Category Archives: Cool

Return to Solberg Butte

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Recently I took a return trip, with the landowner’s permission, to Solberg Butte. As its name suggests, it’s a parcel of high ground that sits near Bismarck, and it’s got a couple of very unique features. I had a window of one afternoon before cattle returned to this land, and I presume the electric fence was turned back on, so I had to make it count…starting with the fascinating features in the rocks you see above.

In addition to being a neat little overhang and shelter from the elements, this area also boasts some interesting carvings. As you can see, many of them date back to the early 1900s. The sandstone has weathered over time, so many of them have been obscured…but several remain with their dates abundantly clear.

I imagine this area was even more remote in 1903 than it is today; with our statehood beginning in 1889, this carving took place with North Dakota itself was only around fourteen years old! It isn’t exactly cuneiform, but it does give one a little bit of perspective. But there’s another interesting feature of this butte that I hadn’t expected when I first stumbled upon it (literally):

This is a marker from the US Geodetic Survey. You can find out more about what this means and the project’s history by clicking here for its website. These markers are an important part of our nation’s first detailed mapping of its terrain. The odds of me stepping on one of these are infinitesimal, so I was particularly pleased with the find.

Once again I’d like to state that, as always, I had explicit permission to be here on that day… and that this land is now occupied by cattle. Please use these photos to enjoy its remarkable features. There are some other interesting and photogenic subjects nearby, but I think I’ll leave them for a future post or posts!

Stories from kindred spirits: Daily Dakotan

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If you’re familiar with this blog you probably know that I started it out of a love for North Dakota and Bismarck-Mandan in general. I have an fond affection for and connection with our cites and our state, and because I tend to bump haphazardly into really cool things from time to time I felt compelled to share them with words and pictures. I’m not alone.

For years my friend and former co-worker Matt Fern has been exercising his creative abilities doing what he does best: storytelling with a visual medium. We’ve had numerous conversations over the years about North Dakota stories just waiting to be told, and that same spark that drove me to start this website has driven Matt to start his new feature, the Daily Dakotan. In this series he’s found an interesting selection of people with unique personal connections to North Dakota, and he delivers their stories using their own words and his captivating storytelling skills. Here’s an official rollout:

Professional filmmaker and Bismarck native Matt Fern has announced the launch of the video series, Daily Dakotan. Each episode in this online series profiles a different North Dakota resident and his or her unique contributions to the community.

“With Daily Dakotan, I wanted to explore the North Dakota community,” says Fern. “I thought by letting individuals tell their diverse stories, I would ultimately start to tell the story of North Dakota. For example, we talk to a guy who came home to start a newspaper, a grandmother making a difference at the state prison, and even a musician who’s turned a karaoke hobby into a cult-favorite TV show.”

Fern says he’s already recorded and edited 24 Daily Dakotan episodes, each less than three-minutes long. He’ll release episodes to the public starting November 21st at www.DailyDakotan.com, with new episodes and bonus clips added every weekday through the end of the year. A Facebook page and Twitter feed have been created for anybody wishing to be notified when new episodes become available at Facebook.com/DailyDakotan and Twitter.com/DailyDakotan.

Fern attended film school in Bozeman, Montana, and has been working in advertising agencies for the past 5 years. He is currently executive director of the Bismarck-based video advertising company, the Creative Treatment.

The series starts today, with the first episode appearing below:

As you can tell from the photo at the top of this post, you may encounter an appearance by yours truly sometime down the road…but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this series! I have been given a “sneak peek” at a couple of finished episodes, and I can assure you that these will be both entertaining and heartwarming. If you love North Dakota now, wait until you get to share the stories of other North Dakotans who contribute to our state’s greatness.

Visit DailyDakotan.com to find Matt’s YouTube channel for this project, and be sure to subscribe and share! You can also contact Matt by email at info@dailydakotan.com.

Well, I never noticed that before

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Of all the time I’ve spent in various parts of the World War Memorial Building, I don’t recall ever taking notice of this interesting feature tucked up in near the ceiling over the edge of the basketball court. I don’t know if there were seats on both the north and south ends of the gymnasium, but they’re only on the north side now. I was sitting with one of my little boys having some lunch when I noticed this little box up in the rafters. The “KFYR” sign in the windows gives its purpose away.

The narrow wooden walkway to this booth remains intact, but whatever stairway or ladder provided access to the walkway is long gone. I imagine it’s been a long time since anyone ever called a game from this press box, but it’s probably more hassle than it’s worth to try to dismantle it and take it down. As a result it remains up above the gymnasium, just in case someone ever needs to get a birds-eye view of the haps down on the basketball floor.

Kid’s Day at the Mandan Fire Department

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This week my little boys and I were able to take a field trip to learn more about the firefighters who keep our cities safe. The Mandan Fire Department (with other local agencies) hosted a Kids’ Night with plenty for all to see! Bismarck Fire Department, ND Highway Patrol, Metro Area Ambulance and others helped out to provide an evening of fun, education, and hot dogs. The boys got little plastic fire helmets to bring home as well as some safety activity books to do with Mommy and Daddy.

Among the activities we took in were use of fire extinguishers on a real fire, using a real fire hose to hit targets, watching a Jaws of Life extrication demo, and of course the fire truck rides!

If this event looks cool and right now you’re saying, “Why didn’t I know anything about this?” don’t despair; it’s a regular event, scheduled for the second Tuesday in October every year. Mark your calendar for next year!

Bismarck Citizens’ Police Academy

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Last fall my friend Lee and I were accepted into the Bismarck Police Department’s “Citizens’ Police Academy” for several weeks of education into what the Bismarck PD is all about. A couple dozen of us spent each Tuesday night from September through December learning about the various aspects of police work, the structure of the department, the special duties of various officers, and the standards of accountability and professionalism to which they hold themselves. It was a real eye-opener.

Some of the people in the class were interested in pursuing careers in the criminal justice field. Others, like me, are simply average citizens who support our local law enforcement personnel and jumped at the opportunity to learn more. I’d spent plenty of time in the Mandan Police Department growing up through the Explorers program, working in the control room and doing traffic control, color guard, etc. but I didn’t know much about things here on the Bismarck side.

While most of the Academy consists of classroom time, it’s not boring. It’s an informal environment, the chief and/or deputy chief are usually on hand to help answer questions, and there are always some interesting tales to tell. While the class went until 9pm each night, it was not uncommon for that night’s officer to stay until 10pm chatting about what we discussed in class.

Of course, there was a mandatory ride-along in a police car on a Friday or Saturday night. I think everybody had an eventful time, especially myself. I go on ride-alongs from time to time other than in Bismarck, and my rule is “what happens in the car stays in the car.” I respect people’s privacy as much as a value my own, and that sort of confidentiality is very important when dealing with people in the sort of situations that require a visit from a police officer. That wasn’t the only thrilling part of the Academy, however:

I think everybody was looking forward to the shooting portion of the class. One night a week we went through an evening discussing firearms and then going to the indoor range to fire some Simunition. We each were given the opportunity to fire eleven rounds from the same firearm carried by Bismarck police officers. It was performed under very close supervision after great attention to safety details.

I had to chuckle at my target, which I got to keep: six shots to the heart, five to the chin. I didn’t want to look like an idiot, so I intentionally aimed low for the head shots to avoid hitting the clamp holding my target. I think the groups would have been tighter if I’d had my own Glock, but I still think Lee and I had the tightest performance out of the group. I got to keep my shell casings as a souvenir of the evening as well.

It was bittersweet to reach the completion night for a “graduation” celebration. We had pizza and got our pictures taken with the chief & deputy chief and were presented with some additional memoirs. As you can see we each received a framed certificate, Bismarck PD patch, and Citizens Police Academy mug. My little boy PJ had come with to see Daddy’ graduation and insisted that he be in the photo with us. Later he talked ’em out of a CPA mug of his own, and he’s still very proud of it.

It’s a great opportunity and speaks volumes that our police department wants to reach out to the public like this. It’s amazing how much misinformation is floating around out there about how police officers operate, and those of us who have received a little bit of education to dispel the rumors can act as ambassadors for the department. I gladly embrace such an opportunity, because I’m proud of our local law enforcement in Bismarck-Mandan. I’m fortunate to call several officers and deputies my friends and am grateful for their service to our community.

I know this is short notice, but according to the City of Bismarck’s website, they’re still taking applications for this fall’s Citizens’ Police Academy for two more days. You can download the application PDF here and get it in immediately if you’d like to try for a slot…I don’t know how many they have filled.

There are some requirements for application, including a clear criminal record and passing a background check. If you are an adult resident of Bismarck and can meet these criteria, you’re able to apply. I highly recommend availing yourself of the opportunity to do so!

I’ll tumble for ya

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I took my little boys to Safety Day at the Bismarck Civic Center last week and, although most things there were for slightly older kids, they did enjoy this demonstration. Two dummies are seated in a small truck on a trailer. A Highway Patrol officer then activates the motors which spin the truck’s cab and hilarity ensues. It wouldn’t be so hilarious if you’re the dummy who gets tossed around inside the vehicle and eventually ejected!

Here’s what it looks like from another angle, as a series of stills. Not good. The dummy actually got ejected, bounced on top of the vehicle briefly, then slammed down onto the trailer and rolled over. It’s a good illustration of what can happen very quickly.

Naturally we are seat belt users in our family. As a passenger in a friend’s car, I once went partially through a windshield. If my knee hadn’t gone through the dashboard I probably would have been ejected completely. It opened my eyes and I’ve been an ardent supporter of seat belt use ever since.

By the way, I don’t believe in seat belt laws for adults, but I do encourage their use. The same thing goes for helmet use; as a former motorcycle racer, I’ve ruined multiple helmets but kept my head intact as a result. I’m not going to go around trying to force others to wear seat belts and helmets, but I will give an enthusiastic testimony of their effectiveness.

Sometimes, of course, people just have to see for themselves, and that’s what this machine is all about. In addition to my fatherly guidance, I’m hoping demonstrations like this will open the eyes of my boys as well!

Classic: So how do those letters and numbers appear in the capitol windows every July 4th, Christmas, and New Year’s Day?

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Monday night some of these windows will be lit up with “4TH” as part of the Independence Day celebration on the front steps of the capitol. Every year the celebration features the music of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and finishes with a dramatic fireworks finale. Have you ever found yourself wondering how those numbers or colored Christmas tree shapes appear in the capitol building’s windows every July and December?

That’s where Bill comes in. He works for the Facility Management Division up at the state capitol, and it’s Bill and his crew who oversee the window shade pulling (and opening) to make sure it’s done right.

While Bill can pretty much do this by habit now, he does have an interesting aid: a diagram of the capitol with the relevant squares (the ones to be lit) highlighted. Facility Management and Bill were kind enough to let me tag along for this year’s window shade operation.

Bill has his custodial crew of around thirty people close all the shades on the front of the capitol as well as the east and west sides. The idea is to have the sides completely blacked out for the celebration, with the “4TH” visible only on the front. Once the crew closed all the shades on those three sides, Bill and I roamed the necessary floors and pulled open the shades forming the text.

Some windows are in spacious offices, and some are in pretty tight spots such as narrow supply rooms. Some are in such tough spots that I got to lend my lanky arms to Bill’s aid in order to snag & pull the cord. Because of that, I can lay claim to part of the 4 and (I think) the H!

The whole process took about a half hour, and I don’t think I held up Bill at all. This was an easy one; the letters were small and compact, and only one side is lit. During Christmas there is the complication of colored shades and two sides to do. For New Year’s there are four sides of the building to do. Also, for displays that are left up for more than one night, it’s important to stay on top of things to make sure the right shades are up and down and lights left on.

I originally posted on this last year and wrote an article for the Dakota Beacon as well. Later on the local TV stations picked up on the story, probably around Christmas time when the windows were decorated again. It’s one of those little things that makes Bismarck-Mandan special!

Fun flyin’

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A couple of weekends ago I was pleased to discover signs pointing to a Bismarck Aircraft Modelers’ fun fly event east of town. The weather was good, the wind wasn’t complicating things, and I happened to have a little extra time after some work on a parade float for July 4th. After we got a couple hours in on the float, I took my family eastward to check on the planes.

The BAM club is one of two in town, and calls the Hoge Island airfield home. Sadly, Hoge Island (not Hogue, local media) is under water right now, so a neighboring club was gracious enough to lend them their field for the day. There were hot dogs and other snacks & refreshments served and it was a glorious day to be out watching the planes. Some of them are capable of speeds over 100 mph, and there were some really interesting designs and pilots as well.

Naturally, my little guys were totally intrigued by this. They asked if there were some that they could fly, but I don’t think putting the controls of a fast airborne object into the hands of a three or four year old is a good idea. I told them they’d have to wait.

I drive little nitro-powered RC trucks – two of them, to be exact. My little guys dig those machines as well, but they’re too young to drive them. Capable of speeds over 60mph, they’re simply too dangerous for children. I do, however, have some old Tyco battery powered RC trucks that are just fine for kids, and they’re getting their training on those. Who knows, maybe someday they’ll be RC pilots!

I’m not sure if it’s one of the BAM guys who created this YouTube video at the beginning of the month, flying over the area north of Bismarck where these planes normally play. It’s an interesting video, though. Of course, now that we’re at 150,000cfs from Garrison alone, and have had plenty of rain, the area is even more inundated with flood waters than in the video.

If you’d like more information on the BAM (Bismarck Aircraft Modelers), click here to visit their website at bamrcflyers.org.

Anachronism

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This post isn’t just an anachronism because it documents an event held by the Society for Creative Anachronism. No, it’s also an anachronism because I took these photos weeks ago and am only posting them now!

We had just held a little party at Barnes & Noble for my 4 year old because of a reading milestone he’d reached. A picnic was planned to follow, so we took all the friends and cousins over to Sertoma Park to enjoy the day. That’s when we found these folks grillin’ food, swingin’ swords, and generally having a grande olde tyme.

Craftsmanship is key when making a set of armour such as this. I couldn’t help but think “None shall pass!” every time I looked at one of these helmets or other garb. Naturally any Monty Python jokes are well worn at an event like this, so I just held my tongue.

Coat of mail to go with your shield, anyone? This is hand made and very cool. It’s heavy, yet flexible. There were plenty of other creations on display as well, but I’m sure this sort of thing always gets the limelight.

A map of the world, SCA style. It looks like something you might find on the Strange Maps blog, and has some interesting delineation. Just in case you were wondering where we reside in all this:

Look just south of Lacus Sakakawea and you’ll find our general region. It doesn’t look like, according to this map, we’re in dragon territory. Must be all the flooding and shortage of caves.

This local bunch of SCA folks was very friendly and hospitable, and it looks like they were having a great time. Want to learn more? Click here to view a map of the Kingdom of Northshield, the SCA region in which their group resides. Tell ’em I sent ye!

Spotted at the Roadhouse

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After enjoying an AMAZING bacon cheeseburger with my beautiful wife on a date night earlier this week, I came out to the parking lot to see this colorful beast adorning the parking lot. Naturally, being the curious sort, I had to check it out. Apparently the little bird in the bottom left of this photo was quite taken with the color as well.

This truck belongs to artist Scott LoBaido, who is currently painting US flags across America. Being one of the fifty states (fifty-seven, if you’re President Obama), it makes sense that we’d be on the list. Mr. LoBaido has a few claims to fame according to his website, such as the “World’s Largest Flag” painting.

I don’t really know what to say about the foil-covered manikin, other than that the flag it’s holding is a little tattered and in need of retirement. I sure do appreciate a good patriotic gesture, though, and I’m glad to see Old Glory every time I see her wave. Thanks to this colorful artist, that’s a sight more likely to be seen.