newer, happier and hipper downtown. He had been with the HoDo since day one.
Staff and friends will be holding a candle light vigil tonight, Wednesday, at the HoDo Lounge from 5 to 7 p.m. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., at Wright Funeral Home in…
October 15th, 2015
The most recent issue of Juxtapoz (an art and culture magazine) featured an exclusive interview with Banksy, Banksy is a UK based street artist who has reached world-wide notoriety with his satirical politically charged pieces and has somehow managed to keep his identity a secret in a media savvy world where nearly everyone has some kind of a recording device on hand at all times.
Banksy’s most recent endeavor was called Dismaland bemusement park, an exhibition he curated consisting…
October 7th, 2015
It’s that time of the year again, the 2015 High Plains Reader Cocktail Showdown is upon us where local bartenders and mixologists get to showcase their talents and present a craft cocktail for the staff of HPR to judge. This week, your humble judges will begin their efforts to taste and decide who is the best local bartender and what is the best drink.
The art of mixology has blown up in recent years with…
October 1st, 2015
Why have benches downtown if they are uncomfortable to sit on? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Recently the city of Fargo at the request of the Downtown Community Partnership installed new benches downtown without backs in order to deter transients from loitering on them. Apparently businesses are concerned about the number of homeless people downtown. The problem in downtown Fargo is not homeless people but rather intoxicated individuals. …
September 24th, 2015
The Fargo Native American Commission is asking that Fargo change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
The resolution voted upon unanimously by the Native American Commission Monday night goes before the Fargo City Commission Monday, Oct. 12 -- Columbus Day. We strongly encourage the adoption of this resolution.
And, for the sake of disclosure, this writer is one of nine on the Native American Commission and helped author the resolution.
The remainder of HPR’s editorial…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…