nWhere to go,

what to do. CALENDAR 2

nBuy, sell, trade
your stuff. FREE ADS 11
nLocals say no
to hidden GMOs PG 10
SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOS TODAY!
Each week, The Independent
chooses a favorite reader
photo to feature on our cover.
This weeks pick comes from
Janet Schultz, who captured
this colorful autumn display just in time for
upcoming Halloween. Thanks Janet!
Shuttered Pizza
Hut puzzles
Employee shortage challenges region during harvest season
indy pic of the week
nDRAKE LETTER: Half-baked opinion of The Forum angers VC man. COMMENTARY 6
nGrotberg lecture to highlight Grandmas nourishing recipes . CALENDAR 2
COMMUNITY NEWS, CULTURE, COMMENTARY uTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011 uVOLUME I, ISSUE 4 uFREE
independent
OF BARNES COUNTY
THE
Friday, Oct. 21
Artwork by Chris
Schanack, artist/designer,
is on exhibit from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. in the Valley City
State University Gallery.
No school: Valley City
Public Schools, Barnes
County North
A free Bone Builders
exercise class - Help-
ing to Fight Osteoporosis,
Improve Balance, Increase
Energy, Bone Density,
Mobility and Lower Blood
Pressure - is Wednes-
days and Fridays at 10
a.m. at the Enderlin Senior
Citizens Center.
Story time at the
Enderlin Municipal Li-
brary is every Friday from
10:30 to 11 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Valley City Farmers
Market, now indoors at
314 N. Central Ave (Next
to Valley Fashions), runs
from 10 a.m. to noon.
Valley City State
University football plays
Jamestown College in
Jamestown at 1 p.m.
Valley City State Uni-
versity Cross-Country
competes in the Mt. Marty
Invitational, an all-day
event, at Yankton, S.D.
Maple Valley/Enderlin
and LaMoure/Litchville-
Marion high school foot-
ball enters the frst-round
of playoffs.
North Dakota State
Cross Country Champi-
onships were moved from
Valley City (due to food-
ing) to Rose Creek Golf
Course in Fargo.
Sunday, Oct. 23
MOTHER-IN-LAW DAY
Our Saviors Lutheran
Church in Sanborn holds
its Fall Dinner featuring
turkey and all the trim-
mings from 4 to 7 p.m.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
Valley City Junior High
Band & Choir Concert
begins at 7:30 p.m.
Valley City Junior High
Art Show starts at 4 p.m.
Maple Valley High
School volleyball plays
North Sargent High
School at Tower City,
beginning at 6 p.m.
Barnes County North
volleyball plays Mayport-
CG at 5 p.m. at North
Central.
Monday, Oct. 24
No listings.
Tuesday, Oct. 25
The cast and crew of
VCSU Theaters Little
Shop of Horrors hosts
a Business After Hours
event featuring hors
doeuvres and a chance
to win $25 in Chamber
Bucks from 5 to 7 p.m. in
Vangstad Auditorium.
Jacob Leno lectures
on his Senior Art Ex-
hibition at 7 p.m. in the
Valley City State University
Gallery.
Valley City Rotary
Clubs Annual Wine
Tasting Event runs from
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the
Barnes County Historical
Society Museum in down-
town Valley City.Tickets
for the annual wine and
cheese event are $15
at the door. A portion of
the proceeds beneft the
Barnes County Historical
Society.
Valley City high school
volleyball plays Fargo
South at Fargo South
High School at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
The Ambassador
Committee of the Val-
ley City Area Chamber of
Commerce meets at 10
a.m. More info: Stephanie
Mayfeld, 701-845-1891.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
Valley City Kiwanis
Club meets meets every
Wednesday at 12:04 p.m.
at the Valley City VFW
Club. More info: Lowell,
845-5932 or 840-1668.
Valley City State Uni-
T
he Barnes County
Historical Soci-
ety Lecture Series
Season 14 Presents
Linda Grotberg, Treasured
Recipes Nourishing Tradi-
tions at 7 p.m., Tursday,
Oct. 20, at the Barnes County
Museum.
Treasured Recipes
Nourishing Traditions is an
inspirational presentation
by Linda Grotberg, Bethany
Prairie Farm Fellowship,
Wimbledon, N.D.
In the talk, directed to all
ages, Linda will tell of their
quest for nourishing food as
it coincides with the restora-
tion of the Bethany Prairie
Farm to a pre1950s farming model. You
will hear how the journey led to foods and
recipes of the past that provide healthy al-
ternatives to modern manufactured foods
and present day recipes.
Topics in the presentation include:
Tree meals from a chicken; Ingredi-
ents that were not included in Grandmas
recipes; Cooking with love and prayer;
A meal for smarter children (and adults
too!); and mentoring as a
means for passing along our
treasured recipes and nour-
ishing traditions.
Grotbergs presentation
will be interspersed with sto-
ries and antidotes, music from
the Patty Kakac and the Pine-
tones album Patchwork, and
door prizes of meat, poultry,
eggs, cream and bread from
Bethany Prairie Farm.
Please bring a treasured
recipe of the past to share with
Linda. Include your name and
address, the earliest date that
you believe the recipe was
frst used and a short history
of what you know about it.
It will qualify you for a door
prize drawing!
Te lecture, a joint efort of the Barnes
County Historical Society and Valley City
State University, is free and open to the
public.
For more information contact Wes An-
derson at 701-845-0966
Te Barnes County Historical Society
Museum is located at 315 Central Ave N.,
Valley City.
Nourishing Traditions...
Linda Grotberg.
PAGE 2 the independent
C O M M U N I T Y
C
ALENDAR
Whats Going On around the Area
ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
Be sure to verify event
details before attending.
The Independent
cannot guarantee the
completeness or accuracy
of published listings.
List your
event
We welcome all sub-
missions for area events
and activities that are free
or low-cost and open to
the public. Send a com-
plete description of the
event at least fve working
days in advance. Include
the events date, time,
place, and other relevent
information. Please also
include a contact name
and phone number and/
or email address.
We prefer to receive in-
formation for listings by
email, but will also accept
submissions delivered by
U.S. mail. Or use our easy
online submissions form
at www.INDY-BC.com
Email submissions to
submissions@indy-bc.com
or mail to The Independent,
416 Second St., Fingal, ND
58031.
Remember: If youre not the lead dog, the view never changes.
LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH & CONSULTING.
We provide information and results.
Bruce Eckre
1300 7th St. N.
Wahpeton, ND 58075
President/CEO
701-899-1560
bruce.eckre@gmail.com
A FULL-SERVICE LOBBYING COMPANY.
versity volleyball plays
Jamestown College at 7
p.m. in Jamestown.
A free Bone Builders
exercise class - Help-
ing to Fight Osteoporosis,
Improve Balance, Increase
Energy, Bone Density,
Mobility and Lower Blood
Pressure - is Wednes-
days and Fridays at 10
a.m. at the Enderlin Senior
Citizens Center.
Thursday, Oct. 27
Second Crossing
Toastmasters meets
Thursday at noon in the
Norway Room at VCSU
Student Center. Visitors
welcome. More info:
Janet, 845-2596.
The Image & Beautif-
cation Committee of the
Valley City Area Cham-
ber of Commerce meets
at 4:30 p.m. More info:
Stephanie Mayfeld, 701-
845-1891.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
Valley City State Uni-
versity Theater presents
Little Shop of Horrors
at 7:30 p.m. at Vangstad
Auditorium, VCSU, Valley
City.
Maple Valley Stu-
dents Against Destruc-
tive Decisions (SADD)
meets Thursday morn-
ings at 8 a.m.
District II High School
Volleyball Tournament
is Oct. 27, 28, and 31,
at Enderlin, beginning at
3:30 p.m.
Valley City high
school volleyball plays
Grand Forks Red River at
Grand Forks Red River at
7 p.m.
Tops Club of Enderlin
meets every Thursday
morning at the Senior
Center. Weigh in from
8:30 to 9 a.m.; meeting at
9 a.m.
Liver Transplant Beneft
Pasta Supper for Malley
Afencamp runs from 5 to
8 p.m. at City Auditorium,
Valley City. The beneft
will feature an alfredo and
spaghetti supper, infat-
able carnival games, bake
sale, craft sale, and silent
auction.
Friday, Oct. 28
Barnes County Wild-
life Federations Annual
Fall Banquet/Auction
is at the Eagles Club in
Valley City. More info: Jill,
845-2087 or 845-2378.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
Valley City State Uni-
versity Theater presents
Little Shop of Horrors
at 7:30 p.m. at Vangstad
Auditorium, VCSU, Valley
City.
VCSU Fine & Perform-
ing Arts presents Music
Teachers National As-
sociation/North Dakota
Music Teachers Asso-
ciation competitions at
Foss Hall on Oct. 28 and
29.
Annual Ruckus at the
Rec family Halloween
event runs from 6 to 8
p.m. at the Rec Center in
Valley City.
Story time at the
Enderlin Municipal Library
is every Friday from 10:30
to 11 a.m.
Valley City State
University volleyball
competes at the Univer-
sity of Sioux Falls Tourney
(Lindenwood) starting at 5
p.m., Sioux Falls, S.D.
Valley City State
University womens
basketball vs. University
of Winnipeg starts at 5:30
p.m. at the VCSU Field-
house.
Valley City State Uni-
versity mens basketball
vs. University of Winnipeg
starts at 7:30 p.m. at the
VCSU Fieldhouse.
District II High School
Volleyball Tournament
is Oct. 27, 28, and 31,
at Enderlin, beginning at
3:30 p.m.
A free Bone Builders
exercise class - Help-
ing to Fight Osteoporosis,
Improve Balance, Increase
Energy, Bone Density,
Mobility and Lower Blood
Pressure - is Wednes-
days and Fridays at 10
a.m. at the Enderlin Senior
Citizens Center.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Valley City State Uni-
versity Theater presents
the Little Shop of Hor-
rors at 2 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. at Vangstad Audito-
rium, VCSU, Valley City.
The Annual Chuck-
wagon Dinner at Con-
gregational Church in
Valley City runs from 11
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Admis-
sion: $8 per adult
VCSU Fine & Perform-
ing Arts presents Music
Teachers National As-
sociation/North Dakota
Music Teachers Asso-
ciation competitions at
Foss Hall on Oct. 28 and
29.
Valley City Farmers
Market, now indoors at
314 N. Central Ave (Next
to Valley Fashions), runs
from 10 a.m. to noon.
A Hallow-
een Party
featur-
ing Rubys Karaoke,
free food and a costume
contest for adults 21+ is
at the Sheyenne Saloon,
Kathryn.
Valley City State
University volleyball play
Minot at the University of
Sioux Falls Tournament
starting at 10 a.m.
Valley City State Uni-
versity volleyball plays
Grandview at the Univer-
sity of Sioux Falls Tourna-
ment starting at 2 p.m.
Valley City State
University football vs
Mayville State University,
starting at 1 p.m.
Jamestown (Valley
City) swimming and div-
ing competes in a meet at
Jamestown High School
at 10 a.m.
VCSUs Viking Visit
Day for potential stu-
dents and their parents
includes campus tours by
Viking Ambassadors, visits
with university faculty and
staff, and a program from
9 a.m. to noon, . Registra-
tion is from 8:30 to 9 a.m.
in the VCSU Memorial
Student Center. More info,
or to make a reservation:
Offce of
Enrollment Services, 701-
845-7101, or 800-532-
8641.
Sunday, Oct. 30
The Old School Gift
Shoppe located in the
historic 1916 Buffalo High
School at Buffalo, N.D.,
is open from 11 a.m. to
4 p.m. Sundays, Oct.
30, Nov. 6, and Dec. 4.
Proceeds from the sale
of treasures old and new
beneft the 1916 Buffalo
High School renovation
project. The school is
listed on the National Reg-
ister of Historic Places.
More info: 701-633-5000.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
District II High School
Volleyball Tournament
is Oct. 27, 28, and 31,
at Enderlin, beginning at
3:30 p.m.
the independent PAGE 3
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
Stop Paying Outrageous Prices to Place Ads
Help Wanted. Real Estate. Product Sales. Business Cards.
We have high-impact ad space for less.
Find out more: Calll NIKKI, 840-1045.
NorthwesterN INdustrIes
supplIer to the shootINg sports
Archery supplIes, Ammo, guNs, optIcs
we Buy used guNs
leoN pytlIK
416 west mAIN street
VAlley cIty, Nd 58072
(701) 845-1031
Monday, Oct. 31
HALLOWEEN
District II High School
Volleyball Tournament
is Oct. 27, 28, and 31,
at Enderlin, beginning at
3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 1
ALL SAINTS DAY
Unique Antiques,
148 E. Main St., Valley
City, hosts a Business
After Hours event featur-
ing hors doeuvres and
a chance to win $25 in
Chamber Bucks runs from
5 to 7 p.m. More info:
Stephanie Mayfeld, 701-
845-1891.
Jacob Lenos Senior
Art Exhibition is on dis-
play from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the Valley City State
University Gallery.
Sheyenne Valley
MOPS (Mothers of
PreSchoolers) meet the
frst and third Tuesdays
of each month from 9 to
11 a.m. at First Church
of the Nazarene in Valley
City. Childcare is provided
through the MOPPETS
program. MOPS is open
to all moms with children
from infancy-kindergarten.
More info: Karla, 701-845-
5138 or visit www.mops.
org
Valley City Rotary
meets every Tuesday at
noon at the Valley City
VFW Club.
Barnes County Com-
mission meets every
frst and third Tuesday of
every month at the Barnes
County Courthouse, Valley
City.
Parent-teacher
conferences at Barnes
County North is from
3:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 2
ALL SOULS DAY
Valley City Kiwanis
Club meets meets every
Wednesday at 12:04 p.m.
at the Valley City VFW
Club. More info: Lowell,
845-5932 or 840-1668.
Valley City Park Board
meets every frst Wednes-
day of the month from
November through March,
starting today at 6:30 a.m.
with a fnance meeting
followed by the 7 a.m.
regular meeting.
Thursday, Nov. 3
Second Crossing
Toastmasters meets
Thursday at noon in the
Norway Room at VCSU
Student Center. Visitors
welcome. More info:
Janet, 845-2596.
The Barnes County
Music Festival takes
place at Vangstad Hall,
Valley City State University.
Maple Valley Students
Against Destructive
Decisions (SADD) meets
Thursday mornings at 8
a.m.
Parent-teacher con-
ferences today at Maple
Valley School District.
Tops Club of Enderlin
meets every Thursday
morning at the Senior
Center. Weigh in from
8:30 to 9 a.m.; meeting at
9 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 4
Joe Variego, Clarinet
& Composition Perfor-
mance begins at 7:30
p.m. in Froemke Audito-
rium at Valley City State
University. Admission: $5
adult, students free; VCSU
students, faculty & staff
free.
St. Catherine Catholic
School hosts its annual
Fall Auction at the Eagles
in Valley City.
PAGE 4 the independent
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
10.20.11
THE INDEPENDENT
of Barnes County
A publication of
Smart Media LLC
416 2nd St.
Fingal, ND 58031
Volume 1, Issue 4
All Rights Reserved
vitals
Editor & Publisher
Nikki Laine Zinke
NLZinke@INDY-BC.com
SUBMISSIONS
Your participation is
welcome. Submit calendar
items, articles and opinion
pieces online at
www.INDY-BC.com
or via email at:
submissions@indy-bc.com
ADVERTISING
General Inquiries:
advertising@INDY-BC.com
Paul Stenshoel
701-840-9313
Kailee Jo Hannig
Valley City Sales Offce:
223 Central Ave N.
CLASSIFIEDS
classifeds@INDY-BC.com
BILLING
accounting@INDY-BC.com
WEBSITE
www.INDY-BC.com
DISTRIBUTION
THE INDEPENDENT is pub-
lished weekly from its Smart
Media LLC home in Fingal,
N.D., and is available free of
charge at designated distri-
bution outlets in the Barnes
County area. (For commu-
nities in the outlying areas
of Barnes County, issues
of The Independent, bound
into bundles and marked
with your towns name, can
be available for pick-up ev-
ery Thursday to bring back
to your community. Contact
Paul, 840-9313, for more
info.) No one but distribu-
tors are permitted more than
one current issue of The In-
dependent without permis-
sion. Additional copies and
back issues are available
for $5 prepaid. Annual sub-
scriptions are also available.
Send check or money order
for $52/year to The Indepen-
dent, 416 Second St., Fin-
gal, ND 58031. Theft of The
Independent will be
prosecuted.
THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF
Kyly
Creations
Artisan
Jewelry
223 North
Central
Ave., Suite A
Valley City,
N.D. 58072
C
O
N
T
A
C
T

U
S
:

7
0
1
-
8
4
0
-
7
5
1
9
w
w
w
.
k
y
l
y
c
r
e
a
t
i
o
n
s
.
c
o
m
k
i
m
b
e
r
l
y
@
k
y
l
y
c
r
e
a
t
i
o
n
s
.
c
o
m
V
a
l
l
e
y
Meat S
u
p
p
l
y
1269 Main St. W
Valley City, ND
845-4705
800-752-5142
A Full Service
Old-Fashioned Meat Market
- Since 1976 -
ROD HAUGTVEDT
Owner
DEER PROCESSING
CUSTOM CUT WILD GAME PROCESSING
We will skin, cut, grind & wrap your deer.
Country-style Sausage
Polish Sausage
Summer Sausage
Summer Sausage
Bratwurst
Jerky, Dried Venison
Slaughtering
Tuesdays
& Thursdays
commentary PAGE 5
F
unding, funding and
more funding by the
EDC.
Quoting a recent arti-
cle in the Times- Record.
Te VC/BC Development
Group plans to ask the VC
Commission for $50,000
per year for the next three
years from sales taxes re-
ceipts earmarked for eco-
nomic development, said
Jennifer Feist, development
director Monday.
I attended the last
Roundtable and I am still
not sure what I witnessed!
I saw no money change
hands or suggested. Tus I
was surprised to hear about
all the projects handled by
the Roundtable so far. Te
amount requested comes
out to a total of $150,000
over a period of three
years!
Is this money actually
going to be used for the
beneft of any project the
Roundtable discusses and
agrees on or is it just to run
the Roundtable for three
years, and if so, what does
that entail? Will the money
be loans or investments
in infrastruction that may
or may not
make mon-
ey or give
us a return?
Is this
another re-
n e wa b l e ,
afer three
years, des-
tination for
our tax money or is that
$50,000 a year to be added
to the $28,881 mentioned
that is apparently lef for
Roundtable use? Afer
six years of good works?
How much was the origi-
nal investment money
(i.e. how much has already
been spent on the named
projects?)
Apparently many of these
projects have already been
funded? Like Ft. Ransom
State Park, which I believe
is in another county. Why
are we investing there with
so many projects avail-
able and needed in Barnes
County?
Te Ft. Ransom restau-
rant has closed also. What
are we investing in there
now?
Did the food tax man-
date allow for outside in-
vestments to other coun-
ties? We have parks here
that need investments.
I guess most of these
projects are so remote
from Valley City or in
remote parts of Barnes
County that I had not re-
ally noticed them! Visited
by relatively few residents.
Are that many tourists ex-
pected? What studies indi-
cate this?
Tose mentioned at the
end of the Times-Record
article, besides in Ransom
County, appear to include
the large restroom facil-
ity recently completed at
Clausen Springs, which
already had a multitude
of such facilities in more
convenient locations to
the camp ground. Some-
one might fall in the creek
at night trying to get to it!
Does our insurance cover
that? Please check with the
state Parks and Recs on this
for our sake. Any chance
we could get a facility like
that from the EDC in Val-
ley Citys Pioneer Park?
Additional funded items
from the Roundtable
funds include. the commu-
nity gardens in Kathryn,
apparently funded by our
taxes, Te North Country
hiking and biking trail,
wherever that runs or how
many people in the country
will use it, and fnally some
local funding to VCSU for
track and cross country. I
am not sure if that includ-
ed the money taken out for
the new turf.
Tere is also something
called marketing and tech-
nology park analysis. Tis
does not sound like infra-
structure! Just what was
analyzed with these two
items and for what reason?
Is this all just money spent
on these items and will
the city ever realize a run
on any of this? Who per-
formed the analysis?
I found that minimal
time was spent, I felt, at the
Roundtable on discussing
See BUSCHING, 6
EDC Roundtable: Expenditures, decisions questionable
By Lowell
Busching
LEtTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bickering wounds Valley City!
Fargo's opinion of the situation
in Valley City seems to be a bit na-
ive. I am not as smart as those at
Te Forum who wrote that piece
but I am a resident of Valley City
and I am also a sponsor of the
initiated ordinance to abolish the
city administrators position.
We have had two administra-
tors in Valley City in six years.
Te frst one started a website that
was the most hurtful and hateful
attack that anyone has ever seen.
He did that with the cooperation
of local city government.
Now the second city admin-
istrator comes to town, gets into
a war with the police chief. Te
administrator tells him not to do
something, (for you that do not
know, the chief asked a question at
a public meeting that the city ad-
ministrator told
him not to ask).
So much for a
free country. So
the administra-
tor admonishes
the chief with
a written repri-
mand. Te chief
says you do not
have the authority to tell me any-
thing. Turns out a District Court
judge ruling told Valley City the
chief was right!
But Te (Fargo) Forum seems
to lay blame for all the turmoil in
Valley City at the feet of the citi-
zens of this community, when in
fact, the real trouble comes from
City Hall! City Hall has become a
little dictators state. Te leader-
ship of our community went to
the Attorney General of the State
of North Dakota for an opinion
on whether or not citizens were
allowed to speak their opinion
about things in the community,
as a right according to the Con-
stitution. Te answer from the
Attorney General was "THEY
DO NOT." Te practice of go-
ing before the elected ofcials of
Valley City to bring grievances
or to communicate with them at
a commission meeting IS NOT A
RIGHT, it is a privilege granted
by the governing body and can be
revoked at any time by the gov-
erning body.
Well, Te (Fargo) Forum doesnt
seem to know that in Valley City
it is a privilege to get to talk to
those we have elected. When did
communicating with your elect-
ed ofcials change from a right
to a privilege? Is that how Fargo
works, you go to a city commis-
sion meeting and the commission
does not like what you are saying
so they throw you out? Tat is
what happens in Valley City all
the time.
Te commission does not like
what I say and responds: You are
out of order, sit down and shut
up.
I challenge the editorial board of
Te (Fargo) Forum, Pulitzer Prize
winning newspaper, to come to
Valley City and take a walk with
me down Main Street Valley City
and do a story on what we see.
We have one commissioner that,
depending on the time of day,
I can tell you which bar he is in
and how many drinks he has had
up to that point! We have another
commissioner that will lie right to
your face and think nothing of it.
We have another commissioner
that has admitted he is not quali-
fed to oversee any of the depart-
ments in Valley City.
And now, Jon Cameron is
laughing all the way to Texas,
leaving us holding the bag.
If this letter sounds a bit angry,
we are on the same page. To me
an opinion is made afer you have
the facts, not before, so I chal-
lenge Te (Fargo) Forum to put
their money where their mouth
is and please come to Valley City
and fnd out the truth.
Te folks in Valley City, the
ones that I know anyway, are al-
ways looking for constructive
criticism. We have had enough of
opinions like Te Forums that are
half-baked, half-truth and all B.S.
Bob Drake lives in Valley City.
Valley City man challenges The Forums half-baked opinion
By Bob
Drake
By Brian Mindt
Tis letter is to ask a question of
Liam Magoosha, Green Lantern,
Mike Morrissey, or whatever you call
yourself this week. Not only I, but
many people have made the same
comment, just who does he think he
is? Does he think he is so much better
than anyone else? Apparently so.
For calling yourself a wordsmith,
you certainly have a way with words,
and it is not very creative at all. Your
second-grade antics of calling peo-
ple names is quite unbecoming. Al-
though the Bikeman you have for
me, I kinda like. But, really now, do
you think this is very becoming? Are
you above other people? Is this how
your mother taught you?
Maybe it is like one guy told me.
People like him and those that as-
sociate together, believe that they are
way up on the totem pole and those
others are mere peasants that are
down there and God says it is OK to
demean them because they are lesser
than you. Is that what you think? I
believe there is no totem pole.
Despite what you say, we are not
opposed to everything. If we were we
would not be in existence. So fe on
you, we are entitled to our opinion
also.
What did you do in those 35 years
here? Poke fun at people or do some-
thing constructive? As far as attacking
those who may have felt their reas-
sessments were too high, some were.
Are they just supposed to bend over
and take it because the almighty God
of the city says do so? Lets up your as-
sessment 150 percent in one year and
see what you have to say.
I suggest you do some ACTUAL
research instead of pulling wacko fal-
lacies out of your bored head. If you
were appalled at the decorum at city
meetings, have you ever thought what
See MINDT, 7
Bikeman replies to Morrissey column, characterizations
BUSCHING, From Page 5
the many items suggested by
local students for facilities and
activities for them. Tere were
at least several pages of single-
spaced typing showing items
suggested by the student panel
as proposals. Few, if any, specifc
ones were discussed and none
funded as far as I know. A short
period of time devoted to the
teens by the Roundtable discus-
sion.
Most of the remaining time
on the Roundtable seemed to
be spent having various entities
state their purpose, what they
had done and what they hoped to
do. What did I miss in the back-
ground? What was worth $50,000
a year?
I felt sorry for the students who
had obviously spent consider-
able time coming up with ideas,
like utilizing space in the Straus
Mall for teen activities, a restau-
rant, etc. Tis was requested to be
paired back to a smaller proposal
utilizing the current Rec center,
but I heard nothing ofered or re-
solved. Was it?
Tis was prior to the purchase
of the Mall by George Gaukler,
but if he has trouble flling the
space, perhaps their ideas could
be considered. Example: the large
back area would indeed make an
excellent teen dance club with
other space for restaurants run by
the teens. Tese were among the
proposals I read and heard at the
last Roundtable by the students.
More public attendance is
needed at these Roundtables. I
was one of the few outsiders
there. Lots of preaching to the
choir. I learned nothing about
what their money would be used
for. It would appear it is consid-
erable.
All of this pales of course in re-
lation to the multi-millions need-
ed by the city for food protection,
but I do think Valley City itself
should beneft more from these
special taxes that have nothing to
do with the food money, accord-
ing to the EDC.
Perhaps I am just being selfsh.
I would like to know what other
citizens think of these kind of ex-
penditures outside the city, from
city taxes.
PS. Please drive slow on our
city streets. Te life you save may
be your own.
Lowell Busching lives in
Valley City.
Toulna Coulee outlet endangers Sheyenne
By Richard Betting
Editors note: This is the
second in a series that
explores how water is-
sues impact the greater
Sheyenne River Valley.

L
ast week, the City
of Devils Lake
rescinded its action
to prevent the Corps of
Engineers from building
the Tolna Coulee Outlet
structure on land the city
owns, a Devils Lake Jour-
nal Oct. 13 story states.
Why did the city of
Devils Lake object to the
Corps/State Water Com-
mission Tolna Coulee plan
in the frst place?
Heres the story behind
the story:
Last year, the Corps an-
nounced its plan to armor
the Tolna Coulee in order
to prevent the catastroph-
ic erosion of the coulee
if Devils Lake overfowed
afer reaching an elevation
of 1458 feet above mean
sea level. Te Corps and
others in the Devils Lake
area believe that if the lake
begins to overfow through
the Tolna Coulee, erosion
will occur and wash out a
ditch 14 feet deep. A ca-
tastrophe for downstream
Sheyenne River users.
However, studies of the
past overfows through
the coulee indicate that no
erosion occurred during
an overfow. In fact, the
Tolna Coulee was built up
each time by accretion of
sediment. Partial proof can
be seen in the core samples
dug in the coulee by the
North Dakota Geological
Survey in 1997.
Coulee sediment from
the past shows sea shells
at fve feet and paleosol at
eight. Tose samples were
seven thousand years old.
Had the Tolna Coulee
eroded fully during the last
overfow about 1,200 years
ago, all of the fll on top
of that low ditch would be
fairly recent.
Anyway, instead of
just armoring the coulee
to prevent any erosion
whatsoever, the State
Water Commission asked
the Corps to include a so-
called control structure
in the middle of the coulee.
Tat structure will be 12
feet high and 120 feet long
and flled with steel logs.
As the water rises, logs will
be removed and the fow
will erode the coulee.
So the control structure
will help the Tolna Cou-
lee to erode down to an
elevation of 1,446 feet msl,
12 feet lower than the lake
would have been when it
began to overfow if,
in fact, it should overfow.
Tat controlled erosion
will remove over two mil-
lion acre-feet of water from
Devils Lake, sending it
down the Sheyenne River.
Once the Tolna Coulee
has eroded down to its
fnal level whether 1,446
feet or 1,448 or whatever
the control structure
will allow all of the water
that enters Devils Lake to
fow through uncontrolled.
Tat is, all of the water that
enters Devils Lake when
the lake is at the then-full
elevation will fow im-
mediately through the
Tolna Coulee and into the
Sheyenne.
In other words, all of the
water in the Devils Lake
3,810 square mile water-
shed will be added to the
Sheyenne River watershed
about 4,000 square
miles.
Te main reason the City
of Devils Lake objected
to the Corps/ State Water
Commission Tolna Coulee
Outlet was that the plan
requires the lake to rise to
1,458 feet msl before any
water will be drained from
it. Tat would mean that
several thousand acres of
land would be inundated if
the lake were to rise from
its present height to 1,458
feet msl.
If Devils Lake continues
to rise, that would normal-
ly be a natural event. But
most of the water fowing
into the lake now result
from human-made drains.
If people did it, people can
also stop it.
Richard Betting is a member of
People to Save the Sheyenne.
He lives in Valley City.
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
PAGE 6 commentary
COLD BEER
POOL - DARTS
OPEN
Mon-Sat: 10AM-1AM
Sun: Noon-?
A great place for
working folks.
A BIKER-FRIENDLY BAR
RANT RAVE. Easily share your opinions online:
www.INDY-BC.com
the independent PAGE 7
T M T A R G E T R E U S E
O E S I C R O O N O F C C
W M I T C I V L Q O N H D
E B N A O S O U R A U I S
L E N M T A E G R R M Z M
U D E A T E E B N I R E I
F N R H R T M S T H E A L
E E O Y A U T I E R T L E
T K H E C Z W D U E T O S
S O C N K E C I P S O T R
A O E A R Y L E R A R S A
T R C C S E H S A R T U O
V C S N O I T A L E J G C
Find-a-Word Week of Oct. 20, 2011
acre
beet
chore
churns
coarse
crook
croon
dies
duet
elation
embed
eraser
forget
gusto
heal
hyena
loath
minor
omen
queer
rarely
reuse
sack
screw
sinner
smile
sour
spice
stare
target
tasteful
teas
tier
timid
towel
track
trashes
trotter
victim
zealot
THIS WEEKS FIND-A-WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
VFW Post 2764 - Valley City
Steak Night
Saturday, Oct. 22 v 5 - 8 P.M.
VFW Post 2764 - Valley City
N
orth Dakota hunters
have it pretty good.
While a lot of con-
versations this fall relate to
somewhat lower deer and
pheasant populations, our
wildlife numbers are still
high compared to a few de-
cades ago, when hunters ap-
plied for a frst-drawing doe
license just to have a chance
to hunt in November, and a
single morning rooster was
something to crow about.
Success is in the eyes of
the beholder, but thats what
makes hunting so special. No
one will remember, however,
how many ducks or how big
the buck if the hunt is marred
by an accident of any nature.
Safety, like success, de-
pends on the actions of hunt-
ers. As a certifed hunter edu-
cation instructor, I join with
hundreds of other volunteer
instructors who stress that
the need for safety trumps all
other concerns.
While all hunters should
be familiar with the basic
rules of safety, refreshers are
never redundant.
First, treat every gun as if it
were loaded. Its that simple,
no matter if its a toy gun or
real gun, whether youre in
the feld, at home or anywhere
between. When transporting
your gun or someone elses,
always assume and treat the
gun as if it were loaded.
Youll fnd
trained law
enforcement
o f f i c e r s ,
hunters and
guns mi t hs
will always
clear any
frearm, just
to confrm
with their own eyes, that to
the best of their knowledge
the gun is not loaded.
Secondly, never point or
aim your frearm or bow at
anything you dont intend to
shoot. Tis holds true in all
scenarios. Even when shoot-
ing clay targets or sighting in
at the rife range, and even
if you know, for a fact, that
the gun is not loaded, never
point a gun in a misdirected
manner.
I began instructing my
own kids at the age they were
able to pick up a plastic toy
gun, that they should never
point a gun even a toy at
any person.
Instructing a youngster
or anyone grasping a gun to
treat it as a loaded frearm
is good practice. And we all
know that practice creates
the habits well take into the
feld hunting, or any time
guns of any caliber and make
are present.
A fnal bit of advice as you
pursue North Dakotas boun-
tiful game this fall.
I know how difcult it
is to deal with buck fever,
the adrenaline rush when a
rooster busts out of the brush
or cattails, or even when
ducks and geese come into
the decoys. Even the most
seasoned hunters feel a rush
that only hunting can pro-
vide. As you shoulder your
gun, take a split second and
make sure of your target and
surroundings.
If for any reason some-
thing seems to have changed,
like maybe youre not sure
where your partner is, then
by all means pass up on the
shot.
When the scope focuses
and you see something be-
yond the buck, back of
until youre sure of the tar-
get and anything in front
of and behind it. Just a split
second may be all that is
needed to make sure your
hunt is both safe and success-
ful.
And lastly, if you fnd your-
self in the middle of an unsafe
situation, remove yourself.
Alcohol and frearms dont
mix, neither do unsafe prac-
tices.
Heres wishing you and
yours a successful and safe
rest of the fall.
Leier is a biologist with the Game
& Fish Department. He grew up
in Valley City. Reach him by email
at dleier@nd.gov
N.D. OUTDOORS
A safe hunt is a successful hunt
By Doug
Leier
MEET & GREET ADOPTION CENTER
These lovable animals are all up for adoption and hoping youll give them a happy new home!
SPARKY
SPARKY is an adorable 3-year-
oldneuteredmale. Well trained
and eager to please, he loves
to be the center of attention,
and is best suited for a home
without other pets. For more
information, call 000-000-
0000.
Name Sponsor
TOOTSIE
TOOTSIE is a 3-month-old
female. She would be a good
pet for a home with other
cats. Shes very affectionate
andextremelyplayful. Agreat
playmatefor a child. For more
info, call 000-000-0000.
Name Sponsor
ROVER
DAISY
ROVERisa2-year-oldneutered
male. Hes well trained and
eager to please. He also likes
to be the center of attention,
so is best suited for a home
that does not have other pets.
For additional information, call
000-000-0000.
Name Sponsor
DAISY is a very friendly and
affectionate4-year-oldspayed
female. Shes sweet andcraves
affection. Daisy gets along
well with dogs and other cats,
and she loves children. For
more information, call 000-
000-0000.
Name Sponsor
BANDIT
BANDITis a4-year-oldspayed
female. Shes sweet and
craves affection. Bandit gets
along well with other dogs
and cats, and she absolutely
loves children. Well trained.
For additional information,
call 000-000-0000.
Name Sponsor
LULU
LULU is a 4-year-old spayed
female. Shes sweet and
craves affection. Lulu gets
along well with dogs and
other cats, andsheabsolutely
adoreschildren.Foradditional
information, call 000-000-
0000.
Name Sponsor
PENELOPE
PENELOPE is a cute 5-year-
old spayed female looking
for a quiet home without
childrenor other pets. Agreat
senior companion, she loves
sunning and snuggling. For
additional information, call
000-000-0000.
Name Sponsor
RUFUS
RUFUS is a sweet 6-month-
oldneuteredmale. Heis feisty
and energetic with lots of
love to share. Rufus loves
playing with children and
other pets! Well trained,
healthy and lovable! For
information, call 000-000-
0000.
SMILEY
SMILEY is a 2-year -old
neuteredmale. Heis feistyand
energetic with lots of love to
share. He needs training, but
is eager toplease. Smiley loves
kids and other pets! For more
information, call 000-000-
0000.
Name Sponsor
THE BEST VET FOR YOUR PET
Here are some general guidelines to help you begin training your dog. For a better understanding
of your dogs training needs, consider enrolling him in a local training school.
Doing research will help you choose the best breed for your familys lifestyle.
Never strike a dog to correct behavior! This will only lead to more problems.
Stick to the rules you set. For instance, if you dont want your dog to jump on other people, dont let him jump on
you.
Remember, dogs arepack animals, so establish yourself as your dogs leader.
Let the tone of your voice guide your pets behavior: Use a low pitch to indicate correction. Use a normal tone when
giving
a command. Use a high pitch to communicate praise.
MakeNO your correction word, and praise your dog as soon as he stops an unwanted behavior. Remember, dogs
Committed to providing comprehensive veterinary care with a personal touch. From routine wellness visits to
surgery, we provide a range of services to meet your pets healthcare needs.
24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
TIPS FOR A WELL-TRAINED DOG
Sponsored by:
THE K-9
CAPTAIN
Complete training services
for puppies and adult dogs
Private Instruction Group
Classes Boarding Service
Call us today for more info:
658 Union Road Hailey
000-000-0000
EVERYTHING TO
PAMPER YOUR PET!
See us for great prices on all of
your pet care needs!
Play Toys Food Supplements
Treats Training Aids
THIS WEEKS SPECIALS
Brand Dog Treats
$
0.00 box
Brand Canned Cat Food
00

0 Oz. Can
PET PARLOR
598 Hudson Road Willard
000-000-0000
Well make sure your dog gets
plenty of attention, exercise and love!
FULL- OR PART-TIME DAY CARE
OVERNIGHT STAYS EXTENDEDVISITS
Indoor & Outdoor Runs Caring, Professional Staff
THE DOG HOUSE
581 Keller Avenue Smithville 000-000-0000
Purrfectly Groomed.
Fetchingly Styled.
Primp your pet with our professional grooming
services.
Full-Service Cat & Dog Grooming FleaTreatments
Specialty Baths Nail Clipping
ALL BREEDS AREWELCOME!
Critters Grooming
Salon
PAWS & CLAWS
VE T E RI NARY CL I NI C
56 Taylor Avenue Anderson
000-000-0000
Fall in Love with a Furry Friend Today
Compliments of Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals
CALLIE
3-year-old
female
Yellow Lab
CRICKETT
1-year-old
male
Black Lab
LAILAH
1-year-old
female
Boxer/Lab
mix.
PEACHES
6 to 10-year-
old female
Lhasa Apso
HARDIE
2-year-old
male Rat/
Jack Terrier
Russell mix
ALL SVFA pets are fxed,
have current shots
and have been
microchipped.
For more
information,
please call
701-840-5047.
Place ads by calling PaUl: 840-9313
MINDT, From Page 5
caused it, and how it just may be long over-
due.
You also need to look up the defnitions
of gang and organization and look in
the mirror to see who the real jackboot
is. Every event that took place is everyones
right as an American to take part in.
Why do you, and many other people, al-
ways fnd it necessary to hide behind these
fctitious names? Do you have something
to hide? It is always so easy to attack some-
one when you pretend to be someone else,
but what does that say for your character?
Your integrity?
Just because some people exercise their
Constitutional right as an American, and
you happen to not agree with it, does that
give you the right to chastise, ridicule, and
demean them?
One thing, about the only thing you had
right is the Cave people term you have.
Te only thing wrong is your analogy you
had for Cave. Just so you know it stands
for Citizens Advocating Virtual Equality.
Citizens: members of a state or nation who
owe allegiance to its government and enti-
tled to its protection; Advocating: to speak
or write in favor of; Virtual: being such in
power, force, or efect; Equality; the state or
quality of being equal.
Afer all, everyone has come into this
world naked and no matter what worldly
possessions you may have, no matter what
titles you may hold, all must go naked to
the throne of the Lord.
So Mikey, that rock that you once said
you crawled out from under, maybe, just
maybe, you could do a lot of people a fa-
vor and crawl back under it til you can
learn some manners. Tis will be my fnal
response to you as any more would be a
waste of resources. Have a nice day and
see ya in two years.
- Brian Mindt (not afraid to state my
God-given name)
Brian Mindt lives in Valley City and helped spear-
head the campaign to abolish the city administra-
tor position there.
C
ara Kamstra
was surprised
when the res-
taurant she
worked at for
18 years, Pizza Hut, closed
earlier this month.
Te Valley City eaterys
owners cited losses dur-
ing a three-week period
of renovations in August,
when the restaurant was
shuttered, and a subse-
quent employee shortage.
But aside from that hiccup,
Pizza Hut remained wildly
popular with the commu-
nity.
It was a tough job to tell
everybody they didnt have
jobs anymore; they were
crying, says Kamstra, who
managed the West Main
Street location for 16-and-
a-half years until it closed
Oct. 3. We were all pretty
stunned by it.
Owner Gwen Dubert
told her manager it was
impossible to recover af-
ter the late-summer repair
work, Kamstra says. From
the restaurants short-lived
reopening on Aug. 25 un-
til October, Kamstra and
a skeleton crew got by do-
ing carry-out only, a hectic
period in which only seven
people took turns to ensure
shifs were flled.
During that period, Kam-
stra recruited employees
and, by Oct. 3, had made it
back to full stafng levels,
about 20 people.
As far as the employees
were concerned, we felt like
we just made it through the
war and we closed, Kam-
stra says. I imagine she
(the owner) made that de-
cision before we saw that.
Gwen Dubert, who Kam-
stra says owned the res-
taurant with her husband,
Stephen Dubert, told Te
Independent the couple
built the store in the early
to mid-1980s.
Te only thing I would
want to be on record as
saying, says Gwen Dubert,
who lives in South Caro-
lina, is how much we ap-
preciate the support that
the town and the county
gave us over the years and
that it (closing) was a very
difcult decision.
Want-
ed:
workers
Reopen-
ing in late
August, at
the same
time as John
Deere Seed-
ing Groups
hiring sea-
son, proved
d i f f i c u l t ,
K a ms t r a
says: Weve
had trouble hiring when-
ever they we hiring.
She says other employers
were also seeking to pick
up help as Valley City State
University students began a
new school year.
Te communitys eco-
nomic development group
says North Dakota histori-
cally has a bad track re-
cord for hiring in the fall
because of reasons such as
harvest.
Te fall of the year is al-
ways very difcult because
we have a short construc-
tion season and everybodys
trying to get things done
before the snow fies, says
Jennifer Feist, development
director of the Valley City-
Barnes County Economic
Development Corp.
Feist says economic de-
velopment groups in the
state dont directly seek
employees for service-
sector businesses such as
Pizza Hut. Instead, work-
ing with the North Dakota
Department of Commerce,
development entities focus
on primary-sector jobs that
pay at least $35,000 annu-
ally to workers.
Primary sector are the
companies that generate
new wealth for North Da-
kota that it has never had
before, such as John Deere,
Feist says.
At least
75% of sales
are outside
the State of
North Da-
kota.
Te EDC
h e l p e d
bring John
Deere to
Valley City
and signed
the contract
in Decem-
ber 1995.
Construction began April
1996 and fnished prod-
uct rolled out the door fve
months later by Sept. 1,
1996, she says.
Exceptions to the prima-
ry-sector focus exist. Feist
cited the example of a de-
velopment group helping
fnd a physician for a hos-
pital or clinic.
To help businesses in the
service sector fnd employ-
ees, Feist says the EDC uses
job fairs and good, old-
fashioned word of mouth.
Kamstra says she adver-
tised heavily for employees
as soon as the August shut-
down began. Tat included
posting an announcement
through North Dakota Job
Service.
Scratching their heads
Afer snow entered the
red-roofed restaurants at-
tic last winter, saturating
the Sheetrock ceiling and
letting moisture seep down
and ruin a freezer, Kamstra
closed Pizza Hut on Aug.
1 for an expected 10-day
project.
But ripping out part of
the store and replacing the
freezer took 24 days. With
none of the mostly part-
time employees earning
paychecks, Kamstra says
the majority of the workers
didnt return when Pizza
Hut reopened on Aug. 25.
Owner Dubert wouldnt
comment on the possibil-
ity of selling the business,
but Kamstra says shes
heard some people have ex-
pressed interest in it. Resi-
dents have told Kamstra
that Valley City needs Pizza
Hut, especially since its a
college town.
Feist says the buildings
location is a high-trafc
one for frms that would
potentially replace the res-
taurant.
Kamstra says afer 18
years of working as manag-
er, seven-day weeks when
she responded to employee
phone calls and other is-
sues, shes glad to have a re-
prieve from the restaurant
business.
Everybodys still scratch-
ing their heads about it,
she says of the pizza shops
closing. I had nothing to
do with that decision.
PAGE 8 the independent
STORY BY LEE MORRIS/PHOTO: THE INDEPENDENT
No clear answers for why popular VC eatery locked shop
Pizza Huts closure catches
community by surprise
A notice posted to the entry door at Valley Citys Pizza Hut announced the restaurant is closed.
Cara
Kamstra
Former Pizza
Hut manager
said closing
took her by
complete
surprise
Jennifer
Feist
Economic
development
director says
fall is a tough
time to hire
the independent PAGE 9
I
ts been 27 years since Kevin Ba-
con frst cut loose and kicked of
his Sunday shoes, but Hollywood
is always looking to make a mint,
and reimagining actually, virtu-
ally copying a popular 80s musical
drama seemed like a quick way to make
a dime.
For those unfamiliar with the story,
new kid Ren McCormack (Kenny
Wormald) moves to the small, southern town of
Bomont afer his mother loses a battle with cancer. Ren
quickly discovers the towns strict rules, which were
instated afer fve teenagers from the community were
killed in a car accident afer a night of drinking and
dancing. Te grieving father of one of the young vic-
tims, local pastor Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid), rallies
the town and passes a dozen laws banning a number of
destructive activities, including cranking Quiet Riot
too loud (which, as we all know, modern teenagers tend
to do), staying out later than 10 oclock, and . . . dancing.
Tese strict laws do nothing to tame the pastors wild-
child daughter (Julianne Hough), whom Ren eventually
falls for.
Ren knows he has to fght for his right to party and
sets out to change these unreasonable rules. Because
when Ren wants to put on a tight white tank top and do
an interpretive dance in an abandoned warehouse, no
law will stand in his way.
Can Ren change Bomonts laws and help the other
suspiciously well-choreographed kids in this dance
deprived town learn to cut loose?
I have a confession to make. Ive never seen the origi-
nal Footloose in its entirety. So I basically had to take
this movie as a stand-alone product. Tat said, Footloose
was a lot of fun to watch. In spite of a ridiculous plot
(what modern town would ever legally ban dancing?)
the infectious music and fun 80s visuals make this
movie a passable dance fick.
But from what I can tell, this flm copied the original
Footloose almost verbatim. And although the remake
is set in present day, there are denim jackets, skinny
ties, a vintage yellow VW bug, and more than a few of
the songs from the original Footloose soundtrack. But
its not the 1980s anymore, and the people who were
teenagers when the frst Footloose came to theaters and
admired authority-fouting Kevin Bacon now have kids
of their own. Speaking of the 1984 Footloose star, am I
the only one who thinks that seeing Kevin Bacon play-
ing the uptight pastor in the 2011 version would have
been hilarious? Hey, if youre going to do a remake of an
iconic 80s movie, go all out.
Final thoughts: Did the world really need a remake of
Footloose featuring songs that fuse Kenny Loggins with
hip-hop? No. Tis movie certainly wont have the im-
pact on todays teenagers in the way the original did, but
it just has so much energy that its hard resist the urge to
tap your feet to the familiar tunes, even if they are set to
a diferent beat.
Kaylee Erlandson is a student
at Valley City State University.
ON THE BIG SCREEN
By Kaylee
Erlandson
Footloose remake is
toe-tappin good time
PAGE 10 neighbors
Notice on hay bales
All hay bales on North Dakota highway
rights of way must be removed by Tuesday,
Nov. 1.
Hay bales remaining on rights of way aer
Nov. 1 will be removed as directed by the Dis-
trict Engineer. e bales need to be removed
for snow management and safety reasons.
North Dakota Century Code prohibits hay
from being placed in the right of way except
on the outer edge. Large round bales must not
be placed on inslopes or within 60 feet from
the outside edge of the driving lane.
VFW scholarship
winners announced
Riley Adams and Seth Auka have each been
selected to receive a $250 scholarship from
VFW Post #2764 for the month of October
2011.
Adams attends the North Dakota State
School of Science. He is the son of Neil and
Ronda Amann of Valley City.
Auka attends Valley City State University. He
is the son of Mikkal and Wanda Auka of Val-
ley City.
VCSU to host Viking Visit Day
Valley City State University is hosting a Vi-
king Visit Day on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Interested students and parents will have the
opportunity to discover why VCSU has been
ranked as one of the Midwests top public col-
leges for the last 14 years in a row.
University faculty and sta will be on hand
to discuss academics, nancial aid, laptop
computer advantages, extra-curricular oppor-
tunities, and more.
Viking Ambassadors, a select group of
VCSU students, will provide campus tours as
well as the student perspective on the VCSU
experience.
Registration for the day takes place from
8:30 to 9 a.m. at the Memorial Student Cen-
ter on the campus of VCSU, with the program
beginning at 9 a.m. e program concludes
at noon.
To make a reservation, contact the O ce of
Enrollment Services at 1.800.532.8641, exten-
sion 7101, 701.845.7101, or go online to visit.
vcsu.edu.
Valley Citys Molly McLain (left) takes a moment to photograph
activists attending a GMOs - Right to Know rally held Saturday, Oct.
15, in Fargo. The event, held outside the Fargo Public Library, was
designed to draw attention to the pervasive nature of unlabeled, ge-
netically modied food in American grocery-store products. McLain
was one of a group of local residents who attended and participated
in the protest against unlabeled GMOs. (Photos submitted/Vicki
Rosenau)
Are you an organic farmer? Do you
live a sustainable foods lifestyle? Do
you have an opinion about GMO foods?
Pro? Con? If so, The Independent wants
to hear from you. Send us your story -
your letters - or your suggestions.
Its easy. Go to www.INDY-BC.com and
click SUBMIT.
SHORT TAKES
SUBMIT YOUR
SHORT NEWS
ITEMS online at
www.INDY-BC.com
WANTED TO BUY
Older Ford pickup
from the 50s or 60s.
Prefer running. Call
701-845-3723, ask
for Boomer.
WANTED TO BUY
Gun collector wants
to buy old Win-
chesters and other
antique guns. Fair
prices paid. Call 605-
352-7078.
LAND FOR SALE
50 acres located 3
miels west of Valley
City in SW 1/4-26-
140-59 south of I-94.
Call 701-845-4303
after 10 AM.
FOR SALE
Vintage Victrola in
working condition.
$200 or best offer.
Call 845-2596, ask
for Janet.
FOR SALE
Yellow buggy to pull
behind your bike.
Take your youngster
bicycling with you
safely. Buggy is on
wheels, has refec-
tive covering, your
kid goes inside. Only
$20. Call David, 845-
0201. Leave mes-
sage.
MISC. FOR SALE
A nice, antique
(1930s) Clarion Tube
Radio in Cabinet with
Phono/Record player
on top with opening
lid, Model C105AA.
This is a nice, rare
unit. Measures: 33
3/4 tall x 17.5 deep
x 20 wide. Have re-
ceipt of repairs made.
Price: $75. Also sell-
ing 1939 Franklin De-
luxe Rotary Sewing
machine (pedal style)
in cabinet - $50, and
3-pc speaker set
($20). Clearing out
house - our loss, your
gain. Call Jerry, 701-
663-4631. Maybe
deliver to VC area.
DEADLINE
FOR FREE
CLASSIFIED
ADS IS NOON,
TUESDAYS.
SERVICE OFFERED
Professional Trunk
Restoration is now
taking your orders for
this coming winter to
restore your old beat
up trunk. Contact Lee
Steidl 701-924-8866
or 701-840-8712.
FREE KITTENS
Two 3 1/2-month-
olds, two 8-month-
olds. Very tame, very
friendly. They need
good homes before
the winter. Call Man-
dy at 701-840-1708
or 701-796-8441.
WANTED TO BUY
Want to buy: Win-
chester 1894s most
any year, also fre-
arms of most any
type. Also Kawasaki
3 cylinder 2 stroke
motorcycles. Call
701-845-5196
FOR SALE
Green foral love-
seat for sale, $100.
Antique chair, $50.
Call Deb at 701-845-
2364.
FOR SALE
Santa fe deluxe maus-
er in 30/06, drilled for
scope and has sling
mounts, monte car-
lo stock. $275. Call
701-845-5196.
the independent PAGE 11
FREE CLASSIFIEDS
Your private-party ad (25 words or
less) is FREE! Ads must be received
by noon on Tuesdays for Thursday
publication. Use our EASY ONLINE
FORM now available at
www.INDY-BC.com
Tell your
auctioneer that
you want to see
auction bills
in the countys
only FREE
paper
Te Independent
of Barnes County
ONLINE ALL
THE TIME
www.INDY-BC.com
There is no such thing as public opinion.
There is only published opinion.
-Winston Churchill.
publish
yours.
be heard.
Send your
Opinion Columns
or Letters to the Editor
via email to
submissions@indy-bc.com
or via U.S. mail to
The Independent,
416 Second St.,
Fingal, ND 58031.
We now accept letters to the editor
on our website.
QUICK. EASY. PAINLESS.
www.INDY-BC.com
Kjelland unearths Triceratops
in Badlands trip
DIG IT!
PAGE 12 the independent
M
ichael Kjelland grew up
in Valley City wanting
to emulate the char-
acter made famous by Harrison
Ford in the Indiana Jones movies
of the 1980s and 1990s.
Although not an archeologist,
he did get a real-world opportu-
nity to do some serious paleon-
tology work this past summer,
thanks to a Labor Day journey
to the Dakota Badlands that re-
sulted in the unearthing of bones
from a Triceratops dinosaur.
Kjelland, now an interim pro-
fessor of biology in the School
of Natural and Social Sciences at
Wayne State College in Nebraska,
said he had a few days to head up
to North Dakota and South Da-
kota to do some exploring and
digging, and ran across part of
the spinal column of a dinosaur
that was somewhere between 65-
75 million years old.
I found several vertebrae
sticking out of the ground, along
with some rib pieces, he said
while delicately displaying some
pieces of the spine. I only had
a few days out there, so I didnt
have time to do a lot of digging
and will need to go back and do
some more.
What he was able to bring
home was a small part of a spi-
nal column of a Triceratops di-
nosaur that was believed to be
at least 30 feet long, 10 feet high
and weighed in at somewhere
between 6 and 12 tons. Kjelland
estimated that about 82 vertebrae
made up the spinal column of the
dinosaur he ran across on his trip
this past summer.
Tere are still several verte-
brae in the ground, he explained.
Teyre usually in pieces and you
have to put them back together.
Kjelland said he has always had
an interest in fossil collecting and
paleontology, and he has com-
municated with world-renowned
paleontologist Dr. John Jack R.
Horner the inspiration for the
Jurassic Park movie paleontolo-
gist character and the study of
bone marrow in dinosaur bones.
In well-preserved bones, you
can drill and recover fossilized
bone marrow and sometimes
even protein components from
sof tissue (also referring to mo-
lecular paleontologist Mary Sch-
weitzers work), he said. Its
amazing how you can fnd things
like this, and there is still a lot of
room for research in this area.
Te trip to the Dakota Badlands
gives Kjelland an opportunity to
expose his students to paleontol-
ogy opportunities and some of
the biological research that is in-
spired by fnds such as his.
Once I arm students with the
biology vocabulary and some of
STORY BY MICHAEL CARNES/ THE WAYNE HERALD
PHOTOS: MIKE KJELLAND
the concepts, they can go on their
own adventures and delve into
other things like molecular biol-
ogy, molecular paleontology, or
paleobiology, he said.
Tere are a lot of opportunities
out there, and I enjoy trying to
foster an awareness of some of the
possibilities that exist for students,
ones that they can participate in if
they so choose.
Part of the success of the dig site
is to keep the exact location a se-
cret until further excavations can
begin, Kjelland said.
Te advanced technologies
available, and that he uses for
dinosaur hunting, include GPS
technology and satellite imagery,
which can help guide him to other
places where he might fnd more
dinosaur remains.
Digs such as this must take
place on private land, with per-
mission from the land owner,
Kjelland said. It needs to be done
on private land, otherwise you
can run into trouble with own-
ership rights or legal problems if
digging on Native American land
or government land without per-
mission. You can get into trouble,
and on top of that they will confs-
cate what youve found, so its im-
portant to set up a dig on private
land, unless you have secured the
proper government permits.
As for the site where he made
his latest discovery, he plans on
returning, and hopes that he can
bring some students along to share
in the experience.
Tis is a great dig site, and
hopefully next time Ill have some
students come with me and par-
ticipate, he said. Its a perfect
dig site to take students to, and
it would be a great experience
for them. Its a lot more than just
memorizing facts, it is experien-
tial learning.