Letters to the Editor

​Raising awareness: Kidney disease

June 24th, 2015

To the editor:

I was diagnosed with kidney disease in January 2010. This is the toughest thing that I ever went through in my life, and I want to help others avoid what I am going through.

Over 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet only 10 percent are aware they have it. There are more than 450,000 people in the U.S. on dialysis for kidney failure, and Medicare spends over $87 billion on the care of people with CKD. Investment in research and programs to improve…

Read more...


​Dead aren’t worth it

June 17th, 2015

To the editor:

The Army Corps says the cost to protect the graves of those buried in cemeteries upstream of the diversion project is $14 million, and it’s not worth it. The proposed Fargo diversion will cause those cemeteries to flood. They’re wrong, and it’s sad. They have already paid more than $10 million for a clubhouse at a private golf course, but a modicum of respect for the people who devoted all they had to give us life and a future isn’t worth it. Residents of North…

Read more...


Fargo’s gamble with with $60 million taxpayers’ money

May 14th, 2015

Fargo’s Diversion leaders have spent $60 million in taxpayer funds on a ring dike, buyouts and a golf course for Oxbow, ND. Oxbow is located above the floodplain, had already bought out its flood prone houses and, according to its mayor, had just recently completed near 500 year level flood protection. Its existing 18 hole private golf course, heavily in debt with a history of losing money, did not deserve a public bailout.

Fargo’s Diversion leaders gambled this huge sum on the…

Read more...


​Empty sloganeering

April 8th, 2015

To the editor:

After reading Rob Port’s column titled “Time to End the Corporate Farming Ban” I came to the frightening conclusion that he perhaps knows even less about farming than I do. It certainly left me none the wiser about any benefits of this bill.

Given his self-proclaimed expertise in this matter, I would have expected more of a marshaling of the facts and a logical analysis to support his position that passing this legislation was a good thing. However, most of his column…

Read more...


​Fargo’s City Hall: A candidate’s perspective

March 25th, 2015

In January of last year I wrote an opinion piece for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead challenging the new city hall proposal. I was concerned that our commissioners were not prioritizing needs over wants. I was also curious about the price tag since, at the time, we had very little information as to where the building would be or how big it would be.The original estimate for Fargo’s new city hall was $8-12 million. Predictably, the city hall I thought we were debating morphed into a $30…

Read more...


​Dollars and sense

March 18th, 2015

While state law continues to allow businesses to fire an employee because they are gay or transgender, many large and small North Dakota organizations have taken the smart approach and included sexual orientation and gender identity in their corporate nondiscrimination policies. I want to thank the many North Dakota businesses for the work they do to create healthy work environments.

Employers such as Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Montana-Dakota Utilities, Target, U.S. Bank and…

Read more...


​King of Mistakes

February 4th, 2015

To the editor:

There were two “King of Beers” commercials last night, the first one hit home being I am a dog owner, and oddly enough so did the second even though there were no cute pets or “What’s Up?” phone calls.

I can easily admit that I am not a “Budweiser drinker” nor am I am drinker of most macro beers. I enjoy a full flavored, robust beer with hops, and where the brewer pushes the creative boundaries of developing unique and good tasting beverage.

On Sunday night…

Read more...


Reality Check

November 12th, 2014

To the editor:

A post-election news article appearing in the online edition of The Forum contained the following assessment:

"Republicans have held power in the Senate since 1992 and in the House since 1984, enjoying a two-thirds majority in both chambers since 2010. They’ve also occupied the governor’s office since 1992 and currently hold all elected statewide offices and two of the state’s three seats in Washington."

In other words, North Dakota's Democratic-NPL Party has been out…

Read more...


​‘Cowspirary’ showing at the downtown Fargo Library

November 12th, 2014

To the editor:

Pre-released a couple months ago, the documentary “Cowspiracy” was only available to a select few, a couple of my friends happened to get a copy. I had a chance to see some clips online; it came off as not-your-typical environmental documentary. It makes the claim that environmental groups, not just the corporations involved, aren’t telling us the whole picture. A friend messaged me while she watched it.

“Damn! I'm watching the ‘Cowspiracy’ movie and I want to…

Read more...


​Is Measure 8 really necessary?

October 30th, 2014

To the editor:

ND Ballot Measure 8, which will establish a state law to require all public schools to start after Labor Day, sounds harmless and amenable on the surface. I have yet to find any compelling considerations with regard to positive educational delivery impacts, but wholeheartedly respect that proponents support it for family reasons. I respectfully request voters to consider some of the lesser known factors involved and whether they want or need to give up local control.

No…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry FPL Tracker Pixel for Entry Hjemkomst Tracker Pixel for Entry Empire Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry WurstWest

Recently in:

By Bryce Vincent Haugen More than 300 people gathered at Trinity Lutheran Church in central Moorhead on Jan. 27 for “constitutional observer” training. Led by the Immigrant Defense Network and supported locally by the West Area…

By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…

Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…

By John Strand If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other. It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this…

By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…

Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…

By Greg Carlson The versatile Nia DaCosta follows her underseen and underappreciated “Hedda” (one of my 2025 favorites) with the first female-helmed entry in the 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later series, a fascinating and grisly…

By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…

Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…

January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…

By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…