SPIRITWOOD WOES

New coal plant going nowhere fast

PAGE 6
nWHATS GOING ON: Where to go, what to do around the area. CALENDAR 2
nLocal mans love for music leads to BIG MUSIC opening in Valley City. PAGE 7
COMMUNITY NEWS, CULTURE, COMMENTARY uFRDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 uVOLUME I, ISSUE 10 uFREE
independent
OF BARNES COUNTY
THE
FALL IN LOVE WITH
PIZZA ALL OVER AGAIN!
DUCK
INN LOUNGE
If you love pizza,
you need to see
Jay at the Duck
Inn Lounge in
Marion, N.D.

Jay Cink, the originator
of Pizza Corner pizzas, starts
with a basic pie and then
doctors it to your
personal tastes!
Custom pizza! Delicious!
Worth the
trip!
Tell Jay You Saw His Ad.
Get a FREE topping on your custom pizza.
OPEN Mon-Sat: 1:30 PM to 2 AM
OF MARION,NORTH DAKOTA
301 Main Street - Marion, ND 58466
Jay Cink, Owner/Manager
701-669-2352
Duck Inn Lounge
of MarIon
Duck Inn Lounge
of MarIon
South Central Adult Services celebrated Wednesday, Nov. 23, the grand opening of its new garage facility,
located on East Main in Valley City. The celebration included a ribbon cutting and a visit from the Valley City
Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, pictured here with Pat Hanson. (Photo submitted/Phil Leitner)
& BEYOND
Friday, Dec. 2
The music of Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz
performed live at Sabirs,
Valley City, from 6 to 9
p.m.
UpStage Productions
presents Charles Dick-
ens A Christmas Carol
at 7 p.m. at City Auditori-
um, Valley City. Christmas
goodies served. Tickets:
$8 adults; $5 students.
Group reservations: Amy,
840-8056 or upstage@
live.com
Maple Valley high
school boys basketball
plays Central Cass at
Central Cass starting at
6:15 p.m.
Barnes County North
boys basketball plays
Carrington at Carrington
starting at 6 p.m.
Northstar Classic at
the North Dakota Winter
Show in Valley City con-
tinues, with shows open-
ing at 8 a.m. and a dance
from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30
a.m. featuring The Great
Outdoors at the Eagles in
Valley City.
Saturday, Dec. 3
A Buffalo Community
Christmas at the Old
School Gift Shoppe lo-
cated in the historic 1916
Buffalo High School at
303 Pearl St. N, Buffalo,
is open from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. The event features
handcrafted beadwork,
local photography, wines,
handmade candies, Scan-
dinavian specialty foods,
and more. Enjoy coffee,
Christmas treats and
holiday music. Proceeds
from the sale of treasures
old and new beneft the
1916 Buffalo High School
renovation project. The
school is listed on the Na-
tional Register of Historic
Places. More info: Liane
Stout, 701-633-5000.
Maple Valley high
school boys basketball
plays Oakes at Tower City
starting at 6 p.m.
Acoustic Folk Music
performed by Vincent
Olson and Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz live
at the Valley City Farmers
Market from 3 to 5 p.m.
Valley City Farmers
Market, now indoors at
314 N. Central Ave (Next
to Valley Fashions), runs
from 3 to 5 p.m.
UpStage Productions
presents Charles Dick-
ens A Christmas Carol
at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at
City Auditorium, Valley
City. Christmas goodies
served. Tickets: $8 adults;
$5 students. Group reser-
vations: Amy, 840-8056 or
upstage@live.com
The Smithsonians
Service Learning: Con-
necting Local Heritage
with Local Learners
runs from 3 to 5 p.m.
at the Barnes County
Historical Society Museum
in downtown Valley City.
The traveling Smithso-
nian exhibit explores the
two ingredients that are
key to American cuisine
- regional traditions and
international infuences.
The event features VCSU
students service learning
projects on cultures and
ethnic foods unique to the
area, as well as desserts
and hors ddoeuvres from
PAGE 2 the independent
C O M M U N I T Y
C
ALENDAR
Whats Going On around the Area
ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
Be sure to verify event
details before attend-
ing. The Independent
cannot guarantee the
completeness or accuracy
of published listings.
List your
event
We welcome all sub-
missions for area events
and activities that are free
or low-cost and open to
the public. Send a com-
plete description of the
event at least fve working
days in advance. Include
the events date, time,
place, and other relevent
information. Please also
include a contact name
and phone number and/
or email address.
We prefer to receive in-
formation for listings by
email, but will also accept
submissions delivered by
U.S. mail. Or use our easy
online submissions form
at www.INDY-BC.com
Email submissions to
submissions@indy-bc.com
or mail to The Indepen-
dent, 416 Second St.,
Fingal, ND 58031.
Pucker up: First Annual
Tuba Christmas scheduled
Forget everything you think you know about the
sound and place of bass-clef brass band instru-
ments. Tuba Christmas isnt about oom-
pahs, its an annual international musical
event designed to showcase through the
performance of Christmas carols arranged
exclusively for bass-clef brass the deep,
broad, but rarely heard soulful timbre of
the tuba and euphonium.
The event makes its debut in Valley
City on Saturday, Dec. 10, under the di-
rection of Valley City State University Band
Director James Adams and Valley City High
School Band Director Tom Kjelland.
I am hoping that this event will become
a part of the holiday celebration traditions in
Valley City and the surrounding communities,
Adams said. This is truly an event for the en-
tire community, and we welcome euphonium and
tuba players of all ages and abilities to come and
participate with us.
The hope is that players ranging from el-
ementary school beginners to professionals will
gather to rehearse, then present one brilliant pub-
lic performance.
Registration for participants is at 9 a.m. in the VCHS
bandroom, with rehearsal of four-part settings of Christmas
carols to follow from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
The event concludes with a free 2 p.m. public concert
at the Barnes County Historical Museum.
Tuba Christmas began in 1974 as a tribute to renowned artist and
tuba teacher William Bell and has grown into an international holiday phenom-
enon, with performances large and small around the world.
DAIRLYLAND
SEED
THE INDUSTRY LEADER
TO ORDER YOUR DAIRLYLAND SEED,
CALL KENT LETTENMAIER:
701-646-6462
Stop Paying Outrageous Prices to Place Ads
Help Wanted. Real Estate. Product Sales. Business Cards.
We have high-impact ad space for less.
Find out more. Inquiries: advertising@indy-bc.com
North Dakotas many eth-
nic backgrounds. Free-will
offering. More info: Rob
Walsh, 701-845-7443, or
Wes Anderson, 701-845-
0966.
The VCSU Quantum
Brass Quintent plays
Christmas music at the
Barnes County Historical
Museum, Valley City, from
3:15 to 4 p.m.
The music of Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz
performed live at Sabirs,
Valley City, from 6 to 9
p.m.
Holiday Lights Parade
down Central Avenue in
Valley City begins at 5:30
p.m.
Take Your Own Pic-
tures With Santa follows
the Holiday Lights Parade
at Duttons Parlour, Valley
City.
A raffe drawing and
treats, sponsored by the
Sheyenne Valley Friends
of Animals, will be held at
the Rosebud Visitor Cen-
ter in Valley City following
the Holiday Lights Parade.
Northstar Classic at
the North Dakota Winter
Show presents Williams
and Ree during a dinner
show at the Eagles begin-
ning at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 4
A Holiday Concert
featuring the Valley Voices
Womens Choir, Valley City
Civic Orchestra, Valley
Childrens Choir and The
Valley Troubadours begins
at 3 p.m. at City Audito-
rium, Valley City.
A Buffalo Community
Christmas at the Old
School Gift Shoppe lo-
cated in the historic 1916
Buffalo High School at
303 Pearl St. N, Buffalo,
is open from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. The event features
handcrafted beadwork,
local photography, wines,
handmade candies, Scan-
dinavian specialty foods,
and more. Enjoy coffee,
Christmas treats and
holiday music. Proceeds
from the sale of treasures
old and new beneft the
1916 Buffalo High School
renovation project. The
school is listed on the Na-
tional Register of Historic
Places. More info: Liane
Stout, 701-633-5000.
Monday, Dec. 5
VCSUs Jazz En-
semble presents a
holiday Cafe Concert
starting at 7:30 p.m. in the
Student Center cafeteria.
The event includes light
refreshments. Admission:
$5 adults; no charge for
VCSU faculty, staff or
students.
Valley City Commis-
sion meets every frst and
third Monday of every
month at City Hall, Valley
City. The fnance meeting
begins at 4 p.m., followed
at 5 p.m. by the regular
board meeting.
Hannaford City Coun-
cil meets the frst Monday
of every month at 7 p.m.
at the Hannaford City Hall.
Buffalo Senior Citi-
zens meet every Monday
at the Community Center,
Buffalo, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Valley City High
School presents its
Christmas Concert,
starting at 7:30 p.m. at teh
Hi-Liner Activity Center,
Valley City. Performing
groups include the Varsity
Choir, Varsity Band, Senior
Choir, Senior Band, Swing
Choir and Jazz Band.
Free-will offering.
Tuesday, Dec. 6
The 13th Annual
Holiday Salad Luncheon
fundraiser at the Valley
City-Barnes County Public
Library runs from 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Adults - $4.50;
children under 12 - $2.
The Valley Trouba-
dours, directed by Lance
Drevecky and accompa-
nied by Cyndi Hill, perform
in concert for the holidays
at the Sheyenne Care
Center. Free admission;
free-will offering. Handi-
capped accessible.
Barnes County Com-
mission meets every
frst and third Tuesday of
every month at the Barnes
County Courthouse, Valley
City.
Valley City State Uni-
versity hosts high school
boys basketball at the
annual Barnes County
Tournament Dec. 6, 8,
and 10.
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. 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.
Wednesday, Dec. 7
NATIONAL
PEARL HARBOR
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Valley City Park Board
meets every frst Wednes-
day of the
month from
November
through
March.
The
regular meeting begins
today at 7 a.m.
Valley City Kiwanis
Club meets meets every
Wednesday at 12:04 p.m.
at the Valley City VFW
Club.
CONTINUED 11
the independent PAGE 3
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL n SPORTS
NorthwesterN INdustrIes
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Archery supplIes, Ammo, guNs, optIcs
we Buy or pAwN guNs
leoN pytlIK
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VAlley cIty, Nd 58072
(701) 845-1031
Fingal
(701) 924-8824
Page
(701) 668-2261
Two Locations to Serve You Best!
Email Me at bbrsconstruction@gmail.com
Remember: If youre not the lead dog, the view never changes.
ServiceS Offered free Of cHArGe
Village Laundry
& Dry Cleaners
226 E. Main St.
Valley City, ND
58072
701-845-9772
Look clean-cut without spending big bucks!
T
ype 2 diabetes is the
most common form
of diabetes. Wheth-
er you have just been
diagnosed or if you have
had it for years, meet with
all of the members of your
diabetes health care team
each year. Tat includes
your doctor, your dietitian
and your diabetes educa-
tor. Medicare, Medicaid
and most health insurance
policies cover a certain
number of these visits each
year.
Treatment for diabetes
is like a three-legged stool
and includes healthy nutri-
tion, exercise and medica-
tion if you need it.
Its up to you to make
choices that have a positive
efect on your diabetes.
WEIGHT: Te majority
of overweight people who
develop Type 2 diabetes
will bring their blood glu-
cose (blood sugar) down
into the desired range if
they are able to lose 10
percent of their weight. It
will also lower your blood
pressure. Losing weight at
the rate of one-half to one
pound a week is a good
goal. Minimally it is essen-
tial to not gain any weight.
BLOOD PRESSURE:
At each visit to the doctor
your blood pressure will
be taken. Te American
Diabetes Association rec-
ommends a target blood
pressure of below 130/80
for most people with
diabetes.
NUTRITION: Meet
with your dietitian to dis-
cuss what you eat. Having
diabetes does not mean
that you have to give up
your favorite foods, but
reducing the portion size
can be important.
Although carbohydrates
raise your blood sugar
levels, it is essential that a
person with diabetes con-
sume some carbohydrate
with each meal. Carb foods
include breakfast cere-
als, bread,
rice, pasta,
starchy
veggies
(corn, pota-
toes, peas),
fruits, milk
and yogurt.
Some
people
prefer to
actually count the number
of grams of carb they eat at
each meal, while others do
a more general meal plan.
All of the following foods
with the listed serving size
is considered one carb
serving which equals 15
grams of carbohydrate:
1 small (4 oz apple)
8 oz milk
cup corn
1/3 cup pasta or rice
cup ready to eat cereal
cup orange juice
1 slice bread
3 cups popped corn
hamburger bun
cup light ice cream
6 oz light yogurt
cup potatoes
Choosing healthy fats
(e.g. oils, nuts, and peanut
butter) and eating less fats
(e.g. choose skim milk and
lean meats) can help you
reduce your risk of devel-
oping heart disease; when
one has diabetes the risk of
heart disease increases.
Eat two to three servings
of low carb veggies every
day, such as broccoli, car-
rots, tomatoes.
And choose to eat two to
three servings of fruit ev-
ery day. Spread your food
evenly over the day.
Physical activity can
lower your blood sugar by
10 to 20 points, so build
that into your daily plan.
Target 30 minutes a day
on at least fve days of the
week. Walking, dancing,
using exercise equipment
can all work. Do strength
training, fexibility and
balance exercises twice a
week.
Identify your goals then
aim to achieve them to
control your diabetes!
Check your blood sugars
as prescribed by your doc-
tor. By doing these things
you can reduce your risk of
developing the side efects
of diabetes, which include
eye, kidney, nerve and
heart disease.
Remember that your
diabetes care team your
doctor, dietitian and diabe-
tes educator are there to
help and support you!
Buhr is the clinical dietitian at Sanford
Health and director of the Young Peo-
ples Healthy Heart Program at Mercy
Hospital in Valley City. Your Health is
coordinated by Mercy Hospital.
BRADS
BODY SHOP
25 Years
Experience
Excellent
Workmanship
at Competitive
Prices
Give us a Call for All Your Repair Needs
We take the DENTS out of ACCIDENTS!
(701) 669-2240
Brad Rodin, Owner
Main Street, Box 104
Marion, ND 58466
Support
Your Hometown
Gas & C-Store
RODINS CORNER
PAGE 4 the independent
12.02.11
THE INDEPENDENT
of Barnes County
A publication of
Smart Media LLC
416 2nd St.
Fingal, ND 58031
Volume 1, Issue 10
All Rights Reserved
vitals
Editor & Publisher
Nikki Laine Zinke
NLZinke@INDY-BC.com
701-840-1045 cell
701-924-8349 home
SUBMISSIONS
Your participation is
welcome at all levels.
Submit calendar items,
articles and opinion
pieces online at
www.INDY-BC.com
or via email at:
submissions@indy-bc.com
ADVERTISING
General Inquiries:
advertising@INDY-BC.com
CLASSIFIEDS
classifeds@INDY-BC.com
BILLING
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WEBSITE
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ONLINE ALL THE TIME!
DISTRIBUTION
THE INDEPENDENT is pub-
lished weekly from its Smart
Media LLC home in Fingal,
N.D., and is available free of
charge at designated distri-
bution outlets in the Barnes
County area. No one but dis-
tributors are permitted more
than one current issue of The
Independent without per-
mission. Additional copies
and back issues are avail-
able for $5 prepaid. Annual
subscriptions are also avail-
able. Send check or money
order for $52/year to The
Independent, 416 Second
St., Fingal, ND 58031. Theft
of The Independent will be
prosecuted.
ITS YOUR
COMMUNITY.
SUPPORT YOUR
LOCALLY OWNED
MEDIA!
YOUR HEALTH:
Steps to take if youve been
diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes
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 -

Holiday Specials!
LEFSE
1/2 Dozen
$4.75 per
LUTEFISK
Kettlefresh
Skinless $5.99 LB
HOME CURED HAM
1/2 or whole $2.69 LB
SMOKED TURKEY $2.89 LB
SMOKED CHICKEN $2.59 LB
OYSTERS & PRIME RIB
...for the ultimate
holiday party!
ROD HAUGTVEDT
Owner
Slaughtering
Tuesdays
& Thursdays
By Sharon
Buhr
Get ready for Fingals
annual Country Christmas
T
he organizers
of Fingals an-
nual Country
Christmas is again
seeking vendors.
Te event, set
for Saturday,
Dec. 10, from
10 a.m. to 3
p.m. at Fin-
gal City Hall,
features crafs and baked
goods, along with a noon
lunch, bingo and a visit
from Santa at 1 p.m. so
bring the kids and your
camera!
Organizers note that
door prizes will also
awarded through-
out the day.
Vendors wish-
ing to reserve
a space
should call
7 0 1 - 9 2 4 -
8273 or 924-
8305 to reserve a space.
Booth space for vendors is
provided at no charge.
the independent PAGE 5
A D A P T Y C I R C L E S
N C F I I S R O V A L F A
C O F Q M S E C T O R N I
O N I U O U L A I C O S B
M V X N V F Z V L O A U F
P O T I O N E I D N E N T
L Y S Q P R M E X T G L E
E T K U B B F S E E A I X
T R I E A O G T C S T K T
E A P M R N A A E T S E U
B P P M O S L L I A T E R
S M E L L T A L P L A T E
A K R T O L A E Z M E T I
Find-a-Word Week of Dec. 2, 2011
adapt
affx
ales
atom
bias
circles
climb
complete
contest
convoy
deform
eats
enact
favors
fussy
gala
item
lace
longs
onion
party
piece
plate
potion
retail
salt
sate
seal
sector
skipper
smell
snob
social
stage
stall
texture
unique
unlike
verb
vies
vomit
zealot
THIS WEEKS FIND-A-WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
VFW Post 2764 - Valley City
Burgers, Cheeseburgers
Pork or Beef Sandwiches
Saturdays from 11 AM - 1:30 PM
VFW Post 2764 - Valley City
I
ve never
been much
of a num-
bers guy, which
is evidenced by
my grades in
calculus, statis-
tics and about
any college
math course
I took. But
just because I wasnt adept at
crunching them, doesnt mean
I dont appreciate the work of
those who can mold statistics
into usable data.
Most of us hunters can eas-
ily compare 2011 to previous
North Dakota deer seasons,
just by sharing stories of deer
seen, deer bagged on opening
day, big bucks, does and who
missed the easiest shot.
For the State Game and Fish
Department, it takes a bit lon-
ger to come up with the statis-
tics or numbers that allow for
more scientifc comparisons
of one year to the next. Part of
that process is underway now,
as Game and Fish mailed post-
season harvest surveys right af-
ter deer gun season ended.
Anyone who received one of
these surveys and hasnt flled
it out yet will get a reminder
in the mail as well. I cant stress
enough how important it is
for hunters who receive one of
these surveys, for deer or any
other season, to fll them out
and mail them back in, or com-
plete the survey online.
Game and Fish then crunch-
es the numbers from these
surveys to produce a variety of
statistics. For instance, survey
results from last year indicated
hunters took approximately
67,000 deer during the deer
gun season, and overall hunter
success was 64 percent. Hunter
success for antlered white-tailed
deer was 68 percent, and antler-
less whitetail was 63 percent.
Mule deer buck success was 68
percent, while mule deer doe
hunters had a success rate of 70
percent.
Hunters with any-antlered or
any-antlerless licenses almost
exclusively harvest white-tailed
deer. Tese buck and doe hunt-
ers each had a success rate of
64 percent. Hunters drawing
a muzzleloader license had
a success rate of 46 percent,
while young hunters during the
youth season had a success rate
of 55 percent.
In terms of raw numbers,
Game and Fish made available
116,775 deer gun licenses in
2010, with more than 99 per-
cent issued to hunters. Tis fall
109,950 licenses were available
to hunters, 6,825 fewer than last
year and the lowest since 2001.
Te survey not only calcu-
lates harvest rates, but also how
much time hunters spend in
the feld. It will be interesting to
see how that statistic shakes out
this year.
When I worked the feld as
a game warden, I realized how
every hour afer the 12 noon
opener the pool of potential
deer hunters would shrink. Ask
any game warden, and theyll
tell you the fnal Sunday of even
the best deer season can be
pretty sparse in terms of hunter
activity.
About the only people out
are those who may not have
had an earlier opportunity, are
waiting for the right deer, or
had enough licenses to fll that
it took all three weekends.
In years such as this, with
deer numbers below recent
highs in most areas of the state,
will hunters spend more time
in the feld?
While were waiting to fnd
out the statistics from the 2011
deer season, the Game and
Fish Department also analyzes
aerial surveys for both mule
deer whitetails, and monitors
a number of other population
indices, including deer-vehicle
collision reports, depredation
reports, hunter observations,
input at advisory board meet-
ings, and comments from the
public, landowners and depart-
ment feld staf.
Its all part of a year-round
process to get us ready for
opening day in 2012.
Leier is a biologist with the North
Dakota Game & Fish Department.
He grew up in Valley City. Reach him
by email at dleier@nd.gov
N.D. OUTDOORS
Measuring the hunt by the numbers
By Doug
Leier
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PAGE 6 the independent
Brand new power plant idled by the economy
Coal-Fired Spiritwood Station was built to serve electric co-ops. But its turned into a money drain.
Photo/Great River Energy
M
innesota's second-largest elec-
tric company has spent $437
million on a recently complet-
ed coal-burning power plant 85 miles
west of Fargo.
Built with the encouragement of North
Dakota's political leaders, the plant burns
lignite mined in that state. It has best-
available pollution controls and draws
city wastewater instead of fresh water. At
full power, the new plant could supply
about 63,000 homes.
Instead, owner Great River Energy is
shutting it down.
While investing hundreds of millions
of dollars in power plants always carries
risks, the tale of the Spiritwood Station is
an extreme case. Te head of an industry
trade group couldn't remember another
new U.S. coal plant built to supply power
all the time that was immediately moth-
balled.
A combination of factors made Spir-
itwood a fnancial drag on Great River
Energy (GRE), a Maple Grove-based
wholesale cooperative serving 650,000
customers from the Iowa state line to the
Canadian border. Tese included slow-
er-than-expected growth in electricity
demand, lower prices on power sales to
the grid and the loss of a key industrial
customer for some of the plant's steam.
"We could run it, and lose money half
the time," said Rick Lancaster, vice presi-
dent for generation at GRE.
Shutting it down isn't cheap, either.
GRE said it has budgeted $30 million
next year to maintain the plant and to
cover interest on bonds and some depre-
ciation. Nine employees have been hired
to maintain the plant, whose boilers and
turbines ran for several weeks of testing
that ended this month, Lancaster said.
GRE, which is owned by 28 Minnesota
electric cooperatives, expects to keep the
plant of-line until 2013, perhaps longer.
Even critics of coal point out that Spir-
itwood is cleaner-burning than other
operating coal plants. But free-market
pricing and grid bottlenecks can mean
that cleaner energy sources, even wind
power, are unable to compete against
dirtier generators.
"GRE is being penalized for being an
environmental innovator," said Brad
Crabtree, policy director for the Great
Plains Institute, a Minneapolis-based
nonproft that works with industries on
environmental issues and has received
funding from the co-op and other utili-
ties. "Tey invested extra resources to
do the right thing environmentally and
to build the most efcient advanced-
combustion power plant in the Midwest
region, but they are not rewarded in the
marketplace."
Te lignite burned at Spiritwood is
frst processed elsewhere using technol-
ogy that GRE developed to dry the coal
and remove some of the mercury and
sulfur. While generating electricity, the
plant also can produce steam for sale to
nearby industries, a highly efcient pro-
cess known as co-generation.
Douglas Biden, president of the Elec-
tric Power Generation Association, an
industry trade group, said few coal-fred
plants have been getting built in recent
years because of concerns about future
federal regulations related to global
warming -- ofen called carbon taxes or
ofsets -- that could make them more ex-
pensive to operate. Spiritwood avoided
Minnesota's carbon-ofset rules because
the state Legislature exempted it.
"It is probably the only coal plant built
for base load that was completed and
then mothballed," Biden said.
Another environmentalist sees the fate
of Spiritwood Station as confrmation
that coal power plants are no bargain.
CONTINUED 7
The $437 million Spiritwood Station plant will remain off-line until 2013, perhaps later, says its owner, Great River Energy.
Article by DAVID SHAFFER/Star Tribune Reprinted with permission. Originally published Nov. 29, 2011
the independent PAGE 7
CONTINUED from 6
"Tey are a huge risk for companies,"
said Mark Trechock, staf director of the
Dakota Resource Council, a North Da-
kota environmental group. "Tey are very
expensive, and coal prices are going up. ...
It just doesn't pay."
Lancaster, of GRE, rejects such end-
of-coal arguments. He said the plant is a
victim of market forces. Indeed, regional
pricing for electricity has been so low that
the co-op reported losing money last year
when selling its wind power on the grid.
Bad breaks from start
Spiritwood Station has gotten bad
breaks almost from the beginning.
In 2006, North Dakota's former gover-
nor asked GRE to consider a power plant
that also would supply steam to a large
malt plant in Spiritwood, N.D., owned by
Cargill and to a new ethanol plant pro-
posed for a nearby industrial park.
At the time, GRE's electricity demand
was growing, and the co-op envisioned a
need for more generation.
When construction of Spiritwood be-
gan in October 2007, it immediately faced
higher prices for steel and other com-
modities, causing the cost to grow from
$277 million to $350 million, Lancaster
said. Soon the fnancial crisis and hous-
ing recession hit.
In 2008, power demand by the co-op's
customers fell. Forecasts of future needs
were cut, and the price of power sold to
the grid dropped, Lancaster said. Ten the
ethanol plant project was canceled, taking
away a key steam customer and making
the power plant less efcent to run.
GRE decided to keep building Spir-
itwood Station rather than incur a $190
million loss, regulatory flings say. But it
delayed the plant's completion, and de-
ferred $87 million in bond interest during
the slowed construction, Lancaster said.
Still needing a second steam customer,
GRE says it intends to create one. Te co-
op has acquired land and launched a joint
venture to build a corn-ethanol plant and
a second biomass, or cellulosic, ethanol
plant.
It won't be the co-op's frst venture into
ethanol. It co-owns a large plant at one of
its other North Dakota power stations.
Lancaster said the goal is to have the new
corn-ethanol plant at Spiritwood in full
operation by the end of 2013. Te cellu-
losic plant, using technology from Inbi-
con of Denmark, would come later.
Tat timetable means GRE may have
to generate power at Spiritwood in 2013
at reduced output, Lancaster said. It's not
technically feasible to quickly cycle coal-
fred boilers on and of for peak loads
only.
All of this has lef the 28 member co-
ops and their customers waiting for an
unusual set of economic jigsaw pieces to
fall in place -- and paying a price in the
meantime.
By Andrew Reichenberger-Walz
V
alley Citys newest small business
is now up and running. Really Big
Music, located at 256 East Main St,
has ofcially opened its doors to the pub-
lic.
Ofering a variety of services, owner and
Valley City native Roy Dilts, hopes to pro-
vide for the needs of a wide audience. Te
store currently ofers a collection of guitars,
basses, keyboards, amps, microphones,
drums, traditional band instruments, pa
systems, lights and other accessories.
Really Big Music also ofers repair ser-
vices for guitars and band instruments,
trade-ins, and consignment deals.
According to Dilts, People have been
coming to me for years asking for instru-
ments, equipment or special parts. It fnally
came to the point where there was enough
Big Plans, Really Big Music
Roy Dilts, left, has huge plans for his new
music business. With a variety of products
and services, and an open-minded approach
to fostering arts in this community, the future
looks bright for Really Big Music. (Photos/Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz)
demand for me to open a store to ofer these
services.
Even though most products that are cur-
rently ofered at Really Big Music are used,
Dilts plans to change that as business increas-
es.
I have picked up a lot of instruments over
the years, and that is how this came about.
Right now, Im trying to sell some older stuf
and get going, Dilts said.
In the future, Dilts also hopes to partner
with the Valley City Public Schools and also
Valley City State in providing afordable in-
struments and services for music students.
Lauraine Snellings new series
(Wild West Wind). Valley
of Dreams showed up in my
Large Print order last week.
Set in the Dakotas and begin-
ning in Dickinson, N.D., with
the closing of her fathers Wild
West Show, our story takes
trick-rider Cassie Lockwood
and whats lef to her posses-
sions afer Uncle Jason reveals
that this was their last perfor-
mance, and follows that trail to
a hidden valley in South Da-
kota, her fathers dram. Cassie
is unprepared for trail life, but
her loyal companions Chief, a
Sioux Indian, and Micah, her
head wrangler, plus an injured
Indian woman they fnd on the
way, help her to survive. Tere
are two stories intertwined but
separate as we bounce to the
Bar E Ranch in South Dakota
and meet the family of Mavis,
Ransom, Lucas and Gretchen.
We know their paths will in-
tersect but we arent allowed to
even suspect the whole story.
Make merry! Happiness is a
condition of the mind, led by
the heart. Its a gif we give to
others while the shine streams
back on us. Gifs are truly given
when we catch one unaware
and slip them that little some-
thing weve chosen just for
them. Te best gif we can give
is our presence, our undivided
attention, just like the gif of
Christ to us. My best gif was
delivering several titles to a
shut-in, my own little books
on wheels.

New materials iNclude:
Adult Books: The Litigators by John
Grisham; Coming Home (v.1 in Chesa-
peake Bay series) and Hometown Girl (v.4
in Chesapeake Bay series), both by Mariah
Stewart; A Plain and Fancy Christmas by
Cynthia Keller; The Wedding Quilt (an Elm
Creek Quilts novel) by Jennifer Chiaverini;
Bring Me Home For Christmas (a Virgin
River novel) by Robyn Carr; Out of Oz (fnal
volume in The Wicked Years) by Gregory
Maguire; and Inheritance (v.4) by Christo-
pher Paolini.
Non-fction: Lessons in Becoming
Myself by Ellen Burstyn; Food in the City
and Growing Up Again by Mary Tyler
Moore; Ten: All the Foods We Love and 10
Recipes for Each by Sheila Lukins; Latin: A
Culinary Journey of Discovery by Elizabeth
Luard; Eat This Too! by Dom De Luise;
Homestyle Family Recipes and Just Dont
Fall by Josh Sundquist; Out of Captiv-
ity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Columbian
Jungle by Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell
and Tom Howes; The Time of Our Lives
by Tom Brokaw; and Safe Passage by Ida
Cook.
Large Print: Tolstoy and the Purple
Chair: A Year of Magical Reading by Nina
Sankovitch; I Married You for Happiness
by Lily Tuck; Boulder Dam by Zane Grey;
Return of the Kid by Wayne D. Overholser;
Valley of Dreams (v.1 in Wild West Wind)
by Lauraine Snelling; and No Safe Haven
by Kimberly and Kayla R. Woodhouse.
Little Large Print: Room at Herons Inn
by Ginger Chambers; With Open Arms
by Janice Kay Johnson; and A Family By
Christmas by Brenda Novak.
Paperbacks, Heartsong/Historical/
Suspense: The Honorable Gentleman
by Regina Scott; The Doctors Mission
by Debbie Kaufman; Snowfake Bride
(Buttons & Bobbins) by Jillian Hart; The
Ranchers Courtship (Brides of Simpson
Creek) by Laurie Kingery; Rocky Mountain
Homecoming by Pamela Nisson; The
Reluctant Outlaw by Karen Kirst; The
Aristocrats Lady by Mary Moore; Dinner at
St. James by Sandra Robins; Secret Agent
Father by Laura Scott, Shades of the Past
by Debby Mayn; Season of Danger by
Hannah Alexander and Jill Elizabeth Nelson;
The Secret Heiress (Protection Specialists)
by Terri Reed; Stalker in the Shadows by
Camy Tang; and The Lawmans Legacy
(Fitzgerald Bay) by Shirlee McCoy.
Childrens books: Library Lily by Gillian
Shields; Bears Loose Tooth by Karma
Wilson; May I Bring a Friend? by Bernice
Shenk De Regniers; Grandmas Smile by
Randy Siegel; When the World was Waiting
for You by Gillian Shields; Pig Pig Returns
by David McPhail; Dora & Diego: Lets
Cook by Nickelodeon; Big Nate in a Class
by Himself and Big Nate Strikes Again,
both by Lincoln Peirce; and Thanksgiving
By mary e. Fischer
Valley city-Barnes county
library director

C
hocolate day sales and books
are fun: yielded $394.90 +
several donations to bring the
total to more than $500. Tanks to
everyone who brought and bought
chocolate.
Hot on our heels is our Holiday
Salad Luncheon, set for Tuesday,
Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gear
up your appetites and come join us.
Remember to bring an appetite and
maybe a salad to share.
Tail-end vacation: I am slipping out
of the library from Nov. 25-Dec. 5.
Wish me luck. Te payroll is done, the
book orders have mostly arrived and
are being processed. Ive watered the
plants and now Im trying to fnish
my column. I will be hosting my fam-
ilys Christmas party in the library on
Dec. 3. Tat will be fun!
Seasonal vacation from overdue
notifcation: a break for the holidays.
We will not charge overdue fees or
notify you by phone or mail during
the Christmas/New Years weeks.
Consider it our gif to you.
Daddys Little Matchmakers
by Kathleen YBarbo has a familiar
plot: Widower and veterinarian Eric
Wilson isnt looking for romance.
He has all he can do to establish his
practice but his three little girls and
his mom have other ideas. Placing a
classifed ad in the local paper with
temporary worker Amy Spencer, ask-
ing for a wife for their Daddy might
not have the efect they intended. But
a reporter takes the story to a new
level and Eric has more business than
he can handle, enough so he wont
have to sell his sail boat. Amys job at
the paper is done and Eric needs help
in his ofce. Perhaps Amy can fll the
bill. Maybe she can even fll the ads
requirements?
Big Fish in a Small Pond. Yes,
hotel mogul Alex Porter was out of
his league when his sister Abby asked
him to manage her bed-and-breakfast
in Mirror Lake while she enjoys her
honeymoon. His tried-and-true
methods are a wash-out especially
with caf owner and Abbys best
friend, Kate Nichols. Suddenly he
fnds himself organizing church out-
ings and playing surrogate dad to the
foster children Kate takes in. Could
there be a future for Alex and Kate, or
has God made a big mistake bringing
them together? Read Longing for
Home by Kathryn Springer to fnd
out. Its a little large print.
I didnt have long to wait for
PAGE 8 the independent
By Sue B. Balcom
R
aise your hand if you can remember
a time when we didnt talk so much
about food, but rather spent more
time preparing or growing it?
Its true, isnt it? Omnivores Dilemma
author Michael Pollan tells us not to eat
anything our grandmother wouldnt rec-
ognize as food. While I have not strayed
much from cooking and gardening, the
world has moved on to frozen dinners and
individual servings of oatmeal and yogurt
in a tube and it reminds me of the cartoon
the Jetsons or an episode of Star Trek.
If you havent ever really thought about
food from the standpoint of industrializa-
tion of the food system you may never
have noticed, myself included, what has
happened to our food and who really
controls what we eat.
Sunday, Nov. 27s 60 Minutes had a
segment on food favoring and the nice
people who spend their days seeking ways
to entice you eat their products, drink
soda pop and chew gum. Even with sev-
eral pressing questions from Morley Safer,
the representative interviewed would not
admit to the possibility that this practice
makes food addictive and potentially adds
to Americas obesity issues.
We are eating more and more foods that
contain no real food; no natural nutrients
and artifcial favoring, preservatives
you have heard this before. Okay, maybe
you havent?
Before I began working in local foods,
I had no idea that people didnt cook or
garden. Te art of cooking has faded to
microwaving a bag of mashed potatoes.
Some of my college students claim they
are really good really? Whats so difcult
about scrubbing some potatoes, cutting
them in pieces, simmering a pot of water
with potatoes for 20 minutes and then
mashing them with butter and salt? You
know, eating the real deal, no bag to throw
away and less sodium. Apparently, we
dont have time to cook anymore, even the
simplest of things. Yet, video games, the
Internet and television viewing seem to
be holding their own hour or four of fun
every evening.
As a result, we have lost our taste for
things that are good and wholesome and
near to the earth. Instead, scientists, mar-
keters, wholesalers, large companies who
own access to our daily bread continue
to come up with ways and means and
favors that keep us consuming food that
doesnt do us any favors. Hmmm favors
without favors, could be a country western
theme song.
Local food was coined to begin the
process of moving away from our indus-
trialized, super-sized food system and
back to what our grandparents knew was
good food.
While it seems a simple task, its rather
overwhelming at times. Te work that
needs to be done to change the way we eat
begins with us.
Small bites. While I may have thrown a
whole bunch of information or ideas out
there on the table, Im asking you to only
do this. Tink about it. Look around you
as you walk through the grocery store and
admire the options for dinner tonight.
Read a few labels; roll the word local
around in your head.
Its more than just food but we will
investigate more in future newspapers.
Until then, please feel free to email me at
sbalcom@farrms.org. Ask me some ques-
tions. I will do my best to answer them. In
the meantime, eat some real food today,
preferably from farmers.
LIBRARY NEWS
TINY BITES & FREE-RANGE THINKING
Remembering real food....
REAL FOOD. The author wields a garden
carrot and butcher knife. (Submitted photo)
INTRODUCTION: Museum Without
Walls is a regular column devoted to pho-
tographs and articles on special sites and
artifacts of historical interest in and near
Barnes County.
These sites include buildings and town
views, monuments, sites of geological and
cultural interest, old bridges, cemeteries,
farms, dams, and many other things that
will never be housed in a museum with walls
and that illustrate the history of this area.
In addition, we occasionally showcase in
these pages an artifact found in one of the
area museums or in a
local residents personal
collection allowing you
to enjoy and appreciate
our local history from out-
side the museum walls.
If you have ideas for this
column, photos or back-
ground information on
any of the subjects weve
covered, please contact
Dennis Stillings at still-
ings@gmail.com
the independent PAGE 9
MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS
On Pioneer Park...
By Dennis
Stillings
T
hese two rare photos of Pioneer Park (right and below right) were taken
when the park was completed in 1937. Pioneer Park was one of a number
of WPA (Work Projects Administration) projects completed in the Val-
ley City area.
Dedication Ceremonies for the park were held
Sept. 30, 1937, when D.W. Clark accepted Pioneer
Park on behalf of the Valley City Park Board.
Before the area became a park, it was, as D.W.
Clark expressed it in his dedication speech,
the most unsightly, the most repulsive block of
land to be found anywhere within the confnes
of the city of Valley City a very poor approach
to a handsome city like ours. (At that time, Old
Highway 10 was the main road in and out of
town.)
At one time, the Pioneer Park area had been
the site of the Valley City Brick and Tile Com-
pany because of the excellent brick clay that was
present. Te bricks from this company were used
to build the Kindred Hotel.
Afer the Valley City Brick and Tile Company
ran out of clay, the property title went to Barnes
County and a county poor house was built
there. When the poor house was demolished, the
property was taken over by weeds and became
something of a dump.
D.W. Clarks fnal words in his dedication
speech of Pioneer Park were:
As president of the Park Board, I gratefully
accept this fne gif with thanks to all those who
have in any way assisted in its construction. I
assure you that I take great pleasure to be the
one to receive this fne park, and pledge the best
eforts of the Park Board to take care of Pioneer
Park and see that it serves the purpose for which
it was created.
ABOVE: Heimes School, District #10, Heimes #1one of the frst schoolhouses in Barnes Countywas named for
Joseph Heimes who settled in the area in 1878. It was moved to Pioneer Park to become one of its features. The old
wooden bridge can be seen in the picture as well as two more buildings in the background. One is an old sod house
(which was later demolished), and the other mostly hidden by Heimes School is a log cabin. This was eventually
moved by Eldon Westby to his farm off the Kathryn Road, where it still stands today. (Collection of Dennis Stillings)
ABOVE: The Pioneer Park Amphitheatre as it appeared shortly after completion in
1937. (Collection of Dennis Stillings)
ABOVE: The Pioneer Park Cabin as it appears today in its present site. (Photo/Dennis Still-
ings)
By Lloyd Omdahl
It may sound speculative today
but our only member of Congress
may be casting the states one vote
for president in January.
In the event that none of the
presidential candidates garner
270 votes in the Electoral College
in the 2012 election, the choice
will be thrown into the House of
Representatives where each state
will have one vote. It will take an
absolute majority of states (26) to
elect the president.
Obviously, to make this hap-
pen, a third party candidate must
win enough electoral votes to pre-
vent either of the major party can-
didates from getting 270 electoral
votes. Te last time a third party
candidate won electoral votes was
in 1948 when racist Governor
George Wallace won 46 electoral
votes by carrying
fve states.
Ross Perot ran
a strong third
party candidacy
in 1992 when he
won 19 percent of
the national vote.
Unfortunatel y
for him, his sup-
port was scat-
tered throughout
the country so he didnt get any
electoral votes. George Wallace
won electoral votes by appealing
to racists in a handful of southern
states.
If you think that North Dakota
voters cant be budged in their
partisan commitments, think
again. Perot got 23 per cent of the
North Dakota vote in 1992.
Te prospects of a vote in the
House are greater this time for
a number of reasons. Tere is
major discontent and hurting
in the land. Te natives are rest-
less. Really restless. Congress and
the President are getting terrible
marks for performance. And this
time its some folks with big mon-
ey who are talking about running
a third candidate for president.
New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg is on the bandwagon
with a well-funded group calling
itself Americans Elect. Peter Ack-
erman, a wealthy private investor
and philanthropist, is bankrolling
the efort and more big contribu-
tors are waiting in the wings. Join-
ing them is a bipartisan group of
political strategists and contribu-
tors. Tey have already raised
$22 million without trying.
Since a number of experienced
political strategists are in involved
in America Elect, they may be
wise enough to take a page out of
George Wallaces campaign man-
ual and concentrate their efort in
several states that will yield them
enough electoral votes to keep
anyone from winning the presi-
dency outright.
With major supporters in New
York, it would be possible for
them to capture the Empire States
29 electoral votes. Tat could be
enough to send the contest to the
House.
However, Americans Elect will
have a problem in the House.
Americans Elect will have no
voice in the House unless it elects
some members of Congress in
2012. It will be the members of
the new Congress who will de-
cide.
(At present, Republicans con-
trol 34 of the delegations. It will
be difcult for the Democrats
to gain enough seats in 2012 to
whittle that down to 25 or less.)
What makes this scenario fas-
cinating is that the Founding Fa-
thers thought most of the presi-
dential races would end up in the
Congress. Today, we would con-
sider that a travesty.
Spokespersons for Americans
Elect claim they are not organiz-
ing a third party but will be nomi-
nating a moderate candidate us-
ing the Internet. Tey may fnd
that the unhappiness is not about
the present polarization. Actually,
the extremists may be the unhap-
piest of them all and not want a
moderate candidate.
I wonder what James Madison
would do.
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.
PAGE 10 commentary
T h e
st range
l o o k i n g
y e l l o w -
ish small
two story
bui l di ng
kitty cor-
ner across
the street
from the Open Door/Om-
wick building, and directly
south of the Senior Center
parking lot, was once the
Salvation Army building in
Valley City with uniformed
ofcers back around the
40s?
Perhaps I just watched
too many Christmas mov-
ies at the movie theaters,
but I have a vague memory
of them even having a small
street band during the holi-
days. Does anyone remem-
ber that?
Now the Salvation Army
in Valley City shows it-
self mainly during the
food fghts and when help
is needed, by collecting
BUSCHING, 11
LLOYD OMDAHL
Electoral College: N.D. may cast just one for U.S. vote president
By Lloyd
Omdahl
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
By Lowell
Busching
Valley City:
Now & Then
Did You Know?
Diversion Authority and Getting the Numbers Right
By Richard Betting
T
he Diversion Authority Public Outreach
Committee sponsored a letter in Te Fo-
rum (Nov. 24) justifying the diversion
project, yet making readers aware that planning
for it is nowhere near complete. In their expla-
nation of what's being done to deal with high
water on the Red River, the committee claims
that upstream storage is not a signifcant meth-
od of preventing upstream water from adding
to downstream fooding.
Here is one statement used to support that
conclusion: A "study found that using distrib-
uted upstream storage would require between
400,00 and 600,000 acre feet of storage to elim-
inate the downstream impacts caused by the
diversion."
Tat statement is followed by this: A "500
year food at Fargo is modeled at approximately
61,700 cubic feet per second (cfs). At this rate
of fow, 600,000 acre-feet of storage would fll
in approximately 2.2 hours."
Rule of thumb water math, however, seems
to refute that conclusion. Tat is, one cubic foot
of water will fll two acre-feet of storage in one
day. Tus, in this case 61,700 cfs will produce
123,400 acre-feet per day. So it would take 4.86
days to fll a reservoir of 600,000 acre-feet, not
the 2.2 hours the committee claims.
If the committee bases other conclusions on
such faulty math missing the mark by a fac-
tor of ffy that alone should give opponents
reason to question the diversion project.
Numbers are also suspect on the Devils Lake
outlet projects and for one of the same reasons.
Some drainers claim that runof from upper
basin drained wetlands adds little if anything
to the level of Devils Lake. Tey ignore the fact
that over 350,000 acres of wetlands have been
drained in the past half-century or so. Instead
of closing many of those drains and preventing
water from adding to fooding on Devils Lake,
they want to pass the fooding along.
What adding Devils Lake water to the Shey-
enne means is that all of the water that fows
into the lake above its overfow elevation
which they want to lower will fow frst
through Valley City, Fort Ransom and Lisbon
and then add to the water that could increase
Fargo diversion fows. Has the committee cal-
culated that yet?
Well, if a Stump Lake outlet had been open
this spring at an elevation of 1453 or so, all
of the Devils Lake water above that elevation
would have drained into the Sheyenne River.
Tat is, on April 17 the 7,000 cfs that was fow-
ing into Devils Lake would have fowed right
on through the lake and added to the 7100 cfs
that was being released from Baldhill Dam.
And then into the Red.
Where are the studies showing what the
downstream efects of adding that much water
would have been? Will be?
Richard Betting is a member of People to Save the Sheyenne.
He lives in Valley City.
By Phil Leitner
Te Barnes County Commis-
sion was recently approached by
Riding for Dreams, a non-proft
organization headquartered out
of Ransom County, about the
possibility of selling Yellowstone
Park to their organization during
the Nov. 15 meeting. Riding for
Dreams helps children and adults
with special needs by incorpo-
rating horses in therapeutic and
learning programs.
Because this was the frst time
the county commission had heard
of this organization or been ap-
proached about selling Yellow-
stone Park, no action was taken
during their meeting.
It is against the North Dakota
Century Code for the county to
sell anything without allowing the
entire public the option to buy
it. Te only way possible for the
county commission to sell Little
Yellowstone is to have a public
auction or bid process and sell the
property.
Te Barnes County Park Board
met on Nov. 28 and took a stand
against selling Yellowstone Park
to anyone and continue to use it
as part of the Barnes County Park
System. Te motion passed unan-
imously and all fve of the Barnes
County Commissioners serve on
the Barnes County Park Board.
Te recommendation from the
park board will be brought to the
county commission at a future
meeting for ofcial action.
Phil Leitner is a Barnes County Commissioner.
Information on Riding for Dreams can be found
at www.ridingfordreams.org
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
About 100 refurbished
Dell E6400 computers
remain for sale at VCSU
Bookstore. Immedi-
ate availability. Fac-
tory warranty through
June 2012. $340. Ship-
ping available. Jenni at
VCSU Bookstore, 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.
LOOK! NEW LISTING
Light-blue davenport for
sale. Like new. $250. Will
negotiate. Grace, 845-
0877.
FREE ADS at www.indy-bc.com
LOOK! NEW LISTING
Three wooden swivel bar
stools for sale. all three for
$75. Displayed in window
at Ye Olde Books in Valley
City. Call Ken: 701-845-
9772.
LOOK! NEW LISTING
1994 Buick La Sabre for
sale. In great shape. High
mileage, but runs great.
Call 701-840-0184 for
more information.
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.
16-foot bumper hitch
stock trailer for sale.
Fair condition. $950.
Call 701-845-4077.
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.
Sub for U.S. mail route.
Nome - Kathryn area.
Call 701-924-8378.
Leave name & number.
YOUR JOBS AD:
ONLY $6.50 per
week or less
classifieds PAGE 11
BUSCHING
FROM 10
money in the Red Kettles
during the holiday season
at MarketPlace, Leevers and
Pamida. Tey need more
bell ringers for one hour
periods, but the original
list of volunteers was lost
during the change over of
directors. Tese men are
doing double duty and then
some to keep it going. Only
a short time to go from this
issue.
During my one hour at
MarketPlace on the frst
Saturday afernoon, with
slow business at the time
in mid-afernoon, I noticed
more people then usual
donating! Lets hope this
has continued. Instead of
wearing out you pockets,
or purse linings with the
loose change, drop it in. It
all adds up.
From the sublime to the
ridiculous I was given a
very repugnant memory of
V.C. when a contemporary
from my school days here
in VC reminded me of a
building that existed south
of town at that time. I think
a lot of us have tried to for-
get! Te Rendering Plant!.
It probably explains why
Granger Hill was lightly
used at the time,but has
picked up considerably
from that time to include
even condos.
Under certain wind con-
ditions from the south, Ode
de Valley City was quite
prevalent and may have
played a part for some time
in keeping down the popu-
lation of Valley City, at least
in that direction.
Some studies have shown
that memories from our
sense of smell are ofen
more long lasting then the
visual ones. I can not thank
my contemporary enough
for bringing this one back!
I will not mention his name
here as the remaining long-
time VC residents may
suggest that he also catch
the next bus out of town!
Tat is not a pleasant
thing when you return to
your home town or stay to
have that happen.for any
reason.
Busching lives in Valley City.
NOTICE
Announcements
FOR SALE
Household - Misc.
WANTED
Vehicles
Guns
Land/Real Estate
SERVICES
Ag & Equipment
HELP WANTED
WANTED
Crop Land
Hay Land
& Pasture
Land
Call Kent
701-646-6462
FROM 3
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, po-
etry, etc.) and audience-
members welcome. No
cost.
Bingo Night, spon-
sored by the Buffalo
Community Club, starts
at 7 p.m. at the Old 10
Saloon and Grill. More
info: 633-5317.
Tower City Senior
Citizens meet every
Wednesday at the Com-
munity Center in Tower
City from 10 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. A meal is served.
More info: Betty Gib-
bons, president; 701-
840-0184.
Storytime at the Val-
ley City - Barnes County
Library starts at 10:30
a.m. Theme: Meet Santa
and Mrs. Claus.
Thursday, Dec. 8
Maple Valley Stu-
dents Against Destruc-
tive Decisions (SADD)
meets Thursday morn-
ings at 8 a.m.
Valley City State
University hosts high
school boys bas-
ketball at the annual
Barnes County Tourna-
ment Dec. 6, 8, and 10.
Tops Club of Ender-
lin meets every Thursday
morning at the Senior
Center. Weigh in from
8:30 to 9 a.m.; meeting
at 9 a.m.
Dakota Rose Floral
in Valley City hosts
Business After Hourse
from 5 to 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9
The music of Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz
performed live at Sabirs,
Valley City, from 6 to 9
p.m.
Maple Valley high
school girls basketball
plays Sargent Central at
Tower City starting at 6
p.m.
A spaghetti feed
fundraiser for Susie
Mullen will be held at
the Buffalo Community
Center.

Saturday, Dec. 10
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Fingal hosts a Coun-
try Christmas at Fingal
City Hall from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. the annual event
features crafts, baked
goods, noon lunch and
bingo. Santa will arrive
at 1 p.m. for pictures
with the kids. Door
prizes awarded. Vendors
welcome at no charge.
Call 701-924-8273 or
701-924-8305 to reserve
a space.
The music of Andrew
Reichenberger-Walz
performed live at Sabirs,
Valley City, from 6 to 9
p.m.
First Annual TUBA
CHRISTMAS event
starts with 9 a.m. reg-
istration at the VCHS
Band Room; rehearsals
follow from 9:30 to 11:30
a.m.; with a 2 p.m. pub-
lic performance at the
Barnes County Histori-
cal Museum, Valley City.
The event, hosted by
VCHS band director Tom
Kjelland and VCSU band
director James Adams,
is part of an intenational
schedule of events as-
sociated with the TUBA
CHRISTMAS organiza-
tion. Free admission.
Valley City State
University hosts high
school boys bas-
ketball at the annual
Barnes County Tourna-
ment Dec. 6, 8, and 10.
A Christmas Cookie
Extravaganza, hosted
by the Women of Grace
Free Lutheran, is from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m.
CALENDAR: ARTS n COMMUNITY n
GROUPS n GOVERNMENT n SCHOOL
n SPORTS
PAGE 12 first thursdays
First Thursdays:
Round 2
By Lee Kruger
W
e see First ursdays at
e Independent, as a way
to do just that celebrate
the creative spirit we know exists here.
is month, were introducing poems
by three of our members; in succeeding
months, we hope to print the results of a
variety of judged competitions devoted
to specic populations, genres and
forms, and judged by a panel of faculty,
community members and students.
For instance, Im sure well soon be
dedicating a month to area high school
poetry, to short ction from the adult
community, and to a college (and hope-
fully collegial), or maybe a community
wide, limerick competition.
As the months go on, we hope to be
settling into a bit of a rhythma call
for submissions on the rst ursday of
the month as announced in these pages
to be due by the 15th of the month, say,
with judging and selection taking place
in the week to follow, resulting in the
winners being published here, in and
on the First ursday of the following
month.
Well be making that call for submis-
sions next week, so keep your eyes
peeled for that.
Wed like to thank e Independent for
this opportunity, and are really pretty
excited about the whole endeavor
hope you will be, too.

A
s part of its mission, the
English Club at Valley City
State University is dedicated to
promoting, supporting and sponsoring
literary activities on the VCSU campus
and in the surrounding community.
We host open mics and bring read-
ings to both campus and community,
sponsor writing and reading activi-
ties for kids, provide opportunities for
our members to expand their literary
horizons, and are always on the look-
out for ways we can contribute to the
celebration of literary pursuits in the
Valley City/Barnes County regionso
please let us know if your organization
or group could use us for any like en-
deavor, or anything, really, of a literary
nature, by contacting Angie Johnson,
English Club President (angie.john-
son@vcsu.edu; 701-897-0225), or Lee
Kruger, Faculty Advisor (lee.kruger@
vcsu.edu; 845-7540)
first thursdays
How James Joyce Wrote Ulysses
By J. G. Brister
James Joyce was going out for his aernoon walk. It was one of those walks he would take to think about the sentence he was
working on aer he had given French lessons to the Italian girl with licoriceblack hair who fell into sharp, indierent poses
through the sweet vanilla of her perfume and before his rst
glass of sherry, the warmth of which he would feel close like a
curtain of blood behind his eyes. He always dressed the same: his
frayed and tted tweed suit, dingy felt hat cocked, the eye patch,
the oversized overcoat. He never le without his ash cane, tipped
with silver and capped with a carving from the book of Kells. As
he clicked along the cobbled sidewalks of the San Michele from
his at on via Alice, he did not note the bloom of linden trees, the
roasting of coee on the wind, or the old man reading his own
palm by the green street sign, because Joyce was tapping out their
syllables. Behind his cataracted eyes he saw through to the words
themselves, like cream poured into wine: man, palm, destiny. He
not only saw these words; he felt the sensual geometry of their
letters the way the p leaned like a pregnant stomach against
the open mouth of the a, and the arching breasts of the m, in the
center of which was the erection of the l he could feel the weight
of their spelling give way like bitter candy on his tongue. e let-
ters tasted like other letters, and his tongue was at once the reader
and the page, the ink and the idea. And those letters, those words,
would never mean the same to themselves again.

J. G. Brister teaches English courses at the Valley City State University. He recently com-
pleted a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas, where he lived with his wife, Emily. His work has
appeared in The New York Quarterly, Chelsea, The North Stone Review, Nimrod,
Backwards City Review, Court Green and Mudsh. This piece was previously published in Five Fingers Review.
Shou-ching Chao
With the Red Rose in Sight
-- A Celebration of Our Anniversary
*


I was from Changan, you Beijing,
bound by destiny within the same school building.
To scale new heights of knowledge we attempted all possibility;
deeply I treasure the warmth of sunshine, you the peacefulness of tranquility.
**

Stories one day emerged from beyond the mountain,
for a while making the road of travel uncertain.
All these years the peacefulness of tranquility enjoys the suns light;
who cares about the age of heaven and earth as long as the red rose is in sight?!

12/26/2009

* The poem was originally composed in Chinese by using a traditional verse form
consisting of eight lines of seven syllables, with rhyme on alternate lines. What you
see here is a literal translation of the original as attached below.
** Part of my given name implies tranquility and my wifes given name suggests
sunshine.
BioSketch
Dr. Chao received his Ph.D. degree in English at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a
concentration in modern British literature. He also holds a masters degree in linguistics (U of MN) and
another masters in English. His baccalaureate degree was from China. In addition, he took graduate
courses in British economic history and English at the University of Durham in UK. Dr. Chao teaches
college writing, English literature, and linguistics. His subjects of teaching also include graduate courses
in linguistics.

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2009/12/26)

e small boy in the window

is mine, the sadness
of leaving says.
When I return, I can never
get enough of his heat.

On weekends, we wrestle.
I ru e his hair.
At night, in the quiet,
rogue fears rise,
fears his morning cry quells.
I li him.

Up close, I see me in him,
anxious, already, to leave.
By Lee Kruger
By Shou-ching Chao
Dr. Chao received his Ph.D. degree in English at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a
concentration in modern British literature. He also holds a masters degree in linguistics (U of MN) and
another masters in English. His baccalaureate degree was from China.