- Prairie Independent

FREE
Est. 2007 Š Vol. 2, Iss. 1 Š January 17, 2008
Local Celebrations of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Featuring Reflections on King and
His Impact in North Dakota from:
Brian Palecek
1991 Recipient of the North Dakota
Martin Luther King Holiday Award
Dan Ulmer
Mandan City Commissioner
Amy S. Nelson
Fair Housing of the Dakotas
Scott Davis
United Tribes Technical College
Dr. Paul Johnson
School Superintendent
Carole Barrett
ND Commission on Civil Rights
Christie Iverson
Physician
Carly Schaub
Professional Dancer
Brandi Powell
Journalist
INDEX
Editorial & Letters 2
Local Culture 3
Movies 4 - 5
Choreographers’ Showcase 6
City Life 7
Season of Nonviolence 8
Cover Story 9 - 10
Presidential Caucuses 11
The Agitator 12
Fatdad CD Release13
Calendar 14 - 15
Jonathan Frye
Student
The Legacy Lives on
in North Dakota
Starting 2008 the Right Way
Editorial and Letters
By Ryan Gustafson
EDITOR
Our invaluable volunteers put in long
hours to create this newspaper, and we
can’t thank them enough for all they do especially when volunteering for us means
braving the bitter North Dakota winter!
Our first issue came out a little over a
year ago, on January 4, 2007. It’s hard to
believe it’s been an entire year already.
We’ve reached a great milestone at the
one year mark, which we’re very proud
of: this is our first issue printed in color.
We wouldn’t be able to do it without the
great people of Bismarck-Mandan who’ve
helped us along the way.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to a
great 2008! And now... the letters!
What Vast Wasteland?
While vacationing in eastern Idaho
recently, I was approached by a guy that
asked if I was from North Dakota. I replied
that I was and he said he was from Rugby.
We conversed and realized that we had a
friend in common. He proceeded to ask me
if I had read the last issue of the National
Geographic. He was really upset with an
article in the magazine that painted very
negative picture of life in North Dakota.
The name of the article is “The Emptied
Prairie.”
I purchased the magazine and was horrified and also maddened that an article like
would be published in a respected journal.
It portrays a state of extreme hardship and
a wasteland. Nowhere in the article does it
convey the variety of people that live here
with the spirit of living a good life in a good
and healthy place to raise families.
Is this the way we want other areas of
the United States to perceive us? I am worried about the continued migration of rural
North Dakotans to our urban areas. I see it
is the only thing for people to do, however,
as good jobs disappear and the rural medi-
cal facilities have to shut down because of a
lack of people to keep them running.
What worries me even more is the past
and current problem of outmigration. Our
young people leave because of a lack of
quality jobs – jobs needed to own a home
and raise a family comfortably in this state.
We can’t expect them to want to stay if
there is not going to be a future here for
them.
Where do our elected officials stand on
these issues? As my partner and I travel, we
see other rural states that have developed
factory and industry jobs in their states.
Without the better paying companies coming to North Dakota, how can we expect the
money to ripple through our community
keep the rest of our businesses in business?
Is it not true that without good jobs, it will
be impossible to afford good healthcare and
a continuing good education system for our
children? It’s time we wake up and demand
quality jobs before North Dakota does go
to sleep and the prairie does become a vast
wasteland.
Dan Tokach
Mandan
When Justice Reigns
As a rural community pastor, I am disappointed in National Geographic’s recent
portrayal of North Dakota. Unfortunately it
feeds the very frustration of rural residents
who have come to reluctantly expect that
the losses in their communities and their
state are inevitable.
How you read the National Geographic
story all depends on your perspectives and
your hopes for the future. We should grieve
many of the changes that have happened to
our rural communities and the losses they
have experienced.
Rural America is being depopulated,
decapitalized, and demoralized. There is a
reality to that fact. That doesn’t mean we
should give in to fatalism or go into a state
of denial. We need to face the changes that
have occurred, analyze why they have occurred, and determine how these losses can
be rectified and reversed.
We need to look with eyes that are
trained to identify systemic injustices in
our economic, political, and social culture.
There is a real sense of loss in rural communities and there is a sense of despair
about the changes. Perhaps the most
devastating loss is the sense of the inability
of those remaining to reverse the course
of events that has led them to their current
status.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Nor
does it mean that these economic, political, and social forces are inevitably leading
to further losses in rural community. We
cannot cover up the reality that has already
occurred, nor can we paper them over with
press releases and defensive letters to the
editor.
When I travel to rural places that I have
known (and I have traveled most of the back
roads and lived on one of those backroads)
and when I see the negative changes of
recent times I have the same sense of grief
and loss that I experience when I do a funeral service. I have to remind myself that
there are a variety of steps in the process of
grieving over the loss of someone or something loved. First, there is denial, then often
there is bargaining, then there is anger, and
in the final stages of grief we come to an
acceptance of what is and a resolve to make
whatever changes are necessary to overcome the loss.
I am not happy with the article, and
how it portrays our state. But mostly, I am
disturbed that it does not investigate the
underlying causes or even raise solid questions probing the why’s. Instead, it gives
into the inevitabilities of the trend lines that
it projects. It leaves you a signed, sealed,
and delivered bankruptcy for the future
of the Great Plains.
What is happening in rural America
is not a natural process. It is a man-
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made phenomenon. Capitalism can
be just as destructive as it is creative,
especially corporate capitalism. Denial
does not deal with the reality of rural
losses. Anger often adds to the violence
that has already occurred. We cannot
and should not return to yesterday, but
we can learn from history and we can
change the course of history. While
we have no choice, but to accept the
realities of the present, we can and must
change the future. That it is the real
task. Attacking National Geographic
or the Poppers or other Northern Plains
doomsayers often serves to deepen the
chasm between reality and possibility.
What we need is the imagination to
envision a different future and the commitment to bring our new visions into
a reality. The Hebrew prophets understood that process, and so should we.
They identified the systemic injustices
within their society that was creating
the doomsday. They named names and
confronted the power structures of their
day. Then they imagined the different future of what their social order
could be when justice reigned. And
they called the people into action. That
is where I hope the others here in the
Northern Plains who are also disappointed in National Geographic’s article
will focus their energy.
Karl Limvere
Medina, ND
Prairie Independent
January 17, 2008 - Vol. 2, Iss. 1
410 E Thayer Ave, Suite 2
Bismarck, ND 58501
701.224.8090
701.255.0848 (fax)
www.prairieindependent.com
editor@prairieindependent.com
Published by:
The North Dakota Center for the Public Good
Editorial Board: Lydia Richez-Bowman,
Dan Tokach, Ron Hildahl, Ryan Gustafson,
Aruna Seth, Vinod Seth, Brian Palecek, Hollis
Mackintosh, Don Morrison
Contributors: Todd Ford, Jennifer Tosner
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© 2008 The North Dakota Center for the Public
Good. All rights reserved.
Letters and Op-Ed Submission Policies
Š Letters will be published in the order they
are received, space permitting. Letter-writers
are encouraged to keep their letters brief.
Letters containing offensive material will
not be published. Send letters to editor@
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Prairie Independent, 410 E Thayer Ave, Suite 2,
Bismarck, ND 58501.
New Blood Means New Energy
for the Bismarck Arts Scene
By Jennifer Tosner
As a North Dakota native, I probably fall into the generation of twentysomething wannabe-hipsters who feel
the urge to leave the state in pursuit of
something more in the far corners of
the world. I’m back now, surveying my
community not in terms of what it’s
lacking, but in terms of what it has.
Surprisingly enough, I’m finding
there are a lot of new people here,
especially new people in leadership
roles in our community. And by new
leadership, I don’t mean in the ruling
sector - that would be the apocalypse. I
am, however, talking about new blood
in the arts, in non-profit organizations,
and in professional positions.
I am one of two newcomers that
make up the management team of
Dakota Stage Ltd. Northern Plains
Ballet is under new management. The
Symphony was recently under new
management, in addition to all the
newcomers at Urban Harvest, The
Downtowners Association, Theo Art
School, and The God’s Child Project,
just to name a few. I’m also finding
that there are new people working for
local news stations, the media industry,
printing businesses, store owners, and
restaurants.
These new people are creating new
connections in our community that
help foster a vision of collaboration.
This vision has especially taken off in
the arts scene. Local musicians have
banded together for music festivals and
concerts, most recently for a benefit
concert for the God’s Child Project.
The theatre has featured Northern
Plains dancers in our Late Night Alternative venue, and they in turn are
featuring Dakota Stage actors in their
upcoming Choreographer’s Showcase.
Live music is showing up at Urban
Harvest and onstage in Northern Plains
Ballet productions, a trend which continues as they plan to use a real beatboxer and string ensembles from the
Suzuki School of Music in their latest
production. No longer are we subjected
to our plastic worlds of artistic isolation.
to promote each other’s endeavors, and to benefit from
others supporting us. Cross
pollination in the arts is a
good thing - it expands our
ability to offer more quality
experiences to a community
that is otherwise lacking
in the arts. New leadership
is recognizing this, and is
adjusting their priorities accordingly.
What I see happening
Above: A publicity photo from Dakota Stage’s newest
is an arts community that
production, Kitchen Witches, about cooking show hosts
is coming together to help
who hate each other’s guts. Kitchen Witches runs Jan.
support each other as we
reach for common goals. The 30 - Feb. 3 and Feb. 6 - Feb. 10.
attitude of competition over
that making it better does not revolve
audience members and fundaround doing what’s always been
ing sources is slowly ebbing away as
done. It takes something new - a fresh
people are seeing that interconnection
perspective, uncommon risks, bringing
is a more powerful way to reach their
people in from the outside, and workgoals.
ing together to create the kind of synThis collaborative energy is here
ergy that we need to promote a culture
because people care about making
of arts in North Dakota.
our community better, and they see
Gaining Ground
A new energy is springing forth
from our willingness to work together,
Worship at The Well
Sundays at 6 p.m.
All are welcome!
First Presbyterian Church
Sunday Services 9 & 11
Wednesday Programs Starting at 5:30
Third & Thayer, Bismarck
701-223-6091
Spiritual Café: Scented with candles and freshly
roasted coffee, an alternative worship experience.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
South Campus
106 Osage Ave, Bismarck
(701) 255-1001
GoodShepherdBismarck.com
Bismarck Mandan
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
818 East Divide Avenue, Bismarck
www.bismanuu.org
Free Minds, Hope,
Respect, Justice
January 20: “The Essential Quaker” with Larry and Joanne Spears
January 27: “Growing Old Gracefully?” with Helen Hammond
February 3: “The Ethics of Herosim” with Bill Thomas
February 10: “Worths, Dignity, and Respect: Why Economic Justic is a Moral
and Faith Imperative” with Chad Litton
Coffee at 10:30 a.m., program at 11 a.m.
Child care, Sunday school, senior high youth groups
A Welcoming Congregation
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 3
THE MOVIE PAGES
WITH
TODD FORD
AND
CINEMA 100
The New List
Cinema 100 is back with a brand new series of
interesting and unique movies
A
you need to run to the bathroom or, as
I’ve had to do many times, help your
teenager with math homework.
Does that sound heavenly? It certainly has its good points. But stop to
think about how it cheapens the moviewatching experience.
Most obviously, no matter how
much money you pour into your TV, it
isn’t going to approach the size of even
a small theater screen – and no, I’m not
forgetting about home video projectors. And it is amazing what happens
when you view a film you think you
know well for the first time in a theater.
Details unnoticeable from across
the room on a 35-inch screen suddenly stand out five feet tall. I “saw”
Apocalypse Now countless times before
attending a Cinema 100 screening and
never noticed the very important words
“Death from Above” scrawled across
the front of a helicopter. I never noticed
the book titles, such as “World Targets
in Megadeaths,” from Dr. Strangelove,
or “Introducing Sociology,” from Eyes
Wide Shut, until seeing them boldly
projected on a huge screen.
The Communal Experience
Movies are a communal experience, or least they should be. I’ve never
found Night of the Living Dead nearly
as terrifying as I did while watching
it at midnight with hundreds of other
college students. Star Wars will never
be as thrilling as it was when I stood in
line around the block as a kid and felt
the electricity in the air as over 1,000
other “kids” young and old cheered
the death of the Death Star. And I’ve
never laughed half as hard at Young
Frankenstein or Annie Hall as I did
last year during crowded Cinema 100
screenings. Laughter has a funny way
of building from one person to the next
up and down the aisles of a theater.
Movies are meant to be watched
start to finish, without stopping. They
aren’t books. David Lynch (he’s getting
pretty grumpy these days) refuses to
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Color and Lights
And, if you really want to get technical, chew on these facts for a moment:
DVDs never really get the colors
of a movie quite right – or even close
in some cases. Yasujiro Ozu’s late
color films Good Morning and Floating Weeds look fine on DVD until one
compares them side-by-side with the
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533 Airport Rd, Bismarck, ND 58504
Continued next page
choreographers’showcase
very humorous video clip was
recently posted on YouTube
featuring director David Lynch
ranting about the ills of watching movies on an iPhone. He comes completely
unglued, cursing and everything, while
making his point that anyone who
watches a movie in a subpar format is
delusional if they think they’re actually
seeing the movie.
We have an unprecedented number
of non-theatrical movie-watching options nowadays. People will download
movies (illegally) or convert them from
DVDs (legally) and watch them on
iPods and Zunes. People will stream
movies to their computers and watch
them in low resolution in tiny little
windows. And, most often, people
buy or rent them on DVD to view on
their televisions. At the very best, that
television will be really big and surrounded by a great set of six speakers.
Now, I doubt I need to convince
anyone that watching movies on an
iPod or streamed to a computer cheapens the movie viewing experience. In
a medium so heavily weighted toward
visual details lurking in every part of
the frame, I can’t imagine a serious defense being waged in favor of squinting
simply to determine which character
is speaking. I can, however, imagine
a good argument in favor of a high
quality home theater experience over a
movie theater. I’ve chosen that option
myself at times.
Going out to movies isn’t perfect.
Tickets are expensive. Concessions are
expensive. Babysitting is expensive. A
night out at the movies can easily run
$40 or more, and that’s without treating
your date to a nice dinner. A DVD – or
often two – can cost less, especially
at Target. In fact, one may even have
enough money left over for about a
gallon of pop and a box of microwave
popping corn. Toss the kids in bed, sit
back on the sofa, and hit play. You can
even talk all you want without dirty
looks – or not have to fire dirty looks
across the room if silence is your preference. Heck, you can even hit pause if
allow chapter stops on the DVDs for
his films to discourage treating them
as books. He’s also cited the cheapening (that word again) effect of our lazy
stop and start viewing habits. People
will often (and I’m also to blame) start
a movie one day, continue it a day or
so later, and finish it when they get
the chance. They may even jump back
and re-watch a chapter or two – or
even start over completely – because
they’ve forgotten what was going on.
We just have so many distractions at
home. Watching a movie in a theater
forces you to concentrate – if you miss
something, there’s no going back – and
forget about everything else.
People often talk about their love
of movies as a form of escape. This is
only really possible – I propose – if one
first escapes from their house and goes
to a theater.
Ballet
to
Beatbox
featuring
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
a northern plains ballet production
february 23, 7:30
feburary 24, 2:30
reserved tickets available at northern
plains ballet
$18 adult, $15 student/senior,
$12 children
general admission tickets available at
all dan’s supermarkets:
$10 in advance
$12 at door
1125 e. main ave.
701.530.0986
sponsored by MDU Resources
Foundation & KFYR TV
projected image from film.
Or did you know that films run at
24 frames per second while video runs
at 30 frames per second here in the
United States? Obviously, some form
of trickery has been imposed on the
film, changing it in a subtle but meaningful way, to make it run at a different
speed.
Or did you know that half the time
one sits in a movie theater, the screen
is completely dark? Two pulses of light
are shown through a frame and then
the screen is dark as the next frame is
moved into position by the projector.
This causes a flickering effect (thus the
slang term “flicks”) that is cancelled
out by persistence of vision. Its subliminal effect is still felt. Video doesn’t
flicker. It is smooth, as a TV screen
constantly emits light. Again, the difference is subtle but meaningful.
For these reasons, filmmaker Stan
Brakhage refused to allow his films
to be made available on DVD until
near the end of his life and only then
accompanied by a disclaimer that they
are merely approximations of the films.
To see the films as they really are, he
advised to try to find a film society
screening.
As luck would have it, Bismarck’s
own Cinema 100 Film Society is holding a series of movie screenings at the
Grand Theater.
Eleven movies – eleven opportuni-
ties to escape for a few hours and put a
smile on David Lynch’s face – will be
shown on Thursdays, from January 31
through April 24 at 3 and 5:30 p.m.
See below for the complete schedule.
Todd Ford has been a film nut since
1981. He watches far too many movies
through Netflix and enjoys a home life
with his wife, two daughters, two dogs,
and five cats.
Cinema 100 Film Society Presents The 2008 Winter/Spring Film Series
All movies shown at Grand Theater at 3 and 5:30 p.m.
January 31
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
An acclaimed and hilarious documentary
about video game enthusiasts competing
to break classic game world records.
February 7
Hud
A caustic tale of a young man,
played by Paul Newman circa
1963, who tarnishes everything he touches.
February 14
Offside
An Iranian film about women
sneaking into a soccer match dressed
as men (Iranian women aren’t allowed to
attend sporting events).
February 21
Paprika
A Japanese anime involving a device that can record
and replay dreams. Check out my review at www.
cinema100.com. I pushed hard for this terrific film.
March 6
The Lives of Others
April 3
Secret Film Surprise
Inspired by my favorite feature at the Seattle International Film Festival,
there’s nothing quite like the excitement of not knowing what you’re about to
see. (It’ll be good though. I promise.)
April 10
My Kid Could Paint That
A look at the work and surprising success of a fouryear-old girl whose paintings have been compared to
the likes of Picasso.
April 17
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Depression-era South classic with Gregory
Peck defending a black man against an undeserved rape charge while defending his kids
against prejudice.
April 24
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
The Cannes Film Festival
grand prize winner
about a woman who
assists her friend to
arrange an illegal
abortion in 1980s
Romania.
Set in East Berlin, this Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner looks at a surveillance man who gets absorbed into the
lives of two of his subjects.
March 13
The Red Balloon/White Mane
A double bill of two classic short
family films. Bring the kids, share
some popcorn, and have a great
time.
March 20
Water
From India, the film focuses on the
relationship between a woman who wishes
to escape from social restrictions imposed on
widows and a man from the highest caste.
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 5
Choreographers’ Showcase Turns Two
New Production Features Beatboxing, Shakespeare, and Ballet
By Hollis Mackintosh
A young man sitting in Seattle traffic takes his
talent for imitating musical instruments to the next
level. Listening to the radio and imitating the vocal
percussion noises that were new on the music scene
gives him something to do.
On a road trip from Utah to Canada, a little girl
gave her parents a challenge, “buy me a harp and I
will learn how to play.”
Another little girl stood in front of MTV in Dickinson, North Dakota and mimicked Janet Jackson’s
dancers. She cleaned the dance studio in exchange
for classes.
Nathan Lansing, Carly Schaub, and Alysia Klein
could never have known that one day their talents
would come together in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Klein first met Lansing when choreographing My
Fair Lady at University of Mary in 2006. Discussing electronica music over dinner one night, Klein
found Lansing trying to describe the backbeats of the
musical genre using beatboxing, the art of producing
drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one’s
mouth, lips, tongue, voice, nasal passage and throat.
She kept challenging him to do other beats and found
that there was almost to limit to what he could do
with his voice.
Klein first ran across a Korean commercial featuring hip hop dancers, a beatboxer, a DJ, and gayageum
(12 string zither-like instrument) players late last fall
but didn’t think twice about it until Schaub mentioned in passing that she could play the harp.
Within two weeks, the trio was together arranging and notating the music that will be featured in
Cannon with Beats, the working title for Klein’s 2008
contribution to Choreographers’ Showcase, and the
inspiration for the subtitle Ballet to Beatbox.
Ballet to Beatbox
For the second year, Northern Plains Ballet will present Choreographers’ Showcase:
Ballet to Beatbox. This year’s production will
feature pieces by five choreographers currently
residing in North Dakota. The evening will be
rounded out by the one act ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream choreographed by NPB’s
Guest Artistic Director Robert McFarland.
Northern Plains Ballet first featured their
Choreographers’ Showcase in February of
2007, collaborating with visual artists from
the area and giving dancers from the ballet
company a chance to play the role of choreographer and put their own ideas on stage. The
results lead to something completely new and
refreshing to dancers and audience members
alike, enticing Northern Plains Ballet to make
the Choreographers’ Showcase a yearly tradition and a part of every performance season.
This year NPB is going one step further with
collaborations of local musicians, area artists,
and Dakota
Stage actors.
The atmosphere at
the studio is
encouraging.
Dancers perform in each
other’s pieces
and support
each other’s
work. In only
the showcase’s second
year it has
evolved into
an opportu- From l-r: Meghann Theurer, Davis Benity for the attie, Samantha Stockman
dispersed
choreographers throughout the state of North Dakota.
The show proves the old saying that North Dakota is
“one small town with really long streets.”
The statewide talent includes: Job Christensen of
Grand Forks; artistic director of the North Dakota
Ballet, Marlo Miller, of Langdon; Alysia Klein of
Dickinson; owner of Velocity Yoga and Dance in
Dickinson and Northern Plains Dance Academy’s
Hip Hop and Jungle instructor, Carly Schaub of Bismarck, who is also a Northern Plains Ballet dancer;
and Hollis Mackintosh, the Academy Director of
Northern Plains Dance Academy and a company
member of Northern Plains Ballet.
Choreographers’ Showcase: Ballet to Beatbox
will be performed at the Belle Mehus Auditorium on
February 23 at 7:30 p.m. and February 24 at 2:30
p.m. Reserved tickets are available now at Northern
Plains Ballet located at 1125 East Main Avenue in
Bismarck. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $12 for children. General
admission tickets are available at all Bismarck-Mandan Dan’s Supermarkets for $10 and will be sold at
the door for $12.
Dancers rehearse Kline’s piece at the Northern Plains Ballet studio.
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 6
whole downtown area of Bismarck.”
Congratulations, Michelle - we look
forward to your opening.
CITY L IFE
Beginning of the (Tr)End
BY LYDIA RICHEZ-B OWMAN
Art, Music and Culture in the
Center of the City
A
s we slip into 2008 filled with
anticipation of the unknown,
looking forward with hope
and perhaps child-like innocence to a
new year of peace, positive changes,
growth, and fulfillment, it becomes
more apparent that the Bismarck art
organizations must unite.
We need to work together and
involve the merchants and the community at large in the development of
a thriving and inspiring downtown
cultural center. You may have noticed
more stores downtown are vacant,
leaving additional spaces for art.
This is good, but the sad truth is
that if this trend continues we may lose
our quaint and charming downtown
to more office spaces and corporate
investments, failing in the creation of
a cultural, shopping, and tourist-attracting center in historic downtown
Bismarck.
The merchants need to unite in
their efforts to enhance, enliven, and
develop the downtown experience.
They have an opportunity and an obligation to come together and join with
other organizations such as the Dakota
Stage, the Northern Plains Ballet, the
Symphony, and the Bismarck Arts and
Gallery Association to work together
create new cultural activities and opportunities on a regular basis.
Little steps become long strides in
time. Fargo has done it, but we are lagging. Tourism is an important consideration. Bismarck sells its fishing, boating, golfing, Lewis and Clark Days,
and the Civic Center. The downtown
area is the perfect location to sell visual arts, theater, ballet, the symphony,
and unique foods and shopping. It is
all there right now - it just needs to be
developed.
Important Actors
T
he city government is vital in
this process and can support this
growth by making permits easier to
obtain and by removing some of the
unnecessary restrictions it places on
the merchants and the use of outdoor
space.
As the creator and promoter of
Uptown…Downtown in October 2006
through 2007, I am very much aware
of the pitfalls of not working together
as a cohesive and strong group. Unity
in this instance never happened. One
person or even five are not enough. We
all need to work together: merchants,
arts organizations, and any individuals with a vision for a better and more
developed future downtown. It is my
hope to bring Uptown…Downtown
back in a new format and on a seasonal
basis. The merchants will have another
opportunity to breathe life back into
downtown and their businesses.
Downtown Studio Opening
One wonderful and optimistic note:
late last summer, Mike Lindblom, Michelle Lindblom’s brother, mentioned
he and his business partner were moving toward purchasing the old Treasures of the Sea and Earth building at
116 N 5th Street. The building became
part of the Renaissance Downtown
project.
Michelle told her brother that she
had been looking for an alternative
space for her studio and that she would
be interested in renting part of the first
floor. The construction began and the
first floor should be finished by the end
of January.
“I have moved most of my studio to
the downtown location, but nothing is
set up yet,” Lindblom said. “I anticipate
being able to open up the studio the
first part of February. My intention is
to use the space as a working studio. I
will sell work, mostly by appointment,
and be open regularly on Saturdays and
Thursday nights. On occasion, I would
like to feature other artists, conduct
artist talks/conversation nights, and
possibly a workshop or two during the
summer months. The summertime will
bring more regular open hours during
the week. Nothing is set in stone except
that it will be my working space and
I want to be flexible and open to what
could happen with the space and the
T
his could be the beginning of a
new trend. As businesses leave and
more stores become vacant, opportunity also arises for business people
with a vision to not just make money,
but also to invest in a creative way to
enhance downtown by working with
the artistic community. Leasing some
of these buildings as studio, living, and
gallery spaces at a reasonable price is
one possibility. Imagine what possibilities exist!
Call for Artists
and Competitions
3rd Annual International Juried
Human Rights Exhibition
www.southtexascollege.edu/womens_
studies
Deadline: Postmarked by February 15
Entry Fee: $25, 3 entries (35mm slide,
DVD, or CD)
This year’s exhibition is in collaboration
with the 2008 Sex Trafficking
Conference at South Texas College.
Concept of art must be related to any
type of human rights issue. The traveling
exhibition will be shown in the United
States and Mexico.
Fifth Annual AHL Foundation Visual
Arts Competition
www.ahlfoundation.org
Deadline: February 29
Entry Fee: $35 (please pay by check)
The AHL Foundation seeks to support
Korean-American artists and build
awareness of their contributions to
contemporary art through grants,
workshops, and exhibitions. Jurors:
Nathalie Angles, Robert Berlind, and
Heng-Gil Han. For details, send SASE
to: The AHL Foundation, 545 Asharoken
Ave., Northport, NY 11768 Tel/Fax 631754-7320
Art and Auction
www.innovatorsawards.org
Bismarck has what it takes to become a progressive and more vibrant
community, a cultural center. No great
civilizations became great without
investment and support of their arts
and artists. We are fortunate to have so
many arts organizations, artists, and
individuals with the passion, vision,
and energy to work towards this goal.
Our historic downtown is an asset and
with the proper investment of time,
care and vision, it can grow and gain in
value - not just for the merchants, but
for all of us in the area.
The capital of North Dakota should
be a cultural capitol, too!
Deadline: March 1
Entry Fee: None
National Juried Book/Exhibitions
exploring Art and Addiction. Content
of artwork should be a narrative of,
reflection upon, or expression about drug
addiction and recovery. All 2-D and #-d
works (including video) are eligible.
Finalists will receive honorarium,
published book, and inclusion in
exhibitions. Innovators Combating
Substance Abuse Program, Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine.
443-287-3915
Call to Artists: The Cradle Project
www.thecradleproject.org
The Cradle Project is a fundraising art
installation design to represent the plight
of the 48 million children who have
been orphaned by disease and poverty in
sub-Saharan Africa. We need artists to
create and donate cradles for this event.
One thousand cradles and cribs made by
artists from around the world will fill an
abandoned warehouse in Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
Mass Consumption: The Influences
of Popular Culture on Contemporary
Art
www.mesaartscenter.com
Deadline: February 1 by 5 p.m. AZ
Entry Fee: $25 for 12 slides/digital files
(4 artworks with 2 details each)
June 13-August 10, 2008. Mesa
Contemporary Arts at Mesa Arts Center.
National Juried Exhibition. $2000. in
awards. For prospectus: 480-644-6567
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 7
Gandhi-King-Chavez Season for Nonviolence
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
--Gandhi
By Vinod Seth
O
n January 21, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
The Gandhi Peace Network of North Dakota (GPN-ND) will launch the 6th Annual
North Dakota Season for Nonviolence at United
Tribes Technical College from 9 a.m. to noon.
A Season for Nonviolence, from January 30 to
April 4, is a national, 64-day program of individual
practice created by Dr. Arun Gandhi, the grandson
of Mahatma Gandhi, and his wife, Sunanda. Visit
www.agnt.org.
The program shows us nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives
and our communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th
memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this international event
honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent
world in more than 400 cities in the United States
and 18 other countries.
My wife, Aruna, and I first learned about this
program in June of 2001 at the US-Canada Peace
Festival at the International Peace Garden and
decided to bring the program to North Dakota in
January of 2002.
Past and present supporters include, among others, United Tribes Technical College, the Bismarck
Public Schools District, the Bismarck Parks and
Recreation, the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, the North Dakota Center for Public Good,
the North Dakota Trial Lawyers Association, the
American Association of University Women, the
Unitarian Universalist fellowship of Bismarck/Mandan, the North Dakota Women’s Network, the North
Dakota Human Rights Coalition, the Abused Adult
Resource Center, and Charles Hall Youth Services.
Brochures of The 64 Days and 64 Ways are
available at UTTC, the Bismarck Public Library, the
Bismarck Parks and Recreation office, and at www.
gandhipeace.org. The first seven days of practice are
printed here to start you on your way.
For more information and weeks 2 through 9,
visit www.gandhipeace.org.
64 Days and Ways
to Practice Nonviolence
Week One:
Nonviolence begins by learning how to be less violent and more
compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own
being. For weeks 2 through 9, visit www.gandhipeace.org.
Day 1: Courage
Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, “You must do the things that you
think you cannot do.” Practicing these 46 ways will challenge you
to do things (that you think you cannot do.)
Today, light a candle and accept the courage to practice 64 ways of
living nonviolently.
Day 2: Smiling Buddhist
Teacher Thich Nhal Hanh said, “If in our daily life we can smile...
Not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic
kind of peace work.”
Today, share a smile with at least three people, knowing that your
smile contributes to peace.
Day 3: Appreciation
Louise Hay says, “Praise yourself as much as you can... The love in
our lives begins with us... Loving yourself will help heal this planet.”
Write down 10 things that you appreciate about yourself. Read
aloud what you have written.
Day 4: Caring
According to Peter McWilliams, “Nonviolence toward the self is
caring for oneself. It is what the Greeks call reverence for the self.”
Real caring is not just what we say, but what we do.
Make a list of at least five ways that you can take better care of
yourself. Practice at least one today.
Day 5: Believing
Author Wayne Dyer writes about the impact that our beliefs have
on our daily lives. Today, believe that you have all the resources to
move your life in the direction of peace.
Be aware of simple demonstrations of peaceful responses you
receive.
Day 6: Simplicity
To simplify is to invite peacefulness.
Think of three ways you can simplify your life and put at least one
of them into practice today.
Day 7: Education
Knowledge strengthens your conviction and deepens your wisdom
and understanding. Learn about the power of nonviolence by educating yourself.
Read or watch on a subject that relates to non-violence. Learn
about human rights, diversity, ecology, history, and politics, forgiveness, spirituality, peace studies, biographies of heroes and
more.
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 8
The Legacy Lives On
North Dakotans Reflect on the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Amy S. Nelson
Executive Director, Fair Housing of the Dakotas
Why I celebrate? Because of Dr. King, we are free to
choose where we want to live. The Fair Housing Act was
passed by Congress on April 11, 1968 to fight segregation
and housing discrimination. There had been an effort to
pass the Act for several years, an effort that had been led
by Dr. King. Unfortunately, it was only upon Dr. King’s
assassination that the Act was passed, a week later, in tribute to him. Discrimination in housing still exists today but
progress has been made and continues to be made because
of Dr. King. That’s why I celebrate.
Carly Schaub
Professional Ballet Dancer
Carole Barrett
Teacher, University of Mary;
Chair, North Dakota Commission on Civil Rights
I was born in and raised
for a period of time in the Jim
Crow South. My Virginia birth
certificate contains racial information reaching back into my
grandparent’s generation. This
birth certificate and a physical
appearance were required for
admission to the local public
school. Only white children
were permitted (and this was
after Brown v. The Board of
Education). I recall “Sorry,
White Only” signs posted on restaurants and hotels. Even
at the tender age of eight I knew these businesses were not
sorry.
These images and experiences take on particular meaning on Martin Luther King Day. Every year I listen, by
myself, to the “I Have a Dream Speech.” As a teacher,
my classes examine King and his meaning to our lives
through a panel discussion open to entire university.
Students sometimes complain that this should be a day
off; I can think of no better place to be than talking about
Reverend Martin Luther King’s challenges among a community of learners.
Brian Palecek
Instructor, United Tribes Technical College and
Vice President North Dakota Peace Coalition,
1991 Recipient of the ND Martin Luther King
Holiday Award
My three favorite American national holidays are Martin Luther King Day, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving.
These three holidays contain our history as a nation: our
beginnings, our independence, and our ongoing historical
struggle for justice and equality. Nobody is left out. It’s
nice that the three holidays are scattered throughout the
year and, for us Americans, the year begins with Martin
Luther King Day. For a couple of years when my children
were small we would save some of the bottle rockets from
the Fourth of July and shoot them off in Bismarck on the
night of Martin Luther Day. The celebration of freedom in
July merged with the justice of January. It’s just too bad
that Dr. King was born in our darkest, coldest month.
Most national holidays honor an
event or person associated with the
emergence of some new philosophy. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
acknowledges a man whose work
defines the American Civil Rights
Movement, as well as the evolution
of modern morality. Many events
led to the ratification of the Civil
Rights Bill, but the implementation
of the military draft temporarily
placed Americans on equal ground. People from different
races and classes fought side-by-side only to return home
and be told to drink at separate water fountains. With
looming issues such as the healthcare crisis and the growing economic gap, one wonders what event will spark the
next moral revolution.
Dr. Paul Johnson
Superintendent, Bismarck Public Schools
The observance of Martin Luther
King Day symbolizes so much more
than civil rights for African-Americans. It celebrates the passage of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
subsequent civil rights legislation.
For instance, employers cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex, or national origin. The
Civil Rights Act paved the way for
the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title IX guarantees
young women the same rights as young men to participate
in sports. I celebrate Martin Luther King Day by reflecting on how much stronger our country is, and how much
better life is for my children, because of the civil rights
legislation.
Brandi Powell
Journalist
It’s not just black people
who care about black people.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
lived that message - that however we uniquely or collectively define ourselves through
race, culture or religion, we
all can, and should, care about
one another’s successes and
struggles. Whether or not Dr.
King entered the American construct fortuitously, it’s no
accident, that in my life, his message is a part of my daily
journey. I am blessed to have great diversity in the people
I surround myself with, and in the people whom I call my
most dear friends.
Jonathan Frye
Nursing Student, United Tribes Technical
College
I think it is important to remember the sacrifices that people made
so that today we can all be treated
with equal justice and treatment. It
was brave people that decided that
they didn’t want their children to
live in a world divided by prejudice
and discrimination so they fought
for what they believed in. We must
recognize the battles these people fought everyday
so that we can enjoy the privileges they brought us
today.
Scott Davis
Chair, Culture Committee, United Tribes
Technical College, Standing Rock Lakota/Turtle
Mountain Chippewa
(Also pictured: Santana,
newborn, and
Angelina, 3)
Why should we
celebrate Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day? From a
Native American
point of view, Dr.
King opened the
doors for minorities in the areas of equality and justice. I believe that
through his servant leadership he opened the eyes of the
world to the decades of injustices and persecution done
by the United States to generations of minorities. His
leadership in the Civil Right Movement opened the door
to equality for the Red Man. The Indian Civil Rights Act
of 1968, the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, and the
American Indian Religious Freedom Act are three major
turning points in Indian Country. Imagine that, not having these freedoms for decades. How does a race survive
without these freedoms? How can a group of people move
forward on their own when they are oppressed by a higher
power? Dr. King raised the heads of many oppressed
people and showed them that there is freedom. But this
freedom came with a price. Dr. King undoubtedly knew
his fate, just as Benazir Bhutto knew hers. I really think
they sacrificed their own lives not to be martyred, but for
the cause. It is people like this who have the dream, the
faith and the fearlessness to stand up to racism and injustice in a peaceful way that we should martyr them at least
one day a year.
Each year I celebrate Dr. King’s life by participating in
the annual United Tribes Technical College “Martin Luther King Day.” This year will be no different. The theme
Continued next page
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 9
The Legacy of King
(continued from page 7)
Carole Barrett
Teacher, University of Mary;
Chair, North Dakota Commission on
Civil Rights
I was born in and raised for a period of
time in the Jim Crow South. My Virginia
birth certificate contains racial information reaching back into my grandparent’s
generation. This birth certificate and a
physical appearance were required for
admission to the local public school. Only
white children were permitted (and this
was after Brown v. The Board of Education). I recall “Sorry, White Only” signs
posted on restaurants and hotels. Even at
the tender age of eight I knew these businesses were not sorry.
These images and experiences take on
particular meaning on Martin Luther King
Day. Every year I listen, by myself, to the
“I Have a Dream Speech.” As a teacher,
my classes examine King and his meaning to our lives through a panel discussion open to entire university. Students
sometimes complain that this should be a
day off; I can think of no better place to be
than talking about Reverend Martin Luther
King’s challenges among a community of
learners.
Brian Palecek
Instructor, United Tribes Technical
College and Vice President North
Dakota Peace Coalition, 1991
Recipient of the ND Martin Luther
King Holiday Award
My three favorite American national
holidays are Martin Luther King
Day, Fourth of
July, and Thanksgiving. These
three holidays
contain our history as a nation:
our beginnings,
our independence,
and our ongoing
historical struggle
for justice and equality. Nobody is left
out. It’s nice that the three holidays are
scattered throughout the year and, for us
Americans, the year begins with Martin
Luther King Day. For a couple of years
when my children were small we would
save some of the bottle rockets from the
Fourth of July and shoot them off in Bismarck on the night of Martin Luther Day.
The celebration of freedom in July merged
with the justice of January. It’s just too
bad that Dr. King was born in our darkest,
coldest month.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY EVENTS
MLK Day Holiday Celebration
McCabe United Methodist Church, 1030 N 6th St, Bismarck
Sunday, Jan. 20, 7p
Gospel Songs by “Trilogy” (Barb Egan, Deb Aleson, Jane Morgan), vocal solo by
Loretta Graham, harp and mandolin by Gayle Sherman and Dan Foster. An offering
will be received for the Charles Hall Youth Services.
MLK Day Student Panel
University of Mary, Heskett Hall, Clairmont Center
Monday, Jan. 21, 10a
Annual United Tribes Technical College MLK Day Celebration
UTTC Wellness Center Healing Room
Monday, January 21, 9a-noon
Theme is “Dealing with Discrimination with Dignity.”
Student forum consisting of different races and interpretations about
the holiday’s meaning from the point of view of First Americans.
Presentations by Dr. David Gipp, Dr. Harriett Skye, and Dr. Cheryl Long
Feather. Launch the 6th Annual Season of Non-violence by the Gandhi
Peace Network, Aruna and Vinod Seth. Public program welcomes all who wish to
observe the national holiday. Refreshments will be served.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration “Exploring
Nonviolence”
McCabe United Methodist Church, 1030 N 6th St, Bismarck
Monday, Jan. 21, 7p
In honor and memory of Therm Kaldahl. Includes “What Is Nonviolence?” by
Brian Palecek; MLK Jr and Nonviolence by Lionel Muthiah; Therm Kaldahl video
“Alternatives to Violence”; and a review by Janet Merrill of Marshall Rosenberg’s
“Nonviolent Communication: a Language of Life.”
Landlords must allow you to make reasonable accommodations to ensure full use of
your apartment. Telling you that you can’t install grab bars and ramps is against the law.
You can fight back.
If you feel you’ve been discriminated against, call Fair Housing of the Dakotas at
221-2530 or 1-888-265-0907. Everyone deserves a fair chance.
Area Caucus Locations
for February 5
The ads
appearing on
this page
are paid
advertisements.
All major
candidates and
parties were
offered space.
- Ed.
- All Bismarck-area districts are conducting voting
at the Moose Club, 312 N. 20th St
- Mandan (D34) is conducting a Caucus
at the Morton County Courthouse
- D31 and D33 are conducting a Caucus at
the Seven Seas Inn (Mandan)
Anybody can vote at any location in the state.
Polls are open from 2pm - 8pm Central Time everywhere.
701-255-0460
www.demnpl.com
Paid for by the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party - David Strauss, Chairman
Vote
John Edwards
For Change on
February 5
johnedwards.com
Kucinich
for President
Strength Through Peace
A Ron Paul presidency will:
•Bring our troops home from no-win “police actions”.
www.dennis4president.com
•Let Americans keep more of their own money.
•Secure our borders and end illegal immigration.
Hillary Clinton
•Protect our privacy and stop the national ID card.
for President
•Protect 2nd Amendment rights and oppose gun regulation.
•Preserve the Constitution and protect our civil liberties.
We can rebuild America and reinstate the
Republic that the Founding Fathers envisioned...
Vote for Ron Paul in the Republican caucus
on February 5th.
Be a part of the Hope for America today.
Authorized and paid for by Ron Paul 2008 PCC
Paid for by Sanjay Seth
Congressman Ron Paul
is serving his 10th term in
the U.S. House. He has
delivered over 4000 babies
and served his country
in the Air Force.
www.RonPaul2008.com
1-877-766-2008
It is my privilege to support Hillary Clinton for President. Hillary has the
capacity to change our country.
She has the compassion to do it right. She has the experience and ability
to make it happen. She has the heart to sense the soul of this country and
improve our relationships with the world.
I am grateful for the outstanding Democratic candidates for President.
And I am proud to affirm and support the historic election of our nation’s
first woman President, Hillary Clinton. Please join me.
THE ANTAGONIST
BY CHARLIE BARBER
The Show Biz of Big Biz
Anti-Community Policies for the Sake of Profit Hurt Everyone
I
have a wonderful conservative singing buddy. He
is a responsible businessman in the BismarckMandan community, but he has deep pockets for
a baseball team in the McQuade Softball Tournament. While this might not qualify him for sainthood
outside of slow-pitch softball, it certainly shows him
to be the kind of responsible businessman who could
call himself a conservative and not make us cringe.
In today’s hyperbolic political environment, he
might accuse me of being a left-wing wacko (commie
just doesn’t have the same ring to it these days), and
I might accuse him of being to the right of Attila the
Hun (since Conan the Barbarian moved to the left).
Of course, to the right of Attila the Hun is still
well to the left of Grover Norquist and Duane Sand,
the greed merchants masquerading as patrons of the
private sector, the alleged sole source of our wealth.
Sand’s fig leaf is called “Americans for Prosperity.”
But whose prosperity? Certainly not mine.
Yours? Probably not, unless you make substantially more than the average North Dakotan.
The broader community? Of course not. Our communities are supported by the government (in turn
supported by our tax dollars), which Norquist & Co.
have said they want to make weak and small enough
to drown in a bathtub.
Are they concerned about the prosperity of themselves and a few favored friends of Dick Cheney
(the penultimate big biz CEO) and George W. Bush
(the penultimate spawn of a silver spoon mentality)?
We’re getting warmer.
Their horse hockey about government being the
enemy of those poor, helpless, giant corporations is
all part of the “show biz of big biz.” Those businesses
are absolutely dependent on the infrastructure, such
as highways and police protection, provided by
American taxpayers. Their complaints about how bad
the government is has been exploiting the gullibility
of Americans since well before the phrase attributed
to P.T. Barnum informed us, “There’s a sucker born
every minute.”
For the sake of my friends who are genuinely conservative and Republicans who really care about their
communities, let’s call guys like Grover Norquist,
Duane Sand, and the lingering supporters of Bush’s
anti-populist policies the Scrooge Republicans.
Charles Dickens got it right when he drew his
epitome of avarice and indifference in “A Christmas
Carol.” There are no ghosts of past, present, and future
conscience waiting for Scrooge Republicans, however,
unless a full depression should cause financial bankruptcy to equal their moral bankruptcy – but that isn’t
something I would wish on any of us, even the greedy.
A lesser known contemporary of Dickens, the art
critic and conservative, John Ruskin, also got it right
about the proper responsibility of a businessperson to
their community in his essay, “The Roots of Honour.”
Five great intellectual professions, relating to
daily necessities of life, have hitherto existed...
in every civilized nation:
The Soldier’s profession is to defend it.
The Pastor’s to teach it.
The Physician’s to keep it in health.
The Lawyer’s to enforce justice in it.
The Merchant’s to provide for it.
In other words, a merchant who does not enrich
their community, as well as themselves, is not a conservative. They are someone who doesn’t conserve,
but destroys communities, unlike my singing buddy.
The reckless policies of the current administration are very much based on the ideology spouted
by people like Norquist and Sand. They encourage
robbing the national treasury for their well-placed
friends, disrupting our beleaguered public school
system with their dishonest “No Child Left Behind”
snake oil, and lying us into a war in Iraq on behalf of
– you guessed it – the big oil biz. Halliburton, for instance, provided our troops with tainted water while
bilking the government for millions.
Say No to Blackmail
S
Free - Confidential - 24/7
Information, Referral, and Crisis Management.
We connect people to services.
peaking of the oil business, Don Kessel of Murex
Petroleum was quoted in the Bismarck Tribune
on June 25 last year as saying, “We wouldn’t be
[drilling for oil in western North Dakota], if not for
this tax change.”
That’s extortion, folks. Blackmail. The good citizens of North Dakota are supposed to be grateful that
the Scrooge Republicans in the 2007 Legislature and
their banker/governor rammed through another tax
break for big biz, even though we are going to have
to subsidize their greed with low wages, and higher
property and retail taxes.
Who pays for the highway, police, fire, and ambulance services in western North Dakota? Murex?
Doubtful. But if we don’t bend over backwards to
throw money at them, they threaten to up and leave.
Our legislators are so cowed by these bullies they turn
their backs on their constituents in order to provide
millions for the already-profitable oil industry in our
state.
Sure, the oil companies provide a few high-paying
jobs for highly-skilled labor that may or may not be
from North Dakota, but their major motivation is like
that of extractive industries around the world: “Get in,
get rich, and get out.”
What newspapers like the Bismarck Tribune, the
Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, and the Minot Daily News
forget to remind you in the course of their oil headlines is that the oil reserves of the Williston Basin rank
up there with Iraq and Iran. They just require more
drilling and investment. If Murex doesn’t do it, Halliburton will, or someone else, regardless of how many
tax handouts we give them.
Forget those bullies. We could do it ourselves
through the same mechanism that built the Bank of
North Dakota and the Grain Mill and Elevator. We
could harness some of the profits of the energy industry for the people of North Dakota, rather than watch
them flow into the pockets of out-of-state people who
don’t care about our communities at all – to them,
we’re just another quick buck.
We could create our own “State Energy Bank” to
create genuine competition and accountability for the
monopolistic fossil fuel industry and, more importantly, seize the future for ourselves, our children, and
our grandchildren with a Department of Agri-Energy
within our Energy Bank, which would capitalize and
develop wind farms, bio-diesel, and other serious,
environmentally-friendly forms of energy production.
There’s no reason to allow ourselves to be locked into
one or two non-renewable resources when the land of
our state can provide so much more – a fact unknown,
apparently, to the leaders of the state legislature.
A State Energy Bank, with its Department of
Agri-Energy, cannot happen with the current Scrooge
Republicans who dominated the legislature in 2007
or their big biz banker/governor, who flies around the
state trying to take credit for every federal project
brought here by our Democratic-NPL representation
in Washington.
The bottom line: we don’t need to be grateful to
Halliburton, Murex, or anyone else for coming in here
and making billions of dollars on our oil, while whining all the while they don’t receive enough handouts
for their trouble.
There is a wonderful baseball saying, “Show no
fear, throw strikes.” My singing buddy’s team won
first place in their softball division. If we dare to
challenge companies like Murex, we can also place
our communities and values first.
Charlie Barber is a retired history professor and
was active in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial reenactments. He studies the Non-Partisan League and
has written several books and papers.
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 12
A Good Reason to
Throw a Party
Fatdad Releases Their First Full-Length Album
By PI Staff
vides vocals.
Sarah McMahon plays keyboards
and
provides vocals.
Fatdad is throwing an all-ages
Brandon
Clayson plays bass, and
concert to celebrate the release of their
Tommy McMahon plays drums and
fi rst full-length all-original album.
also provides vocals.
The CD was released on December
The album was recorded last sum19, but the party starts Friday, January
mer at
18, at 7:30
Makoche
p.m. at the
Recording
AMVETS
studios in
Club (2402
Bismarck.
Railroad
Fatdad
Avenue,
and David
Bismarck,
Swenson,
$5 cover).
owner of
Joining the
Makoche
celebration
Studios,
are Luke
co-proGraner and
duced the
members of
album.
Gypsyfoot.
All of the
For peocomposiple unfations on
miliar with
the record
Fatdad,
are songs
the band
written by
is comThe cover of Fatdad’s CD (image courtesy Fatdad)
Pat
Phillips
posed of five
and James McMahon.
people:
Fatdad came off a big summer.
James McMahon plays trumpet,
They
played the 10,000 Lakes Festipercussion, and provides vocals.
val, one of the premier midwestern
Pat Phillips plays guitar and pro-
Fatdad musician James McMahon plays the trumpet at The Seven Seas. Brandon Clayson plays his bass in the background (image courtesy Fatdad).
music events of the year, and joined
the fun in Bismarck at the Harmony
Music Festival.
There are several different styles
of music on the album, all influenced
by different inspirations, leading to
a completely original sound. Fatdad
thrives on the creative process and the
improvisation of a live show and tried
to capture that essence on the record.
Judge for yourself how successful
they are - go check out the show and
the new CD.
CD’s are available at the CD
release party, as well as Stringbean
Music, Eckroth Music, and Nightlife
Music.
For more information on Fatdad,
visit www.fatdadmusic.com.
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PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 13
THE PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JANUARY 17 - MARCH 16
THURSDAY, JAN. 17
UNITED TRIBES NATIVE RESEARCH LECTURE
SERIES:
Dr. Robert Megginson (Lakota), University of
Michigan presents “2+2=Indian: The Math Path to
Self-Determination,” 3 p.m., lower level, UTTC Jack
Barden Center. Info: 255-3285 ext. 1491.
MINNESOTA TWINS 2008 WINTER CARAVAN
6:30 p.m., Civic Center Exhibit Hall A. Info: 255-1234.
FRIDAY, JAN. 18
FATDAD CD RELEASE CELEBRATION
7:30 p.m., AMVETS. All ages; $5 cover. See story.
MANDAN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS OKLAHOMA
7:30 p.m., Mandan High School Auditorium. Tickets:
$7 adults, $5 seniors 55 plus, $3 students.
BISMARCK MANDAN CIVIC CHORUS PRESENTS
AN EVENING ON BROADWAY
Sidney J. Lee Auditorium at BSC, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 19
MANDAN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS OKLAHOMA
7:30 P.M., MANDAN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. TICKETS: $7
ADULTS, $5 SENIORS 55 PLUS, $3 STUDENTS.
BISMARCK MANDAN CIVIC CHORUS PRESENTS
AN EVENING ON BROADWAY
Sidney J. Lee Auditorium at BSC, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, JAN. 20
MANDAN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS OKLAHOMA
2 p.m., Mandan High School Auditorium. Tickets: $7
adults, $5 seniors 55 plus, $3 students.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR, HOLIDAY
CELEBRATION
McCabe United Methodist Church, 1030 N 6th St,
Bismarck. 7:00 p.m. Gospel Songs by “Trilogy” (Barb
Egan, Deb Aleson, Jane Morgan), vocal solo by Loretta
Graham, harp and mandolin by Gayle Sherman and
Dan Foster. An offering will be received for the
Charles Hall Youth Services.
SENSATIONAL SUNDAYS “JANUARY IS FOR
JOURNEYS”
Gregg Marsland performs on the Scottish bagpipes, 2
p.m., Heritage Center. Free, open to the public.
WINTER BLUES PARTY
5:30-9:30 p.m., AMVETS. Joe Moss Band, Richard
Torrance, the Levee. Tickets: Nightlife Music, Laure’s
Banner and Print, Eckroth Music, the AMVETS, or
Steve, 391-0799.
BISMARCK MANDAN CIVIC CHORUS PRESENTS
AN EVENING ON BROADWAY
Sidney J. Lee Auditorium at BSC, 7:30 p.m.
WARRIOR’S CALL POTLUCK TO DEVELOP INDIAN
CENTER IN BISMARCK
5:30 p.m., United Tribes Technical College, Building
61.
MONDAY, JAN. 21
ANNUAL UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL COLLEGE
“MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY” CELEBRATION
Theme is “Dealing with Discrimination with Dignity.”
Student forum consisting of different races and
interpretations about the holiday’s meaning from the
point of view of First Americans. Presentations by
Dr. David Gipp, Dr. Harriett Skye, and Dr. Cheryl
Long Feather. Launch the 6th Annual Season of Nonviolence by the Gandhi Peace Network, Aruna and
Vinod Seth. From 9:00 a.m. to noon, at the UTTC
Wellness Center Healing Room. Public program
welcomes all who wish to observe the national holiday.
Refreshments will be served.
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY STUDENT PANEL
University of Mary, Heskett Hall, Clairmont Center
10:00 a.m.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., HOLIDAY
CELEBRATION
“Exploring Nonviolence” at McCabe United Methodist
Church, 1030 N 6th St, Bismarck. 7:00 p.m. In honor
and memory of Therm Kaldahl. Includes “What
Is Nonviolence?” by Brian Palecek; MLK Jr and
Nonviolence by Lionel Muthiah; Therm Kaldahl
video “Alternatives to Violence”; and a review by
Janet Merrill of Marshall Rosenberg’s “Nonviolent
Communication: a Language of Life.”
TUESDAY, JAN. 22
BISMARCK STATE COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL
FILM SERIES
“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” 7
p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.
BISMARCK CITY COMMISSION
5:15 p.m., City/County Building. View: http://www.
freetv.org.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23
Dyer & Summers, P.C.
Edwin W.F. Dyer III
and Anne E. Summers
Attorneys at Law
phone 701-223-2099
888-695-4936
fax 701-223-4889
dyersums@gcentral.com
www.lawyers.com/dyersums
THURSDAY, JAN. 24
BASKETBALL BISMARCK STATE COLLEGE VS.
UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Women 6 p.m., Men 8 p.m., BSC Armory
FRIDAY, JAN. 25
WALK INTO A WINTER WONDERLAND
Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex,
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. free event for families to experience
winter through the arts and sciences, all ages welcome.
Check out the calendar at http://www.bisparks.org
SATURDAY, JAN. 26
BISMARCK MANDAN SYMPHONY LEAGUE’S
26TH ANNUAL WILD-N-WOOLY WING DING
DINNER AUCTION
6 p.m., Radisson Ballroom. Social, dinner, silent
auction, live auction, Ja Makin Meh Crazy.
SUNDAY, JAN. 27
SENSATIONAL SUNDAYS “JANUARY IS FOR
JOURNEYS”
Bismarck High School New Generation Jazz Choir, 2
p.m., Heritage Center. Free, open to the public.
BISMARCK TRIBUNE SPORT SHOW
Noon-5 p.m., Civic Center. Info: Paul Patera, 250-8221.
WINTER DAZE OPEN SKATING
3:30-5 p.m., Mandan Pepsi All Seasons Arena. Info:
Kelly, 667-3260.
WARRIOR’S CALL POTLUCK TO DEVELOP INDIAN
CENTER IN BISMARCK
5:30 p.m., United Tribes Technical College, Building
61.
MONDAY, JAN. 28
ARTIST OF THE MONTH @ GALLERY 522
All-member exhibit, “Landmarks and Landscapes.”
Gallery closed on Sundays.
BISMARCK SCHOOL BOARD
5:15 p.m., City/County Building. View: http://www.
freetv.org.
TUESDAY, JAN. 29
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
THURSDAY, JAN. 31
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
CONVOCATION WITH GUEST SPEAKER ANDREA
PETERSON
University of Mary, Music Department. 11:00 am,
Andrea Peterson, National Teacher of the Year, place
to be determined
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1
UNIVERSITY OF MARY JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCERT
8 p.m., Bismarck Civic Center (small charge for
concert)
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2
LIVE ART IN MOTION
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kirkwood Mall, call Dakota West
Arts Council 222-6640 for more information.
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
DAKOTA GOOD FRIENDS DANCE
9:30 p.m., Prime Steer, $8 or $5 with college/military
ID. 18 or older.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
2 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
BISMARCK STATE COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL
FILM SERIES
“Bride and Prejudice,” 7 p.m., Sidney J. Lee
Auditorium.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
THE SYMPHONY
Guest Artist: Winner of the Collegiate Young Artist
Competition; 7:30 p.m., Belle Mehus City Auditorium,
7:30PM
INTERNATIONAL CLUB OF BISMARCK-MANDAN
POTLUCK
6 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m. Bob Wefald “Trans
Siberian Express” Unitarian Universalist Fellowship,
818 E Divide.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10
BOOKTALK AT BSC
Discusses “The Tie that Binds” by Kent Haruf (fiction).
Discussion leader is Kitty Netzer, BSC Assistant
Professor of English. 1-3 p.m., BSC Library. Public is
welcome.
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
2 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
UNITED TRIBES NATIVE RESEARCH LECTURE
SERIES
Dr Jeff Henderson, M.D., M.P.H., Lakota. “Strong
Hearts: Researching the People for Wellness” 3:00 p.m.
UTTC Jack Barden Center, Lower Level.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
FANCY FRIDAY!
5 to 7:30 p.m. Mid-America Credit Union Association
offices, 2005 N. Kavaney. John Krueger Jazz Quartet.
The antithesis to casual day at work! Fundraiser for the
Dakota West Arts Council, 222-6640.
SATUDAY, FEBRUARY 16
DAKOTA DIVAS IN DRAG
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., Ramkota Hotel, $10, 18 and
older.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
BROADWAY IN BISMARCK PRESENTS CIRQUE
DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY
7:30 p.m. Bismarck Civic Center
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23
NORTHERN PLAINS BALLET PRESENTS
CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE: BALLET TO
BEATBOX
Featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 7:30 p.m..
2nd Annual showcase of regional choreographers,
Belle Mehus Auditorium.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24
NORTHERN PLAINS BALLET PRESENTS
CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE: BALLET TO
BEATBOX
Featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 7:30 p.m..
2nd Annual showcase of regional choreographers,
Belle Mehus Auditorium.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS CINDERELLA: A
PLAY FOR CHILDREN
7 p.m. Frances Leach High Prairie Arts and Science
Complex, family night $5/person or $20 for immediate
family.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS CINDERELLA: A
PLAY FOR CHILDREN
1 and 3 p.m. Frances Leach High Prairie Arts and
Science Complex, tickets $5.
SUNDAY, MARCH 16
SPRING BAND CONCERT
University of Mary, 3 p.m., Our Lady of the
Annunciation Chapel
To submit your events to
the calendar, send the date, time,
location, and other information to
calendar@prairieindependent.com.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
BASKETBALL UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL
COLLEGE VS. BISMARCK STATE COLLEGE
Women 6 p.m., Men 8 p.m., at United Tribes
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
GYPSYFOOT
VFW, 7:30 p.m. all ages.
Bismarck Art & Galleries Association’s
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
GYPSYFOOT
VFW, 9:00 p.m., 21 and over.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
DAKOTA STAGE LTD PRESENTS “THE KITCHEN
WITCHES”
8 p.m., adults $15, students/seniors $12, comedy.
Sponsored by
Tickets available at BAGA and
$BQUBJO+BDLT (north & south locations).
Questions? Call the BAGA off ice: 223-5986
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 15
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Call 701- 223-5986 to register.
An introduction to abstract art and an opportunity
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Mention this ad and receive a gift in class!
Call 250-7169 for more information.
PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT Š JANUARY 17, 2008 Š 16