August 6th, 2015
Throughout my three and a half years of being a leader in local media, I’ve gone from thinking “I’m HPR’s best editor ever” to thinking “How on all crevices of the earth would anyone have ever considered me to be an editor?” I didn’t even know how to spell the word spelled. I thought it was spelt.
I could go on. Growing up, I was a fabulous gym-class student but just an OK English student. I had no journalism…
July 29th, 2015
We’ve known for several months that HPR editor Diane Miller will be moving to the Twin Cities. We fully expect she’ll soar to new heights in her new environs.
That said, it will be with full hearts as we wrap up Diane’s tenure as editor-in-chief here at the High Plains Reader. She’s done a stellar job to say the least and we love and respect her.
When the inevitable move away from Fargo became apparent,…
July 23rd, 2015
A week ago, as HPR was preparing to go to press, a firestorm was unfolding in our community. Long story short – as most of you know this well – a Fargo resident was targeted on social media and it was implied that he was inappropriately taking pictures of young children at the Island Park swimming pool.
The original Facebook post included pictures of 37-year-old Kirk Ludwig, as well as his car and license plate. That post went viral. It was like someone opened a flood gate. A tsunami…
July 15th, 2015
Fargo was in a bit of an uproar this week after a man was allegedly caught taking pictures of kids swimming at Island Park Pool. While he can’t be criminally charged, he was promptly banned by the Fargo Park District from all city parks. Also, Police identified the man and cited him for pot possession.
Much debate ensued on social media about the rights of the swimmers and the freedom of speech rights of the photographer. While it’s important for everyone involved to follow the law,…
July 9th, 2015
Remember that reality TV series “Boiling Points”? It was a hidden camera show that survived a few season on MTV about a decade ago.
Actors would pretend they were workers in restaurants or other service-industry establishments and they’d test people’s patience essentially by being awful. They’d make people wait, sell them faulty products that they’d deny were faulty, ask odd questions and be irksome in dozens of other ways. If the customers reached their “boiling points”…
July 1st, 2015
The Supreme Court’s landmark 5-4 ruling on same-sex marriage rocked the country and the message rippled out around the world. Hear, hear!
North Dakota is one of the states that had embedded into its constitution definitions of marriage to be between one man and one woman. That too, now shall pass.
The public reaction to this ruling, predictably, has been mixed. The younger generation, especially, is ebullient. They are our future and they could not…
June 24th, 2015
The recent spate of violence in Fargo, including two murders, has many wondering just what is happening in our fine little city -- which doesn’t seem so small any more. Just as HPR was going to press, I witnessed an unprovoked assault outside a downtown bar in Fargo.
It’s true that with growth come changes. That’s to be expected. But all of this seems a little too much, too soon for all of us. There is so much to be proud of about in downtown Fargo.…
June 17th, 2015
Marguerite's Music, a store that has served the community of Fargo-Moorhead since 1975, will close at the end of June.
HPR would like to dedicate this music-related editorial to the wonderful store and its staff. Over the years, Marguerite’s assisted thousands of traveling professional musicians, local musicians, aspiring musicians and closet musicians -- myself included. I bought my first C.F. Martin guitar, loop-station pedal, foot-pedal tuner and banjo from Marguerite’s. I took…
June 12th, 2015
By Chris Hennen
As HPR was going to press, we learned that Colleen Sheehy, director and CEO of the Plains Art Museum since 2008, will be leaving her post later this year. While we will be sad to see her go, we are thankful for the time we’ve had her and wish her the best of the luck in the future.
Under Sheehy’s stewardship, the Plains Art Museum has continued its role as a jewel of downtown Fargo and a beacon in the arts scene. The annual Spring Gala has thrived in recent years and…
June 3rd, 2015
Fifty winners were announced May 28 at HPR’s Best of the Best awards night. The annual contest reflects the cream of the crop in our local arts and entertainment world.
The original “Best of” contest in the Fargo region, HPR’s Best of the Best began in 1997. Over the years, the categories have evolved, some new ones, some weeded out over time. This year 50 certificates were awarded.
Next…