ELECTION

VIOLATIONS?
BCI investigates allegations in administrator vote
PAGE 7
nWHATS GOING ON: Where to go, what to do around the area. CALENDAR 2
nBUSKIN A GROOVE: Local musician brings folk tunes to the people. PAGE 8
COMMUNITY NEWS, CULTURE, COMMENTARY uTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011 uVOLUME I, ISSUE 7 uFREE
independent
OF BARNES COUNTY
THE
ATTENTION HUNTERS: Share your hunting and fshing photos - and stories if you dare - with the readers
of The Independent. Send to SUBMISSIONS@INDY-BC.COM
O
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N

7
A
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Feast with us on
ThANksgiviNg
All You Can Eat
ThANksgiviNg
BUFFET
featuring
Turkey
swedish Meatballs
ham
Real Mashed Potatoes
stuffing
green Bean Casserole
Assorted homemade
Pies and Bars
$14
.95
includes coffee or soda
college students 1/2 price with iD
235 Central Ave. valley City
Thursday, Nov. 10
The Adhoc Downstream
Group and People to
Save the Sheyenne will
host an informational
meeting and update on
the Devils Lake outlet at
7:30 p.m. at the Eagle
Club, Valley City.
Friday, Nov. 11
VETERANS DAY
No school: Maple
Valley School District,
Valley City Public Schools,
Barnes County North
Jamestown (Valley
City) swimming and div-
ing competes in a meet
at the University of North
Dakota at noon.
Saturday, Nov. 12
Valley City Bluegrass
Jam runs from 1 to 5 p.m.
at the Barnes County
Museum on Central
Avenue in Valley City.
Acoustic music only. More
info: John Andrus, media
director of Bluegrass As-
sociation of North Dakota,
701-762-4891.
Wimbledon hosts its
Annual Craft & Business
Show from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. in the Wimbledon
Community Hall. Cofee
& noon meal served by
Wimbledon Cafe.
The live band, Raw
Sugar, plays from 9:30
p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Shey-
enne Saloon, Kathryn, for
people 21+.
Jamestown (Valley
City) swimming and div-
ing competes in a meet
at the University of North
Dakota at noon.
Curves in Valley City
is hosting a free Holiday
Vendor Open House fea-
turing several local, home-
based businesses. More
info: Dawn, 845-3500.
Chocolate, Choco-
late Day, an annual
fundraiser for the Valley
City-Barnes County Public
Librarys childrens depart-
ment runs from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. in the multipur-
pose room of the library.
Concurrently: The librarys
Books Are Fun sale.
Dakota Rose Floral
hosts an open house
from 5 to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13
Holiday Preview Open
House in Valley City,
from noon to 4 p.m.,
means retailers and foral
shops are ready to show
you their holiday ideas.
Monday, Nov. 14
Buffalo Senior Citi-
zens meet every Monday
at the Community Center,
Buffalo, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15
Buffalo Fire Depart-
ment meets at 7:30 p.m.
PAGE 2 the independent
C O M M U N I T Y
C
ALENDAR
Whats Going On around the Area
ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
Be sure to verify event
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Email submissions to
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58031.
Remember: If youre not the lead dog, the view never changes.
LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH & CONSULTING.
We provide information and results.
Bruce Eckre
1300 7th St. N.
Wahpeton, ND 58075
President/CEO
701-899-1560
bruce.eckre@gmail.com
A FULL-SERVICE LOBBYING COMPANY.
ServiceS Offered free Of cHArGe
THOSE GOLDEN OLDEN DAYS
MystERy HousE. Te image above depicts a Valley
City residence from 90 years ago. Te house still stands
today. Do you recognize it? See it on page 15.
Te photos in this weeks Tose Golden Olden Days comes from the collection of Dennis
Stillings, Valley City. To share your own photos or postcards from Tose Golden Olden
Days, send them via email to Te Independent at SUBMISSIONS@INDY-BC.COM
Y
Y
E OLDE BOOKS
Curious Goods Book Shop
Open: 9:30-5:30 M-F 9:30-1:30 Sat
226 E. Main, Suite 2 Valley City, ND 58072
Phone: 701-845-8721 Email: yeoldebooks@yahoo.com
v Used, Rare, New & Collectible Books
v Baseball Cards, Equine Tack & More
v Book Search Service Available
at the frehall.
Valley City High
School Theater pres-
ents All Shook Up at
7:30 p.m. at the Hi-Liner
theater. Adults, $10; stu-
dents, $6; preschool free
(when seated with an
adult).
Sheyenne Valley
MOPS (Mothers of
PreSchoolers) meet the
frst and third Tuesdays
of each month from 9 to
11 a.m. at First Church
of the Nazarene in Valley
City. Childcare is provided
through the MOPPETS
program. MOPS is open
to all moms with children
from infancy-kindergarten.
More info: Karla, 701-845-
5138 or visit www.mops.
org
Valley City Rotary
meets every Tuesday at
noon at the Valley City
VFW Club.
Barnes County Com-
mission meets every
frst and third Tuesday of
every month at the Barnes
County Courthouse, Valley
City.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Pack the HAC event:
High school students from
the various Barnes County
schools lead a food drive
at the Hi-Liner Activity
Center in Valley City to
stock the Barnes County
Food Pantry.
Valley City Kiwanis
Club meets meets every
Wednesday at 12:04
p.m. at the Valley City
VFW Club. More info:
Lowell, 845-5932.
Open Mic at Dut-
tons Parlour in down-
town Valley City is every
Wednesday from 7:30 to
9:30 p.m. Entertainers
(music, comedy, poetry,
etc.) and audience-mem-
bers welcome. No cost.
Bingo Night, spon-
sored by the Buffalo Com-
munity Club, starts at 7
p.m. at the Old 10 Saloon
and Grill. More info: 633-
5317.
Tower City Senior Citi-
zens meet every Wednes-
day at the Community
Center in Tower City from
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A
meal is served. More info:
Betty Gibbons, president;
701-840-0184.
Thursday, Nov. 17
City-County Health
District and Mercy
Hospital are holding a
fasting community cho-
lesterol screening in the
basement of the Barnes
County Courthouse from
8 to 8 a.m. Participation is
limited; $35. To participate
in the screening, pre-
registration is required by
calling City-County Health,
845-8518.
Dr. Gilbert Kuipers
presents a public lecture
on Fritz Habe and
Nitrogen Fixation at
6:30 p.m. at the Rhodes
Science Center on the
campus of Valley City
State University.
Valley City High
School Theater pres-
ents All Shook Up at
7:30 p.m. at the Hi-Liner
theater. Adults, $10; stu-
dents, $6; preschool free
(when seated with an
adult).
Maple Valley Students
Against Destructive
Decisions (SADD) meets
Thursday mornings at 8
a.m.
Tops Club of Enderlin
meets every Thursday
morning at the Senior
Center. Weigh in from
8:30 to 9 a.m.; meeting at
9 a.m.
Second Crossing
Toastmasters meets
Thursday at noon in the
Norway Room at VCSU
Student Center. Visitors
welcome. More info: Ja-
net, 845-2596.
Friday, Nov. 18
Valley City High
School Theater pres-
ents All Shook Up at
7:30 p.m. at the Hi-Liner
theater. Adults, $10; stu-
dents, $6; preschool free
(when seated with an
adult).
Saturday, Nov. 19
Snowball Festival Arts
and Craft Fair runs from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the
Hi-Liner Activity Center in
Valley City.
WELCA Fall Quilt and
Bake Sale at Our Saviors
Lutheran Church in Valley
City runs from 8:30 to 11
a.m.
Valley City High
School Theater pres-
ents All Shook Up at
7:30 p.m. at the Hi-Liner
theater. Adults, $10; stu-
dents, $6; preschool free
(when seated with an
adult).
Buffalos 64th Annual
Wildlife Smoker. Doors
open at 6 p.m. More info:
Rodney Hogen, 633-
5392.
A spaghetti beneft for
Terry Johnson begins at
4:30 p.m. at the Eagles in
Valley City.
Sunday, Nov. 20
A Community Thanks-
giving Service is at 4 p.m.
at Epworth United Meth-
odist Church.
Monday, Nov. 21
Valley City Commis-
sion meets every frst and
third Monday of every
month at City Hall, Valley
City. The regular meeting
begins at 5 p.m. by the
regular board meeting.
Barnes County Wild-
lifes Big Buck Show
starts at 5 p.m. at the
Eagles in Valley City.
Buffalo Senior Citi-
zens meet every Monday
at the Community Center,
Buffalo, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Valley City Rotary
meets every Tuesday at
noon at the Valley City
VFW Club.
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Tower City Senior Citi-
zens meet every Wednes-
day at the Community
Center in Tower City from
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A
meal is served. More info:
Betty Gibbons, president;
701-840-0184.
Valley City Kiwanis
Club meets
meets
every Wednesday at
12:04 p.m. at the Valley
City VFW Club. More info:
Lowell, 845-5932 or 840-
1668.
Open Mic at Dut-
tons Parlour in down-
town Valley City is every
Wednesday from 7:30 to
9:30 p.m. Entertainers
(music, comedy, poetry,
etc.) and audience-mem-
bers welcome. No cost.
Bingo Night, spon-
sored by the Buffalo Com-
munity Club, starts at 7
p.m. at the Old 10 Saloon
and Grill. More info: 633-
5317.
The Firemens Dance,
featuring the live band
Front Fenders starts at
8:30 p.m. at the Eagles in
Valley City.
Thursday, Nov. 24
THANKSGIVING DAY
No school: Maple
Valley School Dis-
trict, Valley
City Public
Schools,
Barnes
County
North
the independent PAGE 3
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
Stop Paying Outrageous Prices to Place Ads
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Two Locations to Serve You Best!
Friday, Nov. 25
No school: Maple
Valley, Valley City, Barnes
County North
Saturday, Nov. 26
The 16th annual Fes-
tival of Trees, sponsored
by the Mercy Hospital
Foundation, begins at the
Valley City Eagles with a
6:30 p.m. silent auction
followed by an 8 p.m. live
auction.
Sheyenne Saloon,
Kathryn, features Rubys
Karaoke for people 21+.
Sunday, Nov. 27
No listings.
Monday, Nov. 28
Maple Valley high
school boys basketball
plays LaMoure/Litchville-
Marion at Litchville starting
at 6 p.m.
Buffalo Senior Citi-
zens meet every Monday
at the Community Center,
Buffalo, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Barnes County North
boys basketball plays
Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page
at North Central.
PAGE 4 the independent
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS
n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
11.10.11
THE INDEPENDENT
of Barnes County
A publication of
Smart Media LLC
416 2nd St.
Fingal, ND 58031
Volume 1, Issue 7
All Rights Reserved
vitals
Editor & Publisher
Nikki Laine Zinke
NLZinke@INDY-BC.com
SUBMISSIONS
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welcome. Submit calendar
items, articles and opinion
pieces online at
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or via email at:
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ADVERTISING
General Inquiries:
advertising@INDY-BC.com
Paul Stenshoel
701-840-9313
Nikki Zinke
701-840-1045
Valley City Sales Offce:
223 Central Ave N.
By appointment
701-840-9313 (Paul)
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ITS YOUR COMMUNITY.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY
OWNED MEDIA!
V
a
l
l
e
y
Meat S
u
p
p
l
y
1269 Main St. W
Valley City, ND
845-4705
800-752-5142
A Full Service
Old-Fashioned Meat Market
- Since 1976 -
ROD HAUGTVEDT
Owner
DEER PROCESSING
CUSTOM CUT WILD GAME PROCESSING
We will skin, cut, grind & wrap your deer.
Country-style & Polish Sausage
Summer Sausage
Bratwurst
Jerky, Dried Venison
Slaughtering
Tuesdays
& Thursdays
OPEN SUNDAYS
During Deer Season!
Nov. 13 & 20
Sunday hours are 3-6 PM!
Email Me at bbrsconstruction@gmail.com
A
utumn conjures up such
images as colorful leaves,
frost on glass and holiday
celebrations. But at City-County
Health District, we think of fu
shots.
Te Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) now recommends that all
people who are six months and
older get an annual infuenza
immunization, whether it be the
injectable or nasal mist version.
Te United States Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) chose
the three infuenza viruses for
inclusion in the 2011-12 seasonal
fu based on recommendations
from the World Health Organiza-
tion.
Virus samples were collected
worldwide to identify the infu-
enza viruses most likely to cause
illness during the current fu
season. Included in the Northern
Hemisphere vaccine are: A/Cali-
fornia (H1N1), A/Perth (H3N2)
and B/Brisbane strains. Tese are
the same viruses that were se-
lected for the 2010-11 fu vaccine
(however, even though the strains
are the same, everyone needs a fu
shot yearly, beginning in the fall).
Tere are people who cant be
immunized against infuenza
such as someone who has a severe
(life-threatening) allergy to eggs
or any component of the fu vac-
cine. Anyone who has had a severe
reaction afer a dose of infuenza
vaccine, or if there is a history of
Guillain/Barre
Syndrome (a
severe paralytic
illness sometimes
known as French
polio) should visit
with their pro-
vider before get-
ting the vaccine.
Because some
people can not receive the vaccine,
it is especially important for others
to be vaccinated to help protect
this group. Tis is known as herd
immunity.
A vaccine, like any medicine,
could possibly cause serious
problems, such as severe allergic
reactions. However, the risk of a
vaccine causing serious harm, or
death, is extremely small. Mild,
more common problems with
the injectable include soreness,
redness or swelling where the shot
was given, hoarseness, sore, red
or itchy eyes, cough, fever, aches,
headache, itching or fatigue. If
these problems occur, they usually
begin soon afer the shot and last
one to two days.
FluMist, the live nasal version of
fu vaccine, is approved for people
ages 2-49 who are not pregnant,
are healthy and have no chronic
diseases or breathing problems
such as asthma. It is generally
believed that the nasal mist is as
efective as the injectable fu vac-
cine.
It is not possible to get infuenza
from an injectable fu immuniza-
tion since it is a killed virus.
Te nasal mist (FluMist) version
is made from weakened virus and
does not cause infuenza either.
People age 65 and older may
also receive a high-dose version of
the regular fu shot. Tis vaccine
has more antigens in it in hopes
that this age group will get a bet-
ter immune response to the shot.
Because it is a slightly stronger
vaccine, it is possible to experience
a temperature, upset stomach,
sorer arm at the injection site or
body aches. However, the majority
of those who receive this vaccine
dont experience any problems.
It takes about
two weeks for
protection to
develop afer
the vaccination.
Protection lasts
about a year,
according to
the most recent
CDC research.
It is for this rea-
son that we now
urge people to
be immunized
as soon as vac-
cine becomes
available, and
not necessar-
ily wait until
later in the year,
as was com-
mon practice
as recently as 2008 (when it was
believed that vaccine protection
lasted only about six months).
Regardless, early or late in the sea-
son, you should be immunized.
Some people believe that they
dont need a seasonal fu shot since
they have never had the fu. Un-
fortunately, its too late to be pro-
tected once youve been exposed
to the virus.
Help protect not only yourself,
but the people around you. Get
immunized!
Lori Thompson is a registered nurse at City-
County Health District. Your Health is coordi-
nated by Mercy Hospital.
YOUR HEALTH: Protect yourself, others with fu shot
By Lori
Thompson
the independent PAGE 5
Each year it seems I some-
how wind up as part of a
large number of hunters who
receive a recycled email joke
about making beef taste like
venison. Most who read it
fnd themselves nodding
their head and chuckling, as
the masses whove hunted
deer can relate to the uneasy
truthfulness of many of the
steps.
Te premise of the joke is
if you would treat beef cattle
like some people handle
deer dragging through a
plowed feld, hanging from
a meat pole or carrying in
a pickup box for a couple of
days in warm temperatures,
etc then the beef wouldnt
quite taste the same as if it
was properly processed.
Like most hunters, I trea-
sure my deer and look for-
ward to each years new sup-
ply of venison. Honestly, I
dont want it to taste like beef,
which it shouldnt no matter
how well you care for it.
I dont want it to taste like
less-than-ideal venison, ei-
ther. But thats what can hap-
pen if you make the mistakes
suggested in the email joke.
While those examples are
perhaps a bit exaggerated,
if you too receive the email,
Id suggest looking it over
and taking steps to ensure
you minimize the potential
for any of their recipe from
being a part of your deer
preparation and storage. In
fact heres a better checklist
to reference if you dont have
access to the joke.
1. Take your time when
feld dressing an animal so
you dont contaminate any
meat with the inner contents
of the deer.
2. Te carcass must be
cooled as soon as possible.
If the outside temperature
is warm, elevate the animal
above ground to facilitate
air circulation around the
entire body. Tis can be ac-
complished by hanging the
animal in a cool, shady place.
3. If the carcass must be
drug out of the feld, keep
dirt, grass and other possible
contaminates out of the open
body cavity.
4. When it comes to aging
of venison, this is best carried
out only when you can hang
the carcass where the tem-
perature is
consistently
maintained
around 35 to
38 degrees
Fahrenhei t
for several
days. If you
are going to
make sausage
or just grind
your venison into burger,
there is no reason to age it. It
will be better if it is fresh.
5. Unless cooking the meat
fresh, it should be quickly
frozen afer butchering.
Meal-sized quantities of meat
should be placed into plastic
bags. Most of the air should
be removed from the plastic
bags before sealing. When
the meat will be stored in the
freezer for more than a few
days, the plastic bags should
be wrapped in freezer pa-
per; the freezer paper should
be sealed with tape; and the
packages should be labeled
appropriately.
6. Meat prepared and
stored in this manner can
maintain good quality for
more than a year. Vacuum-
sealed bags probably im-
prove the storage process,
and vacuum-sealed bags may
not require a second layer of
freezer paper.
Following these steps will
help put a smile on your face
enjoying your venison, and
thats no joke.
Leier is a biologist with the Game &
Fish Department. He grew up in
Valley City. Reach him by email at
dleier@nd.gov
N.D. OUTDOORS
Deer hunting tradition since 1931
By Doug
Leier
COLD BEER
POOL - DARTS
OPEN
Mon-Sat: 10AM-1AM
Sun: Noon-?
A great place for
working folks.
A BIKER-FRIENDLY BAR
PAGE 6 the independent
S
pin-of (n.) 1 A
show or movie based
around a character
from another show
or movie. 2 - An attempt
to capitalize on a minor
characters popularity and
tendency to overshadow
the main characters. 3
Puss in Boots.
Antonio Banderas returns as the voice
of Puss in Boots, the suave, swashbuckling
feline with the Latin accent made popular
by the Shrek franchise. Although small
in demeanor, Puss possesses the skill to
disable an opponent with a fick of his
sword or his secret weapon, the cute kitty
eyes. Puss current mission: obtain three
magic beans from Jack (Billy Bob Torn-
ton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris), two murder-
ous thugs. Before the smooth-talking
tabby can snatch the beans, a stealthy
cat-burglar named Kitty Sofpaws (Salma
Hayek, reunited with Desperado co-star
Banderas) foils his robbery attempt. Puss
soon discovers this femme fatale is in ca-
hoots with his childhood friend Humpty
Dumpty (Zach Galifanakis), a scheming
egg who needs Puss cat-like refexes to
fnd the magic beans in order to grow
a beanstalk to the giants castle. Puss is
hesitant; his last adventure with Humpty
ended in betrayal and lef their friend-
ship in shambles. Despite his history
with Humpty, the call of adventure is too
much for Puss to pass up and he forms an
uneasy alliance with his former friend and
the alluring Kitty.
Despite being a Shrek spin-of, Puss in
Boots holds its own as a feature-length
flm. Te snarky humor from Shrek is still
present, but (thankfully) toned down to a
tolerable level and devoid of excessive pop
culture references. What audiences get is
a nicely packaged action fick that stands
on its own two feet. Banderas again brings
his signature warmth and swagger to the
movies main feline, providing a voice that
is a loving caricature of Banderas other
work (Zorro, among others).
Te movie drags on a bit when Puss
delves into fashback mode (even Kitty
takes a cat-nap while Puss tells the story)
but overall, adventure in Puss in Boots
abounds. While not as funny as Shrek
2 (the movie that frst introduced us to
Puss in Boots), this movie steps it up in
the action department, giving audiences
swordfghts, fstfghts, and even a dance
fght. Te animation in Puss in Boots is
spectacular, particularly a breathtaking
scene where the magic beanstalk rapidly
shoots into the sky.
Unlike cats, most spin-ofs dont always
land on their feet. Tis movie does. An-
other solid entry from Dreamworks, Puss
in Boots is consistently amusing as a script
and stunning in the visual department.
Tis movie illustrates the reasons why
Puss is a favorite character in the Shrek
movies. Hes funny, smooth, heroic, and
takes himself too seriouslyhes a bad-
boy whos really a good guyin this case,
a good guy who only drinks whole milk
and is easily distracted by laser pointers.
Kaylee Erlandson is a student
at Valley City State University.
ON THE BIG SCREEN
By Kaylee
Erlandson
Puss in Boots lands on its feet
Te National Association
of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) has again selected
Valley City State University
as an NAIA Champions of
Character 5 Star Institution
for 2011-12.
VCSU, which has been
a Champion of Character
institution every year since
2002-03, this year received
the highest score in the
state and the second high-
est score in the 16-member
Association of Independent
Institutions.
We take great pride in
our student-athletes, not
just for their competitive-
ness, but also for their char-
acter of the feld. Individ-
ual Viking
athletes as
well as en-
tire teams
are regu-
larly recog-
nized for
their aca-
demic per-
f or ma nc e
and their service to the
community, and being
named a Champions of
Character institution dem-
onstrates that we make this
a priority throughout our
athletic program. We are
very pleased to have re-
ceived this honor, said Jack
Denholm, athletic Director
for VCSU.
Te NAIA Champions
of Character program is
designed to instill an un-
derstanding of character
values in sport and provide
practical tools for student-
athletes, coaches and par-
ents to use in modeling ex-
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D Q L E V O R G B L O A T
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A L L V H S E R F E R O A
P E O E O G E N T L E L M
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Find-a-Word Week of Nov. 10, 2011
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Character counts for VCSU athletics
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submit your business or school news: sUbMissiOns@indy-bc.cOM
By Lee Morris
Advocates of saving the city
administrator seat in Valley City
accomplished their goal, but in
so doing may have inadvertently
violated the states election laws.
But just who would be held ac-
countable for breaking the rules
remains unclear.
Te Barnes County states at-
torney and interim Valley City
police chief say the North Dakota
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
is examining the allegations stem-
ming from the run-up to the Oct.
4 vote. Valley City residents chose
to keep the top job in city govern-
ment with a 54 percent majority.
A proponent of abolishing the
administrator position, Brian
Mindt, reported the alleged viola-
tions to Valley City police, which
handed them to BCI to avoid a
confict of interest, said interim
Chief Mark McDonald.
I have them in chapter and
verse of the violations, Mindt
told Te Independent.
What Mindt alleges:
nTe group of residents fght-
ing to save the position, Citizens
for the Future, failed to disclose
the name of the sponsor of ad-
vertisements in local print me-
dia. Te group did not include
its name on advertising that ran
in Te Independent and the Valley
City Times-Record.
n On the day of the election,
the wife of City Administrator
Jon Cameron posted a message
on Facebook urging a no vote
against the measure that would
have eliminated the job. Such
speech, Mindt says, is considered
electioneering under North Da-
kota law.
nA vehicle parked outside city
hall on Oct. 4 decorated with
a sign advertising the days sole
voting location also contained
visible vote no signs in its inte-
rior. Tis, too, is also a violation
of electioneering on Election Day,
Mindt says.
Cara Kamstra, who served as
the chairperson of Citizens for
the Future, said it was her frst
time actively involved in a politi-
cal campaign. She said the ads in
question, running in the county
newspapers, were identical, and
other ads the group ran in print
media met disclosure require-
ments.
I caught it every other time,
Kamstra said, and I missed it,
and Im sorry. Tats all I can say,
is Im sorry. It certainly wasnt on
purpose.
Violations of the advertising
disclosure rule carry a maximum
fne of up to $2,000, a year in jail,
or both, said Barnes States Attor-
ney Lee Grossman.
But Grossman, whos never
handled a case involving these
charges before, said hes not sure
who would face the allegations
in court: the sponsoring groups
chairperson, the individual or
individuals paying for the ad, or
even the publication that carried
the ad.
As for the accusation that resi-
dents violated electioneering
rules on the day of an election, its
even more unclear how that pro-
cess might play out.
Sure, the allegations, if true,
would be prosecutable, said Lee-
Ann Oliver, an elections specialist
in the North Dakota secretary of
states ofce. Even the one where
the city administrators wife al-
legedly posted a message on Fa-
cebook.
But violations of electioneer-
ing law in other states have been
found unconstitutional because
of freedom of speech issues, she
said. Te law prevents someone
from so much as standing on a
public street corner encouraging
someone else to vote a certain way.
Oliver said an appeal could result
in the law being overturned.
If they push this and it goes to
court, most likely that election-
eering on Election Day statute
will be considered unconstitu-
tional and that law will go of our
books, Oliver said.
Breaking the electioneer-
ing law carries a lesser punish-
ment compared to the disclosure
rule, Grossman said. A violation
would be considered an infrac-
tion, punishable by a maximum
fne of $500.
As part of its investigation, BCI
will determine who would be
responsible for any of the given
Election Day allegations, Oliver
said.
For its part, BCI is character-
istically mum on any potential
VOTE, 12
the independent PAGE 7
What the law says
16.1-10-04.1. Certain political advertisements to disclose name of sponsor Name dis-
closure requirements.
Every political advertisement by newspaper, pamphlet or folder, display card, sign, poster,
or billboard, website, or by any other similar public means, on behalf of or in opposition to
any candidate for public offce, designed to assist, injure, or defeat the candidate by refecting
upon the candidate's personal character or political action, or by a measure committee, or a
corporation making a direct expenditure either for or against a measure, must disclose on the
advertisement the name of the person, as defned in section 16.1-08.1-01, or political party pay-
ing for the advertisement. If the name of a political party, association, or partnership is used,
the disclaimer must also include the name of the chairman or other responsible individual from
the political party, association, or partnership. The name of the person paying for any radio or
television broadcast containing any advertising announcement for or against any candidate for
public offce must be announced at the close of the broadcast. If the name of a political party,
association, or partnership is used, the disclaimer must also include the name of the chairman
or other responsible individual from the political party, association, or partnership. In every politi-
cal advertisement in which the name of the person paying for the advertisement is disclosed,
the frst and last name of any named individual must be disclosed. An advertisement paid for by
an individual candidate or group of candidates must disclose that the advertisement was paid
for by the individual candidate or group of candidates. The frst and last name or names of the
candidates paying for the advertisement are not required to be disclosed. This section does not
apply to campaign buttons.
16.1-10-06. Electioneering on election day Penalty.
Any person asking, soliciting, or in any manner trying to induce or persuade, any voter on an
election day to vote or refrain from voting for any candidate or the candidates or ticket of any
political party or organization, or any measure submitted to the people, is guilty of an infraction.
The display upon motor vehicles of adhesive signs which are not readily removable and which
promote the candidacy of any individual, any political party, or a vote upon any measure, and
political advertisements promoting the candidacy of any individual, political party, or a vote upon
any measure which are displayed on fxed permanent billboards, may not, however, be deemed
a violation of this section.
Source: ND Century Code
Alleged elections violations raise questions for law, elections ofcials
n Group opposed to administrator
role in VC claims rules were broken
By Lee Morris
Jon Cameron is looking
forward to Perry.
Valley Citys city admin-
istrator is moving to the
Oklahoma community to
take on a similar role to
the one hes had here for
the past three years, city
manager.
In addition, he said he
and his wife, Joan, will
be four hours from their
new grandbaby and two of
their children in the Dallas
area.
Valley City has been a
good experience for both
my wife and I, Jon Cam-
eron said. Weve enjoyed
our time here. I think as
part of the job, accom-
plished a lot of things in
town. I think we accom-
plished a lot of things col-
lectively.
We protected the city
from two record-setting
foods (in 2009 and 2011).
Im proud of being in-
volved in the nearly $21
million upgrades to the
water treatment plant.
Both Jon and Joan Cam-
eron have attended uni-
versities in Oklahoma, and
Jon Cameron has worked
in the state twice before,
he said.
Perry, which has a pop-
ulation of about 5,000, is
about an hour north of
Oklahoma City.
Valley City administrator heading for top city job in Oklahoma
Cara
Kamstra
Jon
Cameron
Brian
Mindt
PAGE 8 the independent
T
he art of the street performance.
Cleaned up. Reinvented. Hauled
indoors.
Such is the aim of up-and-com-
ing Valley City musician Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz, a Valley City
State University music student intent
on bringing acoustic folk and experi-
mental grooves out of the classroom,
of the campus and onto Valley Citys
Main Street and Central Avenue
and Winter Show Road and ....
I have been playing music in the
community over the last year and
was recently hired to play on the
weekends at Sabirs restaurant, said
Reichenberger-Walz, whose eforts
to get paid to play appear to be
fnally paying of.
Indeed, last weekend was a mighty
busy one for the guitar-playing folk
singer, with three gigs packed into
two warmish November days: Friday
and Saturday night during three-
hour dinner services at Sabirs res-
taurant plus a more eclectic perfor-
mance with fellow musician Vincent
Olson on Saturday morning at Valley
Citys indoor Farmers Market.
Buskin a groove
BY NIKKI LAINE ZINKE PHOTOS BY LOWELL BUSCHING
ABOVE: Andrew Reichenberger-Walz plays his electrifed six-string fat-top guitar during Saturdays Farmers Mar-
ket in Valley City. LEFT: The buskers donation basket.
the independent PAGE 9
Whats buskin?
Street performance or
busking is the practice of
performing in public places,
for gratuities, which are gener-
ally in the form of money and
edibles. People engaging in
this practice are called street
performers, buskers, street
musicians, minstrels, or trou-
badours.
Street performance dates
back to antiquity, and occurs
all over the world.
Performances can be just
about anything that people
fnd entertaining. Perform-
ers may do acrobatics, animal
tricks, balloon twisting, card
tricks, caricatures, clown-
ing, comedy, contortions and
escapes, dance, singing, fre
eating, fre breathing, fortune-
telling, juggling, magic, mime
and a mime variation where
the artist performs as a living
statue, musical performance,
puppeteering, snake charm-
ing, storytelling or recite
poetry or prose as a bard, street art (sketching and painting, etc.), street theatre, sword swallowing, and even putting on a fea circus.
Tere have been performances in public places for gratuities in every major culture in the world, dating back to antiquity. Tis art form was the most common means
of employment for entertainers before the advent of recording and personal electronics. Prior to that, a person had to produce any music or entertainment, save for a few
mechanical devices such as the barrel organ, the music box, and the piano roll. Organ grinders were commonly found busking in the old days.
Te term "busking" was frst noted in the
English language around the middle 1860s in
Great Britain. Up until the 20th century buskers
were commonly called minstrels in America,
Europe and other English-speaking lands.
One-man bands are buskers who perform a
variety of instruments simultaneously. One-man
bands proliferated in urban areas in the 19th
century and early 20th century, but they
continue to exist in the frst decade of the
21st century. A typical frst decade of the
21st century-era one-man band set-up is
a singer who plays acoustic guitar,
while also playing a harmonica
(attached to his neck with a rack)
and tapping a tambourine with his
or her foot. Many new one-man
bands use karaoke recordings on
CD or sequenced MIDI
recordings for backup.
Folk music has always been
an important part of the busking
scene. Cafe, restaurant, bar and pub
busking is a mainstay of this art form.
Two of the more famous folk singers are
Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez. Te
delta bluesmen were mostly itinerant
musicians emanating from the
Mississippi Delta region of the USA around
the early 1940s and on. B.B. King is one
famous example who came from these roots.
Source: Wikipedia
ABOVE: Musicians Andrew Reichenberger-Walz
and Vincent Olson perform at Saturdays Farmers
Market in Valley City. RIGHT: Reichenberger-Walz is
a one-man band, with harmonica, guitar and micro-
phone for vocals.
PAGE 10 the independent
T
hat Little Green Val-
ley as it was known by
the men from this area
who went into training for the
Korean War. Tey sent back
those yellow paper record-
ings to KOVC to be played
for their loved ones while they
were in the southeast U.S.
sweating it out in many ways.
Te messages back home to Valley City were
full of nostalgia for this peaceful and quiet
city in the valley. I felt much the same way
while working in electronics and computers
(military weapons systems and the Apollo pro-
gram mostly.) elsewhere.
While visiting my parents Ed and Edna
Busching here in Valley City on leaves from the
Air Force and vacations aferwards, I tried to
keep track of the progress in Valley City, both
in buildings and businesses. It was defnitely a
mixed bag and still is.
Terefore, I was surprised to read recently an
unsigned editorial by a Fargo Forum editor call
Valley City lively! At what point in time was
that! Perhaps this editor visited a local tavern
on a Saturday night? He obviously was not on
Central Avenue.
Back in the 1940s through the mid-50s when
I lef the town, it did seem quite prosperous
and busy. Tis was before the arrival of the in-
terstate and TV. Most of the stores were long
running under the same owners and their uses
BUSCHING, 12
An Open Letter to
the Blue Cross-Blue
Shield Board of Direc-
tors:
As your annual meeting ap-
proaches, you must resolve to bite
the bullet when it comes to fght-
ing the trends that will certainly
lead to the bankruptcy of Blue
Cross Blue Shield and the impair-
ment of thousands of North Da-
kotans.
Let me review some hard facts:
Diabetes has doubled in North
Dakota since 1997. We have
around 40,000 cases costing over
$300 million annually, two-thirds
of which consists of medical bills.
One-fourth of North Dakotans,
probably around 100,000, have
high blood pressure, producing
strokes that put hundreds of folks
in nursing homes before their
time and driv-
ing up the cost of
Medicaid
Obesity, the
mother of many
illnesses, has in-
creased 80 per-
cent over the
last 15 years.
Two-thirds of
us (that must be at least 300,000)
are overweight or obese, resulting
in diabetes, high blood pressure,
elevated cholesterol and other
consequences yet unknown. If
the obesity trend continues, we
will all be wearing stretch pants
by 2018.
Teres no use talking to people
about responding to these con-
ditions with more exercise and
less food. Tey love to eat out
more than to tackle the treadmill.
Given these constraints of hu-
man behavior, it is obvious that
something must be done about
the eating out part because the
present restaurateurs show no
sign of health concerns.
It is time for Blue Cross-Blue
Shield to launch a new chain of
restaurants that will ofer the
healthiest of food for this huge
market created by diabetes, hy-
pertension, cholesterol and obe-
sity. I suggest we call them the
LifeLine Kitchens with the theme
Live Longer with Lifeline and
ofer special menus for diabetes,
high blood pressure, cholesterol
and obesity.
First, we need to acquire some
tasty recipes for cholesterol-free
ice cream, deep-fried vegetables,
green fried tomatoes, turkey
burgers, bufalo burgers and no-
sodium soup. Only canola oil will
be used for deep frying.
Ten the ag research people
need to come up with new prod-
ucts, such as eggs without yolks
and all-skin potatoes. Our cooks
should have missionary zeal and
revive that old Gospel song Res-
cue the Perishing.
Te salad bar should be the
envy of the restaurant world, with
spectacular outlays at enticing
prices. Instead of happy hours,
we should have happy weeks
with a half-price salad bar and
free all-you-can eat celery. Te
users of the obesity menu should
pay by the calorie.
Instead of the 10 percent dis-
count now available for only se-
niors, every patron should be eli-
gible for a 20 percent markdown.
Tat will bring in the business,
especially from seniors who will
travel miles and eat at strange
hours just to get that petty 10 per-
cent break. Tey wont be able to
resist 20 percent.
As you can tell, the goal of Life-
line Kitchens will be healthier
diets and not profts. In fact, they
may lose money. But the big prof-
its will roll in when Blue Cross-
Blue Shield enjoys fewer and low-
er insurance claims.
When the profts accumulate,
the patrons of Lifeline Kitchens
should be frst in line for lower
co-pays and reduced premiums.
Tis venture would save mil-
lions for Medicare and Medicaid
so they should put up some of
the capital needed to get Lifeline
Kitchens of the ground.
Te health crisis requires a
response commensurate to the
problem. Your December 2nd
annual meeting is the time to be
imaginative and bold.
Okay. So whats your idea?
Omdahl was the Lieutenant Governor of North
Dakota, taking offce after Ruth Meiers died in
1987. Previously he was a professor of politi-
cal science at the University of North Dakota.
LLOYD OMDAHL
Ongoing health crisis requires new restaurant chain
By Lloyd
Omdahl
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Lowell
Busching
Valley City: Now & Then
By Paul Stenshoel
I
have recently asked the Barnes Coun-
ty Commission to look into why there
is a cemetery site in Hobart Township
that is being farmed over.
Heres the back-story:
Tobias and Ole Jacobson were part of
one of the frst families to homestead in
Barnes County; they were my great great
uncles. Tobias had spent several years
working in the boiler rooms of Chicago.
He had been married in Stavanger, Nor-
way, and had a young family while in Chi-
cago. Tobias and his older brother Enoch
were the frst family members to come to
America, traveling from Stavanger, Nor-
way, in 1871.
Sometime in the mid 70s the remain-
ing family would soon follow, including
father John Jacob Ellingson, wife Martha,
son John Jr. and Ole.
Tobias was a boilermaker and a good
one, but afer years in the trade he was
becoming ill from the bad working con-
ditions. Enoch was a machinist,working
for the railroads.
Sometime while in Chicago the El-
lingson/Jacobson family ran into another
Stavanger family, named Ryerson, who
had traveled by train into the new Dako-
ta Territory, west of Fargo. Tis land was
now opening up to be homesteaded. Both
families decided to go out afer land, land
that was so hard to come by while living
in Norway.
Enoch had a very good job in Chicago,
he was married with children, he decided
to stay. But by 1879, Tobias had lost his
wife, leaving him with two children. So
he, his parents and two younger brothers
traveled to Barnes County, disembarking
the train in a town known as Wahpeton,
now known as Valley City.
Once in Wahpeton, they set out north-
west to Hobart Township seeking land
to homestead. Along with the Ryersons,
they all became some of the very frst
homesteaders to settle in this county:
Hobart Township Section 11.
Soon afer arrival, they built shanties
in which to live, Tobias had one quarter-
section of land and his father had one
right next to him, the two younger broth-
ers were too young to qualify for home-
steading, and remained living with their
parents. Soon afer their arrival, Tobias
died leaving his children in the care of
the family. John Jr. would eventually ac-
quire his land.
Tobias was buried on his farm site be-
cause there were no cemeteries in the
county at that time.
In 1885, John Jacob Ellingson and wife
purchased another piece of property in
the neighboring township called Green.
In 1886, they convinced Enoch and his
family to move out from Chicago to
Green Township. Enoch bought the
land adjoining his fathers, which was
purchased from the railroad. It was here
Enoch built a new home and barn, rais-
ing his children and helping to care for
Tobias children.
Youngest son, Ole Jacobson, was never
a picture of health. He took over the orig-
inal family farm, in Section 11 of Hobart.
Enochs wife Marie had an unwed sister
in Norway, Matilda Knudson, who was
sent out to be Oles wife, mainly to take
care of him.
Oles and Matildas frst child Olaf was
not a healthy child either and in 1889 at
age 1 he died from consumption and was
buried in the cemetery where a church
was planned on being built. In 1891Ole
died, and he too was buried at the future
church site in Section 10 of Hobart.
As years went by, the site where the
church was to be built had changed to
Green Township, leaving several grave-
sites of community members at a cem-
etery with no church. More years passed
and at some point the graves began to be
farmed over.
I am a descendent of Enoch Jacobson;
my family and I own the Enoch Jacob-
son Farm. As I became interested in
family history, one of my relatives took
STENSHOEL, 13
Farming disturbs graves of original homesteaders
the independent PAGE 11
If I had to choose, I would rather have birds
than airplanes. Charles Lindbergh
W
e will eventually get over leaving
Grand Prairie, but we will never get
over having lived there.
During our frst year back in Valley City we
spent a lot of time looking for a farmstead.
We checked out surrounding counties, but re-
mained focused on Barnes.
My wife and I loved two particular features
of the North Dakota landscape its open vis-
tas and what we came to call its Great Silence,
agreeing that our new home would need to be
rich in both those qualities. Our friend and
realtor Donna Reign, who is as connected as
anyone in these parts, had heard that the Fog-
arty farmstead, located some distance north
on Peak Road in Grand Prairie Township,
would be up for sale soon. Te place met our
requirements, and the deal which included
keeping the caretaker, a big black lab named
Dane was made.
Te vistas were panoramic; the silence was
great. My wife observed that the atmosphere
of the farmstead had the rare stillness and
simplicity of an Edward Hopper painting. Te
opportunities for great photographs of the
farmstead, the wildlife, atmospheric displays
and the surrounding landscape were multi-
plied by the changing seasons.
I photographed some 40 species of birds
(not counting common ones like sparrows
and robins), deer, coyotes, mushrooms and
wildfowers, spectacular sunsets and sundogs,
my wife snowshoeing, great rolling drifs and
odd formations of ice, old buildings and the
activities of neighboring farmers.
A variety of fruit trees chokecherry, ap-
ple, pear, and plum along with abundant
rhubarb and raspberries
were a huge bonus.
In spring the lilac hedges
perfumed our whole seven
acres.
Walking out to the road
to take letters to the mailbox
meant greeting a spectacular
view of the sun rising over
vast prairie. Te small hill on
which the house sat gave me the feeling of be-
ing eight feet tall and owning the whole land-
scape as far as the eye could see.
And there were adventures, some not alto-
gether pleasant: I remember a rare high wind
from the east that blew the doors of a pole
barn. We had snowstorms that took a couple
of days to dig our way out of, and we had a
very near miss by a tornado.
In the evenings, the Great Silence descended
like a benediction on the farmstead and ones
inner still, small voices could be heard a
mystical pleasure thoroughly extinguished by
the later invasion of the wind turbines.
In response to our public complaints about
this and the complaints of others, some people
actually drove up Peak Road to check out the
turbine noise. Making their judgments dur-
ing the day, with the turbine noise masked
by wind blowing through the trees, grass and
crops, operating farm machinery and I sus-
pect leaving their vehicle engines running
and standing much further from the turbines
than we were situated, these people could not
understand the problem. It is well-known that
mild noises close by can cancel out louder
noise at a greater distance.
Te change in the air temperature at night
also acted as an acoustical refector that had
the efect of increasing the noise at ground
level a well-known phenomenon. On a still
evening or when a breeze blew toward us
from the wind turbines the noise of the tur-
bines was dramatically louder to the ear.
Te evening diference between the back-
ground noise (at a virtually inaudible 20dB)
and the turbine noise (at least 55dB) gave an
impression of an airliner just afer takeof. Ex-
perts in the acoustics of wind turbines support
the reality of this phenomenon. Even the wind
turbine company admitted that the noise level
at the farmstead was anomalous.
We saw fewer birds, and the wildlife we had
so enjoyed no longer came through our yard.
Wind turbine defenders claim that there is
no evidence of its efect on wildlife, other than
that of the massive killing of birds and bats
that, in fact, cattle may be seen clustered
around the bases of the turbines. It is never
mentioned, however, that there is far less noise
immediately around the turbines than there is
a short distance from them.
STILLINGS, 14
FROM THERE TO HERE
Leaving Grand Prairie
By Dennis
Stillings
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
By Richard Betting
O
ne of the main causes of rising
water levels on Devils Lake in
the past 50 years or so has been
the fact that hundreds of thousands
of acres of upper basin wetlands have
been drained. Te water that those
wetlands once held now fows imme-
diately into the lake itself, adding more
to the lake than just precipitation that
falls into the lake itself would have.
Proof of that process lies simply in
noting that precipitation in the Dev-
ils Lake basin has risen from about 17
inches per year on average to about
22.5 inches per year on average the
past 18 years.
Had only the additional four inches
fallen on the lake, the lake would only
have risen that much. Obviously, much
more water has fowed into the lake
than that because the lake has risen one
to three feet per year from run-of.
Drainage caused much of that extra
water.
Two letters explain better than I
could how the process worked. Te
frst letter was from Roland Young,
dated April 10, 1999. Te second was a
letter written by R. H. Schroeder. Both
letters were printed in the Grand Forks
Herald and are reprinted with permis-
sion of Roland Young, who sent them
to me.
n Here is Roland Young's letter from
the Herald VIEWPOINT section:
Need for basinwide management be-
comes more clear.
I have lived in Grand Forks since
1936 (during the dry years when the
Red River never rose above food stage
at Grand Forks for 22 years straight).
Te 1997 food heavily damaged both
my home and business so I became
involved in water issues and gathered
considerable historic information.
Afer the great food of 1897 there
was controversy and legal action be-
tween North Dakota and Minnesota,
but the dry years of the 30s brought
North Dakota, Minnesota and South
Dakota together when they formed the
Tri-State Waters Commission.
Te (TSWC) developed the plans
for the four major reservoirs for both
food control and water supply. Teir
plan was projected to be adequate only
to 1965, so in 1961 Minnesota and
North Dakota began meeting again
with the initial plan of reactivating the
TSWC.
Te fnal development was the
Souris-Red-Rainy Rivers Basin Com-
mission (SRRRBC). Te (SRRRBC)
produced an extensive eight-volume
,comprehensive study which covered a
much broader area and projected de-
velopments to 2020. Some of their pro-
posed areas of retention sites became
controversial and along with several
other commissions was terminated in
1981 by executive order.
n In response, this initially hand-
written letter by R. H. Schroeder then
followed Young's in the Herald:
Gentlemen:
Just a few comments on Roland
Youngs VIEWPOINT. I served on
the Cavalier County Water Board for
14 years. Before that, I was a County
Agent and businessman.
1. Water runs down hill.
We on the top of the hill drained
all the water down, not legally. Farmers
did it on their own with 4-wheel drive
tractors, no problem. (No Permits).
2. Water accumulates in low areas
and lakes.
Farmers drained the low areas
and lakes. Into Pembina River 71 per-
ent and 29 percent into Devils Lake).
(No Permits.)
As a board member, I helped do this
all illegally. We knew the laws, but the
State Water Commission didnt try to
enforce the laws so we just let the farm-
ers do their thing. Cant have the fox
guard the chicken house. Cant expect
farmers to manage water their only so-
lution is to get rid of it. Water boards
are made up of farmers. Water can only
be managed by people who are receiv-
ing it and those draining it there, (Ba-
sin Boards.) I also think farmers hold-
ing large volumes of water should be
paid to do so.
I would like to have you pass this
note on to Mr. Young. He would be very
surprised how well we have drained
this County and how thorough and
fast we get rid of the water. It goes right
now.
Mr. Young sent me these letters and
added his own conclusion:
n If Devils Lake is at the bottom of a
3,800-square-mile closed basin, and as
the letter above proves what has been
done, is it not time to seriously review
what can and should be done to correct
this situation?
Yes, I agree that it is time to deal with
one of the main causes of fooding on
our rivers and into our lakes. Unless
we deal with original causes, we will
just keep passing along the problem to
those downstream.
Richard Betting, a member of the group
People to Save the Sheyenne, lives in Valley City.
Letters illuminate Devils Lake problem
PAGE 12 the independent
VOTE:
Continued from Page 7
investigation. A BCI spokes-
woman wouldnt confrm
whether the agency is look-
ing into the charges be-
cause the probe, if ongoing,
is an active one, and even
then the Valley City police
department is the agency
with jurisdiction.
McDonald, the interim
police chief, said it was his
understanding BCI has
completed its investigation.
Cameron, who an-
nounced his departure
from his embattled role just
afer the Oct. 4 results came
in, for a similar job in Per-
ry, Okla., declined to speak
on the record about most
aspects of this story.
He said he was aware
of the allegations and
commented on how the
months-long seesaw of the
campaigns to abolish and
retain the administrator
position went:
Citizens for the Future
and the people working
with them ran a very clean,
positive, transparent cam-
paign, where they did not
resort to name-calling or
mud-slinging, Cameron
said. Tey just stated the
facts in a very positive way
and stayed out of that other
stuf. Tey werent out tear-
ing down (yard) signs, they
werent out standing on the
street corner on Election
Day grabbing people telling
them to vote yes.
Mindt said his group also
conducted itself honestly
that claims that the anti-
administrator crowd, moti-
vated by what it sees as the
high cost of the $75,000-a-
year position and Camer-
ons summer dust-up with
now-retired Police Chief
Dean Ross, played dirty
politics are false.
We played by the rules
despite what the opposi-
tion said, we did play by
the rules, said Mindt, who
with residents Bob Drake
and Larry Hetland initiated
the campaign to do away
with the administrator po-
sition last spring. Not that
there wasnt anybody who
was a yes supporter who
may have taken down a
sign. But as far as any-
body in our organization or
was working with our orga-
nization, I can 100 percent
say we ran a clean and hon-
est campaign.
BUSCHING:
Continued from Page 10
were relatively stable.
Every storefront on Main and Central was occupied by
general business stores, banks, grocery stores, clothing
stores, restaurants, hotels, restaurant supply stores, gas
stations, hardware stores and, of course, bars. Even more
of the latter than there are now, in a town full of churches
outside the business district. It was perhaps lively then.
Tere was such a total use of the street-level shops for
retail of various kinds that many of the barbers, hair dress-
ers, etc., had to go underground! Access to those establish-
ments have long ago been paved over or abandoned.
Examples: a pool hall under the current Pizza Corner
and an excellent little ice cream shop originally under the
old Pillar Teater, now Duttons. Te steps down to that
one are still there.
Rather then try to go into detail on most of these build-
ings and what businesses were in them, I will mention
only a few of those that were memorable to myself and
I think Valley City from the 40s and early 50s. Te rest
can be researched, if you are interested, in a nice looseleaf
book Wes Anderson has at the county museum. It lists all
or most of the stores and what business were in them at
what time along with pictures.
Several buildings are on the National Registry, so own-
ers that wanted their businesses to look more modern had
to put false fronts on them. Some of the great masonry
work that was done mostly in the 1920s up til the stock
market crash is not visible. Just look up when you pass and
you can see what is lef to view and in some cases what the
buildings were originally used for.
Examples: Upstairs of the VFW was the Valley Hotel.
You can still see the sign if you look up. Most of the hotels
in the downtown area were not for tourists at the time but
for business travelers!
Included in Wes little blue book is an excellent small
pamphlet called Walking Tour Guide to the Historic
Buildings of Valley City's Downtown Commercial Dis-
trict prepared by NDSU architecture students in the fall
of 2004. Tis has pictures of the blocks, both modern and
old, and a brief history of the buildings.
Lef out of that NDSU publication, for some reason, was
the Interurban Railway Building just south of the Public
Library, which is now Xtreme Printing. Te doors for the
storage of the street cars that went out to north Valley City
are still visible in the rear.
Te architecture of a couple buildings might be puzzling
to anyone look at the buildings closely:
Dutton's Studio and Parlour occupy the building that
was the Piller Teater back in the 40s where I saw all my
Abbot and Costello movies. At that time they were consid-
ered A movies, which is what the Piller Teater showed. It
was a very large, class A theater that also had stage shows
occasionally. Mostly music.
It held several hundred people in the classic theater style
of the 30s and 40s. A beautiful large Marquee and a large
lobby. Te extra-high, back end of the building was what I
believe the theater people call the Lof to allow taking up
the large backdrops used on the stage. Te front curtains
were of the highest quality and looked great when they
opened and closed.
Te B movies, mostly cowboy movies with the likes of
Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Lash Larue (one of my favor-
ites) were shown a couple blocks south at the Rex Teater.
It was in the area of the Rudolf hotel complex in the lower
building to the north and across the alley from the shoe
repair shop, one of the remaining long-time tenants of any
building in Valley City.
Te second A grade movie theater in the 50s was the
Omwick Teater, the carved stone name of which can still
be seen vertically on the building now used by the Open
door. Next to the Senior Center.
Te Omwick was probably too opulent and came in
around the time TV came to the area with one channel
out of Fargo. Tat was enough to make it hard to remain
open.
Te Piller and Rex Teaters were owned by the same
family. Te Omwick by O. M. Wick. Surprise.
Te current Senior Center was the original Ford Garage
in Valley City and where my father worked as a mechanic
and service manager for many years. Tere are still a few
people lef in VC that remember that garage and my father
for which I am grateful. During my high dchool days in
VC we lived in one of the apartments, now abandoned,
above the current Pizza Corner building. Yet another VC
downtown cafe was on the ground foor next to the alley.
Does anyone remember the name? Dollys maybe?
Further down Main Street from the Pizza Corner was
the frst Fair Store when Main Street was also a major busi-
ness street. It now houses Ye Ole Books and the Village
Cleaners. Tis was a very large department store laid out
much like the current county museum on Central. Te
basement area was as large as the frst foor. It was where I
got my frst radio to listen to what is now called Old Time
Radio. I am still a fan.
Te Arc Trif Shop was the location of the other major
garage in downtown VC. Te Pegg Garage. Another large
operation.
Kitty-corner from the Arc where the Labor Club is now
was one of the main creameries in town which also had a
nice ice cream parlor. Te old water tower for the steam
engine trains was between it and the other building now
owned by the Open Door. Tat building had large display
windows at one time as it was a large farm equipment sales
and garage business.
A nice old classic Railroad Station occupied the area
where the current KOVC building is. Tis area was com-
pletely modernized at one point, which I personally feel
destroyed the heart of VC and atmosphere in the name of
modernization.
Te original Straus building, which replaced the old
Kindred Hotel was a very attractive clothing store of the
highest caliber. Te best in mens clothing. Its closest com-
petitor, and this town at one time did have competitors,
was Shermans clothiers. It stayed where the Captains Pub
is now for many years.
Te modernistic building now housing Wells Fargo
bank was still in the 40s a classic old bank building similar
in style to the one across the street to the east of the Bro-
ken Spoke. Another gem lost.
Around that time, apparently no thought was given to
preserving Valley Citys downtown as a classic example of
the larger Midwest towns of the 20s and 30s. Onward and
upward to impracticality and a loss of identity.
Other name stores that once were in VC and doing
business was the Ben Franklin department store which
was where the Nearly Nu store is now. Te current Foss
Drug store, is where the original large Woolworth store
was, complete with lunch counter and soda fountain.
Gambles was where Budget Home Furnishings is today.
Across the street to the west was the Montgomery Wards
Store. J.C. Penny was in the Valley Fashions store across
from the Nearly Nu.
Te Ace Hardware store has been there forever and is
one of the few name brand stores still in VC.
Te slanted front window on the trophy shop on Main
is explained by the fact that the location was used for yet
another cafe downtown. A couple in fact. Te one I re-
member was the Rainbow Grill
Tere was a Teen Canteen in the basement of the origi-
nal Straus Clothiers, something the teens could probably
still use today.
Te parking lot area of the Broken Spoke once held a
large drugstore and was where I got my comic books.
Te current Iron Stallion motorcycle shop was once the
downtown area bowling alley. I recall setting pins there
one night before the advent of auto pin setters and decid-
ing that was not a safe job! Power bowlers.
Much better was working in the Rex and Omwick Te-
aters for a time and getting into the movies there and the
Piller for free.
Tese are my memories of VC in the bygone days.
Share your memories of what Valley City once was.
Lowell Busching lives in Valley City.
Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.
Jamestown Church
of Christ looking for
brothers and sisters in
Christ. Join us for wor-
ship services instead
of driving to Fargo or
Bismarck. Please call
or email me for time
and place of worship
services. John Burle-
son, 701-368-1696, or
email: bjburles@daktel.
com
100s of refurbished
Dell E6400 computers
for sale at VCSU Book-
store. Immediate avail-
ability. Factory warran-
ty through June 2012.
Shipping available.
Jenni at VCSU Book-
store, 701-845-7141
Becker Brothers an-
tique piano, early 1914.
Excellent condition -
$1800. Green foral lo-
veseat for sale, $100.
Antique chair, $50. Deb:
701-845-2364.
Chair with matching ot-
toman for sale. $40 for
both. Call Donald at
845-0385 for viewing.
Vintage Victrola in work-
ing condition. $200 or
best offer. Call 845-
2596, ask for Janet.
Older John Deere push
mower with side bag.
Starts easy for tall peo-
ple. Cord is too long for
short people. Sell for
$40. David: 845-0201.
Leave message.
PARTS FOR SALE. I am
parting out my 1983
Mitsubishi Mighty Max
2.3 turbo diesel. I have
an extra engine and
tranny from a salvage
yard that I am also part-
ing out. Call Cole: 701-
845-5196.
Blazer, red, 2-door 4x4,
154K miles; PW, PL, tilt
wheel, cruise, roof rack,
towing package and
CD/MP3. Within the
last 20K miles: rear end
rebuilt, trans. rebuilt,
new idler arm, both oil
cooler lines replaced
and a new windshield.
Have the paperwork.
Asking $2500 OBO
(cash talks). Call or text:
701-490-0914.
2007 Scion tC (Toyota)
$9500 obo, Flint Mica
Exterior, black interior,
93k mile. Can provide
pictures by email if re-
quested. Chris: 701-
840-9218
Santa fe deluxe maus-
er in 30/06, drilled for
scope and has sling
mounts, monte carlo
stock. $275. Call 701-
845-5196.
LAND FOR SALE. 50
acres located 3 miles
west of Valley City in
SW 1/4-26-140-59
south of I-94. Call 701-
845-4303 after 10 AM.
Want to buy: Older Ford
pickup from the 50s or
60s. Prefer running.
Call 701-845-3723, ask
for Boomer.
WANTED TO BUY. Gun
collector wants to buy
old Winchesters and
other antique guns.
Fair prices paid. Call
605-352-7078.
Want to buy: Win-
chester 1894s most
any year, also frearms
of most any type. Also
Kawasaki 3 cylinder
2 stroke motorcycles.
Call 701-845-5196
Professional Trunk
Restoration is now tak-
ing your orders for this
coming winter to re-
store your old beat up
trunk. Lee: 701-924-
8866 or 701-840-8712.
Super cuddly, well-han
dled kittens of many
coats. One creamy
tiger-stripe. One dark
tortoiseshell. One cal-
ico. Indoor kittens are
litter-box trained. Eight
weeks old. Ready to go
to good homes. Free.
Leave message: 924-
8349. Can deliver to lo-
cal area.
DEADLINE FOR
CLASSIFIEDS:
TUESDAYS at NOON
classifieds PAGE 15
NOTICE
Announcements
FOR SALE
Household - Misc.
WANTED
Vehicles
Guns
Land/Real Estate
SERVICES
THOSE GOLDEN OLDEN DAYS
Mystery House toDAy:
232 Fourth Street S.E. Valley City.
Te photos in this weeks Tose Golden Olden Days comes from the collection of Dennis
Stillings, Valley City. To share your own photos or postcards from Tose Golden Olden Days,
send them via email to Te Independent at SUBMISSIONS@INDY-BC.COM
WANTED TO BUY
Older Ford pickup
from the 50s or 60s.
Prefer running. Call
701-845-3723, ask
for Boomer.
WANTED TO BUY
Gun collector wants
to buy old Win-
chesters and other
antique guns. Fair
prices paid. Call 605-
352-7078.
LAND FOR SALE
50 acres located 3
miels west of Valley
City in SW 1/4-26-
140-59 south of I-94.
Call 701-845-4303
after 10 AM.
FOR SALE
Vintage Victrola in
working condition.
$200 or best offer.
Call 845-2596, ask
for Janet.
FOR SALE
Yellow buggy to pull
behind your bike.
Take your youngster
bicycling with you
safely. Buggy is on
wheels, has refec-
tive covering, your
kid goes inside. Only
$20. Call David, 845-
0201. Leave mes-
sage.
MISC. FOR SALE
A nice, antique
(1930s) Clarion Tube
Radio in Cabinet with
Phono/Record player
on top with opening
lid, Model C105AA.
This is a nice, rare
unit. Measures: 33
3/4 tall x 17.5 deep
x 20 wide. Have re-
ceipt of repairs made.
Price: $75. Also sell-
ing 1939 Franklin De-
luxe Rotary Sewing
machine (pedal style)
in cabinet - $50, and
3-pc speaker set
($20). Clearing out
house - our loss, your
gain. Call Jerry, 701-
663-4631. Maybe
deliver to VC area.
DEADLINE
FOR FREE
CLASSIFIED
ADS IS NOON,
TUESDAYS.
SERVICE OFFERED
Professional Trunk
Restoration is now
taking your orders for
this coming winter to
restore your old beat
up trunk. Contact Lee
Steidl 701-924-8866
or 701-840-8712.
FREE KITTENS
Two 3 1/2-month-
olds, two 8-month-
olds. Very tame, very
friendly. They need
good homes before
the winter. Call Man-
dy at 701-840-1708
or 701-796-8441.
WANTED TO BUY
Want to buy: Win-
chester 1894s most
any year, also fre-
arms of most any
type. Also Kawasaki
3 cylinder 2 stroke
motorcycles. Call
701-845-5196
FOR SALE
Green foral love-
seat for sale, $100.
Antique chair, $50.
Call Deb at 701-845-
2364.
FOR SALE
Santa fe deluxe maus-
er in 30/06, drilled for
scope and has sling
mounts, monte car-
lo stock. $275. Call
701-845-5196.
the independent PAGE 11
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GIVEAWAY
Pets
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PAGE 16 scrapbook
ABOVE: Valley City State University freshman Tony
Trautman plays Mr. Mushnik in what director Jenni
Lou Russi describes as a delicious performance
during VCSU Theatres recent production of Little
Shop of Horrors. Photo credit: Katie Woehl
TOP RIGHT: Burke Tagney portrays Orin the Dentist
in VCSUs Little Shop of Horrors. The actor is sur-
rounded by cast members (from left, beginning in
lower left) Angela Morford, Rebecca Hahn, Tiffany
Ferch, Kayley Erlandson, Nikiesha Andress, Diana
Muro, and Becky Swenson. Photo credit: Katie
Woehl
LEFT: The cast and crew of VC-
SUs Little Shop of Horrors give
thanks to the productions leader-
ship. From left, Leesa Levy, vocal
music coach; Jenni Lou Russi,
director; James Adams, music
director; Lindsay Lagodinski, as-
sistant stage manager; and Anna
Weisenburger, assistant director/
stage manager. Photo credit: Di-
ane Heuser
SUBMIT
YOUR PHOTOS OF LIFE
IN & AROUND BARNES COUNTY!
Email to:
SUBMISSIONS@INDY-BC.COM
ALSO: THE INDEPENDENT wants
to publish photos of you, your child
or grandchild during or after that
rst hunt (with or without your kill).
We welcome current or historical
photos, along with caption
information. Please submit photos
before December.