$@*#&%: Behind the scenes at U-Mary homecoming

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Normally, being part of a video crew has its ups and downs. For instance, we don’t have the luxury of actually WATCHING the game…that’s a bummer. We do, however, get closer looks at some of the action or the behind-the-scenes inner workings at a lot of events. That was the case today at the University of Mary game at the Community Bowl. I was part of the on-site crew, not the KXMB broadcast team.

We had a good crew put together and enjoyed a pretty close game. There were some calls that one team or another didn’t agree with, but overall it looked and sounded like a good clean football game. That is, of course, unless you were in the press box next to the guys from Concordia University of St. Paul.

With only a cubicle divider between those of us switching the jumbo video screen and the guys coordinating on headseats for Concordia, there was only a little divider wall. These guys were AWFUL. I heard them shouting words like:

– the F-word, in various configurations;
– the MF-word, including as a reference to the U-Mary Marauders;
– the S word, as if it was part of normal conversation;
– the A word, including the AH word as a reference to the Marauders;
– the name “Jesus Christ” used as a profanity (read the commandments)
– the GD word several times

In addition, I heard pounding on the tabletop…heck, we all did. The press box is a tight area. And in that area are microphones for the stadium announcer, KFYR/KFAN radio, and various two-way radio mics. I bet if someone listened to the radio closely or sat near one of the Community Bowl’s loudspeakers, you probably heard these guys in the background.

I looked around in the press box after one particularly loud, foul outburst, and people were all looking at each other in a combination of confusion and shock. The press box area was full of people wearing U-Mary apparel… I never heard any of them say words like the Concordia dudes, even after a couple of debatable calls that didn’t go their way. I think they were too embarassed for the CU guys to even say anything!

I wanted to peek around the cubicle and explain to them that they were being offensive, supposedly representing a Christian university, and at a game hosted by a Catholic school. But, alas…I was being paid to be there as a video crew member, not a representative of the University of Mary. I felt justified in speaking up just as a human being and a Christian, but I didn’t want any comments I made to be misconstrued as being on behalf of U-Mary. So I bit my lip. Thankfully the next home game will NOT be against Concordia University!

So, there you have it. In the end the Marauders lost, and it was probably just a normal football game to anyone in the stands or watching at home. Some of us in the booth, however, didn’t get paid enough to have to sit and listen to three and half hours of that nonsense. Hopefully future guest teams will have a lot better manners than the Concordia St-Paul Bears.

I’m on the fence regarding this one

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How long do you suppose it takes for a fence such as this one, on a hill just outside of Bismarck, to lean at such an angle? The hill has gradually shifted, causing the fence posts along its ridge line to lean and sag toward the road below.

Sometimes I get a bit jealous of my friends who live in Alaska, because they’ve got such dramatic scenery and wildlife nearby. They need only point the camera out into the backyard to catch a moose or other interesting creature! But scenes like this one are a nice reminder that North Dakota is not without its own scenery. We native North Dakotans might take an old run-down fence for granted, but it’s got its own charm that merits appreciation.

Fallen Farm #10

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As I’ve said nine times before, abandoned homes and buildings like this one hold a special attraction for me. Perhaps, as a history buff (what does one have to do to become a buff?) I’m curious about who lived or worked there; what it looked like when new; what the area was like that made them build there. While sad, it’s also fascinating.

We found this little building sitting right next to the highway, watching the sun set slowly in its backyard. The grounds are mowed, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s been in this house for many years. Thankfully nobody’s vandalized it, either. It can just stand as a characteristic landmark of North Dakota’s rural landscape.

Couch pilot

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A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. –Proverbs 17:17

I’d like to point out that a bird is also born for adversity. I’m down for the count with that nasty crud that’s going around. Having tried to fight it off, I finally gave up last night and retreated to the couch. But I had reinforcements!

Scooter, who’s going to be nine years old soon, is a faithful watchdog –er, watchbird. If I’m sick, he cuddles up under my chin while I sleep, fluffs up, and acts as lookout. Sometimes he’ll stand post on my shoulder or head, fluffed up and ready. He’ll take occasional latrine or chow breaks back at his cage, but then he flies back to couch duty.

Birds aren’t for everyone; they require ENORMOUS amounts of attention. If you do, however, consider a bird purchase, consider them as a little child. They need attention, conversation, and diligence. For instance, I’ve always let Scooter fly and have never clipped his flight feathers. The price for that, of course, is that I must be extremely meticulous about household hazards, open doors or windows, that kind of thing. And he’s never left out alone or while there’s a hot stove or other hazard in the house. But it’s a price I gladly pay for his company and the joy he brings our family. That’s especially true on a day like this.

On that note, I’ve got a fever and my soup is done. Back to the couch for both of us. Thanks to my wife for the picture.

Kudos to the Bismarck Public Works department

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We all have our pet causes, and regular readers of this site are sure to recognize this as one of mine. I’ve been critical of the use of chip-seal gravel in Bismarck-Mandan over the years, especially when patches of it have not been marked by signage, endangering motorcyclists in particular.

Having addressed the City Commission and talked with Keith Hunke of BPW about the matter, I came away satisfied that they’d try to do better in marking areas of gravel on city streets, and I’m happy to say that they’re doing so. I spotted this sign on one of the streets down near Sibley Park the other day. This certainly is one of those areas I’d talked about previously, with no street lights and curves in the road. Thankfully it’s marked with a bright orange sign.

Good job, guys!

Now if I could just find a way to bolt it to my motorcycle

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I wonder if they make a Suzuki or Kawasaki interface kit? This engine is on display at the Fargo Air Museum, which I visited after a freelance job recently. I believe this particular engine may have come from an F-4, but that’s just a guess. When I went to NDSU they flew F-4s in Fargo, and I was able to get some extremely fun time on/in one. I haven’t been any closer to an F-16 than your average airshow patron, however.

There are lots of other engines, planes, and memorabilia to explore at this museum, including a library of aviation books and periodicals. There are plenty of aviation geeks on hand, too. I use the term “geek” in a good sense…there are motorcycle geeks, photography or video geeks, and many other kinds of geeks. We can spot each other a mile away. Geeks tend to know as much about their field of interest as an avid sports fan, and can rattle off airplane facts as if they were quarterback stats.

I’ve wanted to visit this museum forever and never took the opportunity. So, when the TV station I was working for got me a hotel room for an extra night, we ran around Fargo and played for an extra day. Yes, I took my wife with so she could hang out with other TV wives while we were broadcasting college football. That made the weekend into a paid vacation of sorts!

Revival meetin’

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We all drive past that little white church on the corner whenever we drive down 7th Street, across from Bismarck High School. Open Door Baptist Church will have its doors open Sunday at 5pm and Monday thru Wednesday at 7pm for a revival meeting. All are invited regardless of denomination.

What is a revival meeting? It’s a shot in the arm for Christians, a time of encouragement and a means to recharge and boost spirits. It’s a time to motivate people to get out and reach others for God. A time to revive the passion and enthusiasm of local Christians.

This event is not a membership recruitment drive. It’s not a fundraiser. It’s a time of inspiration and worship. Two visiting missionaries are preaching this week: Joel Logan from Alabama, who’s a pastor of a church there, and Mike Saunders, who has a ministry in the prisons down in Houston, Texas. This is their first time to North Dakota.

Anyone who needs encouragement or wants to hear more from the Bible is invited to attend. There won’t be a lot of fanfare, just Bible study and preachin’. Not only are visitors welcome, they’re also an encouragement. Visit the little church on the corner and see what that means! Tonight at 5, weeknights at 7.

If you’ve studied Bismarck history, this church probably looks familiar. Here’s a photo of the church from sometime in the early 20th century. The building itself was constructed in 1912 by Trinity Lutheran Church, which formed in 1878. It has since been home to 7th Day Adventists, Mennonite Brethren, and Baptist churches. Open Door Baptist has been here for 25 years and is currently working on putting up a new building at 19th and Calgary, as they’ve outgrown this one. I saw this picture in a book of Bismarck history by Cathy Langemo, and recognized it instantly. The steeple is gone, but the rest of the church is unmistakable.

Mornin’ bridge

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It’s dreary out, so I thought I would put up this nice sunny picture of the railroad bridge crossing the Missouri River. This was taken this week on a little walk with my beautiful wife, probably one of the last few walks we’ll get in while everything is nice and green. The view of this bridge as the walking path passes beneath it on the Mandan side is unique, an atypical view of this local landmark.

Northern Pacific Railway began construction on this bridge back in 1881, and it’s had a few problems along the way. The east pier has shifted since the bridge’s initial construction, requiring occasional intervention. You can read more about it here if you’re interested. Local history is fun!

Downtowners Association kneecaps non-profits during Folkfest…again

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There was a dark cloud over today’s Folkfest celebration in downtown Bismarck. No, I’m not talking about the one that dumped a torrential downpour on the event just after my wife and I got into the truck… I’m talking about the heavy-handed tactics employed by the Downtowners Association.

Many groups such as the Boy Scouts use events like this to sell homemade items or concessions as a means of fundraising for their organization. A year or two ago, however, the word came down from the Downtowners that nobody could sell pop at this event but the Downtowners themselves. It’s actually in the Food and Vendor Application form available on their website. I asked around to a few of the places that were selling concessions, and none of them were very happy about this arrangement. People at some of the non-profits I talked to admitted that this did affect their fundraising efforts significantly.

The Downtowners allow vendors to sell “brewed coffee, brewed tea, and/or fresh hand squeezed fruit drinks.” I didn’t see anyone running around with much of any of those. I did, however, see a lot of people running around with Coke products sold by the Downtowners.

The Downtowners is the association that whines about parking and a lot of other pet issues they have down there. They actually kept a list of license plate numbers of people who they knew worked downtown so they could complain. When I worked at KFYR-TV, one of our reporters caught wind of that because his vehicle was one that they’d “tagged.”

Apparently some people think that downtown Bismarck is their own little area to regulate as they see fit. It’s just a shame that they’re taking away money from organizations that could really use it. I give the event a big thumbs-up, but the Downtowners Association two thumbs down. Their handling of this part of the Folkfest is a disservice to the community.

Here’s an idea…if they want to monopolize sales of pop so they can protect their deal with Coke, they should allow exemptions for non-profit groups. The exemption could give fundraising organizations the ability to serve fountain pop as long as it’s Coke products. Then the Downtowners could continue to sell the 20 oz bottled drinks exclusively. They could even include a stipulation requiring that soft drinks must be included in a food purchase, such as “Brat & Coke – $4.00” or something. Everybody could do their fundraising, including the Downtowners, and nobody gets cut out. And it would best serve the customer, too…did any of you enjoy waiting in line for a turkey leg, bread bowl, or indian taco, then having to run around to the closest intersection to buy a bottle of Coke?

If you agree with me, click here to email the Downtowners Association and let them know. I bet a few non-profit organizations and their fundraising directors would thank you.