North Dakota LIVING December 2012 by Forum Communications Printing

One of America’s

Heart Hospitals Trinity Health is proud to be named one of America’s “50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals” for 2013. We’re the only ND hospital to have earned this distinction. The 50 Top Hospitals provide measurably better cardiac care than others, with shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, lower readmission rates and better outcomes for patients.*

www.trinityhealth.org For complete study findings go to www.truvenhealth.com

Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative Williston 577-3765

Stanley 628-2242

New Town 627-3550

DECEMBER 2012

News from Northern Plains Electric Cooperative Ne

BRIGHTENING LIVES

MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMS ELECTRIC

FOR

75 YEARS N DECEMBER 2012

PHOTO COURTESY OF NRECA

Velva: 701-338-2855 • Minot: 701-852-0406

OFFICE HOURS:

Before there was a Northern Plains Electric Cooperative, two neighMon.-Fri.there 8 a.m. towere 4:30 p.m. boring cooperatives in east central North Dakota serving some 10,600 members. & MANAGEMENT: One of them, Baker Electric Cooperative, which formedBOARD in 1937, was the very first President ..............................................Tracy Boe, Mylo electric cooperative in North Dakota. The other, Tri-County Electric, was formed Vice president ...............................Curtis Wiesz, Heaton Website: www.verendrye.com Secretary/treasurer ...........Russell Carlson, Jamestown the next year, in 1938. Assistant Secretary/treasurer .....Randy Simon, Oberon In these editions of “Northern Notes,” we will recall the early days of the state’s District 1 .........................................Mark Brehm, Cando first electric co-op, marvel at the impressive cooperative system that serves you District 1 .........................................Bruce Olsen, Cando today, and explore the changing needs of the members who count on Northern District 2 .........................................Dave Teigen, Rugby District 3 ........................................Jack Geske, Pingree Plains to brighten their lives into the future.

Verendrye Electric Cooperative • Velva, N.D.

MOUNTRAIL-WILLIAMS ELECTRIC NEWS , DECEMBER 2012 C1

December 2012 Volume 59, No. 6

justask@nplains.com

800 882 2500 Cando Office: 609 4th Ave., Cando, ND 58324 Carrington Office: 1515 West Main, Carrington, ND 58421

Verendrye Network News www.mwec.com

NORTH DAKOTA

www.nplains.com

Merry Christmas!

District 3 .................................Curtis Hanson, Pettibone General Manager ....................................Jay Jacobson Manager of Engineering...............................Gary Allen IT Manager...........................................Scott Buchholtz Operations Manager ................................Craig Rysavy Director of Communications and Public Relations......................................Connie Krapp Chief Financial Officer .............................Bruce Garber Director of Business Development ...Joann Rodenbiker Northern Notes Editor ..............................Connie Krapp Northern Notes Asst. Editor..........Katie Ryan-Anderson

from Verendrye Electric Cooperative DECEMBER 2012 INSIDE

• Co-ops build ﬁrst generation plant • Members recall early electriﬁcation • Bev Gronos retires after 29 years • Co-op mails $336,000 to members • Opportunities for students!

NORTHERN PLAINS

Electric Cooperative

NORTHERN PLAINS , DECEMBER 2012 C1

VERENDRYE ELECTRIC

www.nplains.com

IN THIS ISSUE • Christmas in the Park • Giving back • Stockmen’s cattle tour

www.verendrye.com

pages C1-C8

LIVIng

YOUR LOCAL COOPERATIVE NEWS C1-C8

Center 8-page section, following page 18 (most editions)

FEATURES

V E RE NDRYE E LE CTRIC NE WS , DECEMBER 2012 C 1

4 page 16

Editorial by Dennis Hill Our welcome to public service

Cooperatives value environmental care In caring for the environment, electric generation and transmission cooperatives in North Dakota advance Touchstone Energy® values.

Christmas in North Dakota! Sample some Christmas cheer across the state including the Holiday Train, the Knife River Chorale, West Acres Shopping Center, the Dickens Festival and more!

FAVORITES 2 News Connections Heitkamp, Cramer win election to state delegation

6 Country Line page 8

page 21

Foundation for Rural Service educates about broadband

22 Inspired Living by Roxanne Henke Dreaming of sugarplums

   

NORTH DAKOTA LIVIng Educates members of electric cooperatives in North Dakota Publishes articles of interest to co-op members and all North Dakotans Presents local co-op news in center pages (most editions) Features articles for telecommunications cooperative members Published by

24 Reader Reply

Many of the best gifts cost little to nothing, and bring great rewards. Tell us about a gift you’ve given, or plan to give.

26 Teen-2-Teen I want to be me

28 Calendar of Events 30 Recipe Roundup ‘Make ordinary things look exceptional!’

31 Healthy Hints by Julie Garden-Robinson white type >>>

Touchstone Energy Cooperative North DakotaYour Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative

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Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative www.twitter.com/ndarec Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative www.youtube.com/ndarec Supported by

North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives

Explore the science of baking

32 Farm Byline by Al Gustin Memories from the filing cabinet

34 Marketplace Forum 35 Advertisers’ Index 36 Co-op Country Heavenly peace

ON THE COVER The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train returns again this year, making five festive and generous stops in North Dakota communities Dec. 15 and 16. Photo courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railroad

www.ndatc.com

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NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  DECEMBER 2012 1

NEWS CONNECTIONS

Heitkamp, Cramer win election to state delegation

courtesy photos

orth Dakota’s delegation in the U.S. Congress is experiencing a complete makeover. Also, for the first time, North Dakotans elected a woman to be a part of that delegation. Democrat Heidi Heitkamp edged Republican Rick Berg (current U.S. Congressman) for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Kent Conrad. Previously, Heitkamp won election as state tax commissioner in the 1980s and as attorney general in the 1990s. Although Heitkamp is the first woman elected to the state’s delegation, Jocelyn Burdick served in the U.S. Senate in 1992, completing her husband Quentin’s term after his death. Since 2001, Heitkamp has been serving on the board of directors of Dakota Gasification Company, a subsidiary of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bismarck. Republican Kevin

Clockwise from above, Heidi Heitkamp, new U.S. Senator; Kevin Cramer, new U.S. Representative; and Randy Christmann, new Public Service Commissioner.

Pomeroy for the House seat in 2010. Also in 2010, Gov. John Hoeven was elected to the U.S. Senate, filling the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan. Last month, Gov. Jack Dalrymple, Hoeven’s successor, was elected to a full term. Other newcomers to statewide elective office

Cramer (current N.D. Public Service Commissioner), defeated Democrat Pam Gulleson and Libertarian Joshua Voytek for the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cramer will be the third North Dakotan to hold that seat in a little more than two years, succeeding Berg, who defeated Earl

include: Randy Christmann (R-Hazen), new to the Public Service Commission; and Kirsten Baesler, new superintendent of public instruction. After last month’s elections, the website of the N.D. Secretary of State indicated 324,822 ballots were cast statewide. The site indicates the state had 532,776 eligible voters; this number is based on U.S. Census figures, as North Dakota does not have voter registration. Secretary of State Al Jaeger said 42 percent of the ballots were cast prior to election day, through absentee ballots, votes by mail or early voting. Jaeger said November’s elections were conducted efficiently. He credits close collaboration among North Dakotans for this result. “We have an excellent working relationship between the state and county election officials,” Jaeger said. n

Smoke-free, heart health milestones

ast month, voters made all workplaces in the state smoke-free, and the N.D. Department of Health wants smokers to get the message. “The Department of Health is pleased to welcome the new comprehensive smokefree law to North Dakota and we are ready to help people who are now inspired to quit tobacco,” 2

patches, gum or lozenges to help them quit. Contact NDQuits at www. ndhealth.gov.ndquits or call 800-784-8669. Also recently, Trinity Health, Minot, was named one of America’s “50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals,” by Truven Health Analytics. The 2013 winners were announced in a recent edition of Modern

says Michelle Walker, the department’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program director Walker urges tobacco users to take advantage of NDQuits, which offers confidential counseling and advice through telephone, online and mobile services. Qualified NDQuits enrollees can get a free, twomonth supply of nicotine

december 2012 n NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

Healthcare magazine. Trinity Health is the only North Dakota hospital to make this list and one of only 15 community hospitals recognized nationwide. For this top 50 listing, Truven Health (www.truvenhealth.com) looks at the performance of about 1,000 hospitals, with emphasis on outcomes from treating heart patients. n w w w. n d a r e c . c o m

New Basin Electric CEO highlights achievements

“I want to build on this strong safety program and evolve it into a safety culture,” Serri said. Serri said changes in the national power grids are dictating that Basin Electric investigate joining a regional transmission organization (RTO). “I’d like to thank the members who are assisting in evaluating this incredibly important decision,” Serri said. “I can tell you that when we do finally reach a decision, it’ll only be after months of scrutiny, where we have looked at multiple scenarios and have developed a solid plan.” In July, Basin Electric began construction

PHOTO BY KENT BRICK

n his first annual meeting as chief executive officer and general manager, Andrew Serri, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, used his report to highlight safety, and big challenges ahead in generation and transmission. Basin Electric’s workforce numbers more than 2,000 and Serri said the cooperative has a strong safety record. He said employees at the Dry Fork Station, in Wyoming, hit five years without a recordable safety incident, and the Leland Olds Station employees are building on a record of 1.75 million safe workhours since 2006.

Andrew Serri, Basin Electric CEO, furnished his first annual report to the cooperative membership last month.

on two more peaking stations in northwest North Dakota – the Pioneer Generating Station northwest of Williston and the Lonesome Creek Station west of Watford City. These are required to meet growing demand

for electricity there and in parts of Montana. “While construction activities are under way to meet the explosive growth of the Bakken oil region, it’s important to note that our growth is truly system-wide – not just in the Bakken,” Serri said. “We are projecting a need of an additional 1,600 megawatts of new generating capacity for our system by 2025.” Basin Electric is a regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, generating and transmitting electricity to 136 member rural electric systems in nine northern plains and western states. 

Naomi Rossow, Broker

701-290-3931 Email: naomi@valleytel.net Licensed in North Dakota and South Dakota

View additional listings at www.landofdakota.com

OUTLAW RANCH. Tastefully remodeled country home plus rustic hunting lodge. This 1120 acre cattle ranch is located in the sand hills of north central ND, an hour east of Minot. Pasture land, hayground, good water and working facilities. Lucrative outfitting business with excellent 2012 income so far. Trophy bull elk included in sale. OUTLAW RANCH business name and website transfer with sale. $1,400,000. WATFORD CITY COUNTRY LIVING This 40 acre ranchette is a beauty and not a thing out of place! Four BR home with finished basement and dbl. att. garage-man attractive updates, large shop, horse barn and top of the line roping arena. Perimeter property is fenced, plus pastures and hay ground. 15 mi. NE of town. $575,000. PRIME HORSE PROPERTY Motivated Sellers. Located 15 miles west of Killdeer on Hwy 200. Forty acres, beautiful ranch style rambler with designer kitchen and two family rooms with gas fireplaces. Steel beamed barn w/Priefert box stalls, heated office, restroom and vet room. Heated shop and addn’l buildings for storage. WORKING CATTLE RANCH in south central ND. 7600 deeded ranch supports 600-650 cow/calf pairs under current management. Outstanding working facilities and ranch style home (2004). Miles of new trees, 17 wells, many dams and two pipelines. One hour from Bismarck. RUTHIES CAFÉ Family owned business with reputation for “good home cooking”. Large building in excellent condition. On Main Street, Herreid, SD. Reasonably priced at $85,000. BELFIELD, ND RV & TRAILER PARK 40 unit trailer park. Full capacity, $45,000 monthly income, priced at $1,400,000. Plus RV Park—partially completed, platted for 72 units with 20 complete. $1,400,000. w w w. n d l i v i n g . c o m

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  DECEMBER 2012 3

EDITORIAL

DENNIS HILL

Our welcome to public service

PHOTO BY PHYNE PHOTOGRAPHY

he 2012 election is over. The airwaves are now filled with spots from local furniture stores, car dealerships and medical centers. The newspaper carries ads and flyers promoting the perfect Christmas gifts. Before we leave the political side of the ledger entirely, North Dakota’s rural electric cooperatives want to thank all who tossed their hats in the ring to seek public office, and to congratulate those who won (story on page 2). Those who offer up their talents for public service invest a great deal of time and Dennis Hill resources. We commend those who stepped forward, whether it was for a local, statewide or national office. For Congress, we congratulate Heidi Heitkamp for her victory in the U.S. Senate, and Kevin Cramer, Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioner, for his victory in the U.S. House race. Both Heitkamp and Cramer have ties to the rural electric cooperative program. Heitkamp has served on the board of the Dakota Gasification Company, a Basin Electric Power Cooperative subsidiary, since 2001. As a PSC commissioner, Cramer had regulatory authority over certain electric cooperative issues, such as mined-land reclamation, territorial disputes and siting of high-voltage transmission lines. He also got to know electric cooperatives from his upbringing in Kindred, where his father was an employee of Cass County Electric Cooperative.

NORTH DAKOTA December 2012 Volume 59, No. 6 Circulation: 93,000

LIVIng

Published monthly by white type >>>

North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives 3201 Nygren Dr. N.W., P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554 © Copyright 2012 NDAREC; North Dakota Living Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative (ISSN-1539-0063) Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative Your Touchstone Contact us: Energy Cooperative

800-234-0518; 701-663-6501; www.ndarec.com Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative

Staff:

Your Touchstone Cooperative Dennis Hill, CCC, Energy editor-in-chief Kent Brick, CCC, editor Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative specialist Carmen Devney, CCC, communications Clark A. Van Horn, advertising mgr. J.C. Balcom, production & graphic services mgr. John Kary, graphic designer Tammy Kear, editorial assistant

DECEMBER 2012 

For state office, we congratulate Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley in their victory to occupy the N.D. governor’s office. Both Dalrymple and Wrigley know and understand the importance of the electric cooperative network in our state. They have also been supportive of increased funding for infrastructure development to deal with the growth that’s taking place across the state, and especially in the oil patch. In the PSC race, our congratulations go out to state Sen. Randy Christmann, who was elected to fill the seat vacated by Tony Clark when he was appointed to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Christmann, a rancher from Hazen, also has co-op ties. He has served on the board of West River Telephone Cooperative, Hazen, since 1999 and is also a past president of the N.D. Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives, Mandan. As the state Legislature and Congress gear up for new sessions next month, we urge our newly elected and incumbent policymakers to set aside partisan differences to deal with important policy decisions. In state, infrastructure funding, energy development and property tax reform are certain to be key issues. In Congress, avoiding the so-called “fiscal cliff” and passing a new Farm Bill are key issues that need to be addressed. North Dakota’s RECs look forward to working with our elected leaders to address these and other important policy questions in the coming year.  Dennis Hill, editor-in-chief of North Dakota Living, is executive vice president and general manager of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Mandan. Comments can be mailed to Dennis Hill, NDAREC, P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554-0727 or by email to dhill@ndarec.com.

Public Relations Advisory Committee: David Sigloh, chairman, Upper Missouri G&T Electric Cooperative Russ Berg, Cass County Electric Cooperative Don Franklund, Innovative Energy Alliance, LLC Clayton Hoffman, Innovative Energy Alliance, LLC Jeanette Hoff, Reservation Telephone Cooperative Dan Price, Roughrider Electric Cooperative Lauren Klewin, Slope Electric Cooperative

Advertising sales:

Paid advertising accepted, in conformity with NDAREC policy. Rates, editorial calendar, specifications, deadlines, contacts available at www.ndliving.com. Direct advertising orders, questions, comments about ad content to: Clark A. Van Horn, cvanhorn@ndarec.com; 800-234-0518. NDAREC neither endorses nor guarantees products or services described in these advertisements.

Subscriptions:

Members of electric cooperatives subscribe to North Dakota Living as part of their membership with and service from the cooperative. Non-members of electric cooperatives may purchase subscriptions at these levels: 12 issues - $14.50; 36 issues: $40. Single copies: $2, plus postage. Subscription purchase information is available by calling 800-234-0518; or at www.ndarec.com.

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

Addresses/address changes/subscription terminations: when the member terminates service from the electric cooperative, the North Dakota Living subscription terminates. Non-member subscribers should communicate with NDAREC about address changes; send magazine label with former address, a note bearing new address to North Dakota Living Subscriptions, P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554; or contact tkear@ndarec.com.

U.S. Postal Service

Periodicals nonprofit postage paid at Mandan, N.D., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: North Dakota Living, P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554. In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture Policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. No portion of the editorial or advertising content of North Dakota Living may be reproduced without permission. w w w. n d a r e c . c o m

COUNTRY LINE

Luan n Dart

Foundation for Rural Service educates about broadband

s executive director of the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), Elizabeth Crocker promotes rural connectivity every day, as the foundation strives to lessen the gap between rural and urban services. The difference between rural and urban became personal for Crocker when she and a friend received the same medical diagnosis. Crocker was able to access all her medical care under one roof in the same city, while her rural counterpart drove four hours for a basic medical appointment. Telemedicine, made possible by rural broadband Elizabeth Crocker, services, may have shortFRS executive director ened her friend’s drive by linking her to medical doctors via a broadband connection, Crocker points out. Whether it’s telemedicine, education in schools or business viability, broadband affects nearly every aspect of our quality of life, she shares. A nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., FRS serves rural communities across the United States. Established in 1994 by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, FRS educates the public about the benefits of a nationwide telecommunications network and promotes rural connectivity as an essential link in this network. FRS believes that rural communities – regardless of their size or location – deserve the same connection to the world as do residents of urban areas. “Our overall goal is to promote rural telecom issues,” Crocker explains. That includes the advancement of broadband connectivity and universal service. “We don’t want folks in rural communities to feel like they’re at a disadvantage for living there, that they have the same opportunities, whether it be for jobs or for education,” she says. “The telecoms’ focus on that is so crucial because when people don’t have basic broadband or the Internet or the technology that they need to work there and to be educated there, they’re not going to live there.” In North Dakota, telecommunications cooperatives are putting these principles to work. This summer, Dickey Rural Networks, Ellendale, and Dakota Central 6

Telecom, Carrington, announced completion of the largest fiber-to-the-home network in North America. All homes and businesses within a 10,000-square-mile region in south central North Dakota have been connected to ultra-fast high-speed Internet service. Jeff Wilson, Dickey Rural Networks chief executive officer, says this stride assures rural residents access to vital resources for personal and financial opportunities. “Nothing needs to be sacrificed in our rural communities in terms of access to critical community resources,” Wilson says.

FRS governance, projects FRS is governed by a 15-member board of directors that reflects the 10 regions of NTCA and includes five at-large directors. Susan Schmutzler, a director for SRT Communications in Minot, represents North Dakota’s region on the FRS board. “It’s great to be involved with it,” Schmutzler says. “We’re working together to do great things for everyone in rural communities.” “Broadband makes such a huge difference in people’s lives,” Crocker says. “There are so many components to this, so many layers that are affected by broadband, so many industries and sectors. That’s really become our main focus this year.” FRS recently partnered with the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., to study how the gap between rural and urban life is developing based on the availability of broadband. A summit exploring the role of telecommunications in rural economies, based on that study, was broadcast on C-SPAN in October, drawing national attention to the issue. Another study with the Hudson Institute in 2011 focused on economic effects. “The economic effects of the rural sector of the telecommunications industry are both direct and indirect,” that study concluded. “It was responsible for $14.5 billion in economic activity in 2009, an amount that supported 70,700 jobs. A majority of the economic effect is demand outside the service area of the telecommunications provider. The current patterns show how much change in economic activity could be expected if the sector expanded or contracted in response either to changes in demand or changes to the current mechanisms that support universal service.” A focus of the FRS is preserving the Universal Service Fund (USF) in rural America, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is transitioning into the newly named Connect America Fund.

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PHOTOS COURTESY FRS

A 15-member board of directors governs FRS priorities and programs. The FRS board includes North Dakotan Susan Schmutzler, Minot, front row, far right.

“There is just a huge impact if that service goes away, because these rural telcos are so invested in their communities,” Crocker says. “A loss of revenue from the USF would diminish the economic activity of rural telecommunications providers, causing negative ripple effects to spread outward locally, regionally and nationally,” the Hudson Institute study concludes. To strengthen the work of the FRS, the foundation engages young people by bringing 100 students to Washington, D.C., each year, where they visit the FCC and members of Congress. FRS also offers scholarships each year to rural students through local companies. Through grants, FRS offer $25,000 each year to a wide variety of programs in rural America. This year, two North Dakota communities received FRS grants:  EduTech (Education Technology Services), based

in Fargo, proposed a Digital Citizenship Multimedia Contest for schools, to help promote positive use of technology and raise awareness of issues like cyber-bullying and identity theft. The project will receive $4,200 in FRS grant funds. The proposal came with a letter of support from Consolidated Telecom, Dickinson.  Wells County Soil Conservation District, Fessenden, proposed funds to help build an outdoor center that will be used by youth groups, families, schools and other community groups to teach the role that communities can take in conserving nature’s resources. The project will receive $5,000 in FRS grant funds. The proposal came with a letter of support from the North Dakota Telephone Company.  Luann Dart is a freelance writer and editor who lives near Elgin.

NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS COOPERATIVES 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. Box 1144 Mandan, N.D. 58554

(701) 663-1099 www.ndatc.com

Cooperatives

BEK Communications Cooperative .................................................Steele Consolidated Telcom Cooperative ............................................Dickinson Dakota Central Telecommunications Cooperative................... Carrington Dickey Rural Networks .............................................................. Ellendale Nemont Telephone Cooperative.........................................Scobey, Mont. Northwest Communications Cooperative .......................................... Ray Polar Communications Cooperative ........................................Park River Red River Rural Telephone Association............................... Abercrombie Reservation Telephone Cooperative ........................................... Parshall SRT Communications Cooperative................................................. Minot United Telephone Mutual Aid Corporation ................................. Langdon West River Telecommunications Cooperative ................................Hazen w w w. n d l i v i n g . c o m

NDATC Officers

Stanley Vangsness, President............................. SRT Communications Ron German, First Vice President ............... Red River Rural Telephone Jeanette Hoff, Second Vice President............................................. RTC Lorena Lambrecht, Secretary/Treasurer... Northwest Communications Leo Meier, Director.............................................. BEK Communications Jon Hendrickson, Director ....................................Consolidated Telcom Rodney Suko, Director .....................................Dakota Central Telecom Kent Klima, Director ......................................... Dickey Rural Telephone Larry Mahler, Director .............................................. Nemont Telephone Ron Steinke, Director ........................................ Polar Communications Lorne Field, Director................................................... United Telephone Randy Christmann, Director................................... West River Telecom NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  DECEMBER 2012 7

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of North Dakota

Cooperatives value environmental care BY

KENT BRICK

lectric cooperatives across North Dakota and the nation joined together to form an alliance called Touchstone Energy® nearly 15 years ago. For the cooperatives, this means a shared commitment to the principles of integrity, innovation, accountability and commitment to community that are the foundation of the national Touchstone Energy Cooperative brand. Today, this alliance consists of 740 cooperatives in 46 states. These cooperatives deliver power and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. North Dakota’s electric cooperatives continue to adhere to Touchstone Energy’s core values while meeting the growing electric power needs of the state’s dynamic economy. Three Touchstone Energy generation and

transmission cooperatives have substantial power generation investments and services located in North Dakota: Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Minnkota Power Cooperative and Great River Energy. With their coal-fired power generation activities in North Dakota, each cooperative works to protect the air quality, land and other natural resources impacted by their activities. Each has recently achieved a significant milestone in environmental protection. In doing so, the cooperatives demonstrate how the Touchstone Energy core values of innovation, integrity, accountability and commitment to community continue to motivate their investments in practices designed to protect the environment.

PHOTO COURTESY BASIN ELECTRIC

This lush, rolling prairie used to be a lignite coal mine. Basin Electric and partner companies extracted coal from the Glenharold Mine, then restored the land to this condition.

DECEMBER 2012 

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

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North Dakota’s electric cooperatives continue to adhere to Touchstone Energy’s core values while meeting the growing electric power needs of the state’s dynamic economy. CyClean at Minnkota Power Minnkota Power Cooperative’s Milton R. Young Station, near Center, is using a new technology that cuts emissions and increases efficiency. The technology, CyClean™, uses a combustion additive technology that reduces mercury and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and improves operations in the plant’s cyclone boilers. The Young Station is the first lignite-based, cyclone boiler power plant in the country to use CyClean technology. Minnkota is a generation and transmission cooperative based in Grand Forks. The cooperative generates power for three local cooperatives in North Dakota and eight in Minnesota. Its generation fuels include primarily coal and wind.

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“We are pleased we have found a cost-effective technology that can help us meet current and future regulatory requirements and further reduce our power plant emissions,” said Mac McLennan, Minnkota president and chief executive officer. “We have to fi nd solutions like continued on page 10

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  DECEMBER 2012 9

continued from page 9

PHOTO courtesy minnkota power

this to be able to continue to use this great resource effectively, cleanly and more efficiently.” Following a successful testing period, the Young Station began using CyClean technology in its boilers in 2011. Minnkota is working on the project with Clean Coal Solutions (CCS), a Colorado-based power plant technology and research firm. The greatest feature of CyClean is its ability to reduce the Young Station’s emission levels and provide cost-effective options to meet future regulatory requirements. The technology has demonstrated the ability to reduce mercury emissions by 40 percent and NOx by an additional 20 percent from previous levels.

CyClean-treated lignite coal will help to further reduce mercury and nitrogen oxides emissions at the Milton R. Young Station, near Center.

PHOTO courtesy minnkota power

Near the coal intake section of the Young Station, Minnkota President and CEO Mac McLennan (second from left) explains the new clean coal technology to, from left: Charlie McNeil, NextGen Resources CEO; Sen. John Hoeven; Mike Durham, ADA-ES president; and Gov. Jack Dalrymple.

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The CyClean system requires no large machinery or major modifications to the Young Station. A small building has been constructed near the coal supply belt as the coal enters either of the plant’s two generating units. At this point, CyClean is applied to the coal, in both a granular and liquid form. The conveyer belt then moves the treated coal into the combustion turbines area. Low initial installation costs and potential operational advantages made CyClean an appealing technology in comparison to other types of emission control equipment. Early results show that CyClean has the potential added benefit of reducing several of the station’s operating costs. The technology was developed by ADA-Environmental Solutions (ADA-ES), a major owner in the CCS joint energy venture. ADA-ES President Mike Durham commended Minnkota for taking the initiative to become an early adopter of the innovative technology. Minnkota and CCS joined with Gov. Jack Dalrymple and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven at the Young Station this fall to unveil the project. Dalrymple said he was impressed with his very first visit to the station and emphasized the importance of the lignite industry in the state. “Minnkota’s clean coal project supports our commitment to further reduce emissions even though North Dakota is already among the states with the nation’s cleanest air,” Dalrymple said. Sen. Hoeven cited the project as another excellent example of the power generation resources in the state being proactive in testing and implementing new technology. “Efforts like this clearly underscore the fact that a true all-of-the-above strategy for American energy independence must include lignite coal if we want to make our nation truly secure and economically vibrant,” Hoeven said.

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Basin Electric reclamation record 30 feet to 130 feet below the surface. Tour buses carrying electric cooperative members From 1965 to 1982, Basin Electric had agreements are a regular sight in the lignite-fired power plant with other companies for coal extraction from region in west central North Dakota. An important Glenharold Mine, for part of the touring Basin’s Leland Olds happens when the Station. In 1982, Basin tour director asks the BASIN ELECTRIC passengers to spot the POWER COOPERATIVE Cooperative Services (a Basin Electric subsidiary) coal mine. purchased the mine and “They look and look directed mining operations there. In the early 1980s, and, of course, can’t fi nd it. That’s the point,” said Glenharold Mine was the second largest coal mine in Daryl Hill, supervisor of media and community North Dakota, producing 1.5 million to 3.5 million relations for Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Hill, tons of coal per year. a longtime bus tour leader for Basin Electric, says he After coal removal, the reclamation process loves leading tours past the former Glenharold Mine involved leveling spoil piles and putting back the site. It helps convey an important message. “Basin subsoil and top soil in the same order it was removed. Electric is a good environmental steward,” Hill said. In addition, wooded draws – naturally steep eroded “We have a lot to be proud of.” valleys containing woodland scrub and trees – Basin Electric, based in Bismarck, generates power were reclaimed. After soil was replaced, vegetation for 134 electric cooperatives, serving members in nine was re-established and monitoring and ongoing plains and western states. Basin Electric maintains an reclamation occurred for 10 years. Ultimately, the energy generation portfolio relying on coal, gas, oil, reclaimed mine site was returned to its original, nuclear, distributed and renewable energy, including flourishing prairie condition. wind power. Basin Electric’s reclamation stewardship was Earlier this year, Basin Electric completed its performed in conformity with state and federal 30 years of stewardship and reclamation for the surface mining reclamation regulations enacted Glenharold Mine. In May, the North Dakota Public in the 1970s. These regulations, followed by Basin Service Commission provided fi nal release to Basin Electric, featured mining permitting, performance Electric on a reclamation bond the cooperative posted bonds, reclamation fees and plans, fi sh and wildlife after it acquired ownership of the mine in 1982. In inventories, surface and groundwater studies, and 1993, the Glenharold Mine was closed because it was other performance standards and preliminary studies, more economical to rail coal from the Freedom Mine among others. near Beulah. Exemplary reclamation efforts at Glenharold Mine The former Glenharold Mine was located in have garnered several prestigious national awards. Mercer County near the eastern margin of ligniteThis includes the federal Office of Surface Mining bearing rocks collectively known as the Fort Union bestowing it Excellence in Surface Mining honor to Group. Lignite seams varied from two to eight feet in Glenharold Mine. thickness with an average thickness of 13 feet about continued on page 12 w w w. n d l i v i n g . c o m

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 11

PHOTO COURTESY BASIN ELECTRIC

Basin Electric’s Leland Olds Station used the lignite coal extracted from the nearby Glenharold Mine.

continued from page 11

DryFining™ at Great River Energy

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY GREAT RIVER ENERGY

This graphic displays the combustion cycle for DryFine coal at the Coal Creek Station, and the emissions reductions achieved.

PHOTO COURTESY GREAT RIVER ENERGY

Great River Energy is an electric generation and transmission cooperative, producing power for 28 local cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Great River Energy owns and maintains a generation assets portfolio that includes the Coal Creek Station, near Underwood. Great River Energy depends on a variety of fuels for generation, including: coal, refuse-derived fuel, natural gas and fuel oil, as well as wind energy. As a way of advancing the cleaner burning of lignite coal, Great River Energy has pioneered DryFining, an innovative lignite fuel enhancement system. It is a process that refi nes or beneficiates the value of lignite coal through a drying and segregation process. The refi ning component segregates the lignite stream and removes the higher density compounds that contain higher levels of sulfur and mercury.

Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station gets improved emissions and overall plant performance with lignite coal treated in the DryFine process.

DryFining reduces the amount of water in the processed coal. This process results in increased energy density and value of the lignite, reduced total volume of flue gases throughout the plant; improved overall power plant efficiency; and lower emissions of sulfur and mercury. The Coal Creek Station has used DryFined lignite since 2009. Lignite coal is enhanced using the waste heat from the power plant, which has improved efficiency and emissions performance in these areas:  Reduced fuel moisture from 38 to 29 percent  Increased heating value from 6,200 to 7,100 Btu/lb.  Reduced fuel input by 14 percent  Reduced these emissions: sulfur dioxide by 40 percent; mercury by about 40 percent; nitrogen oxide by more than 20 percent; and carbon dioxide by 4 percent.  Kent Brick is editor of North Dakota LIVING. He may be reached at kbrick@ndarec.com. Editor’s note: Thanks to Minnkota Power Cooperative, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Great River Energy for furnishing materials for this story.

‘Founding fathers’ of Touchstone Energy®

PHOTO BY KENT BRICK

Jim Bausell, Touchstone Energy national manager, applauds North Dakota generation and transmission cooperatives for their role in advancing the work of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives alliance.

Jim Bausell, chief operating officer for Touchstone Energy services, indicates Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Minnkota Power Cooperative and Great River Energy play key roles in the nationwide alliance. “These cooperatives were in fact among the founding fathers of the brand,” Bausell says. He said they helped usher in, and continue to sustain, the Touchstone Energy emphasis on grassroots engagement with new generations of co-op members. Today’s electric cooperative members are responding favorably. Touchstone Energy co-ops rank well ahead of their industry counterparts when it comes to customer satisfaction. This is indicated in recent data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, one of the nation’s most recognized measures of customer satisfaction. For more information, go to: www.touchstoneenergy.com.

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Christmas in North Dakota! Bundle up and head out to sample the joys, tastes and sounds of Christmas all across North Dakota. Here are a few ideas for getting in the spirit of the season!

making fi ve stops here

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COURTESY PHOTO

he Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train kicks off the Christmas season over thousands of miles of the northern United States and Canada. The bright, colorful CP Holiday Train travels across Canada and the United States raining money, food and awareness for food banks and hunger issues. On separate Canadian and American routes, the Holiday Train reaches more than 150 communities each year for a combined distance of nearly 6,000 miles. Since 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised more than $6 million and about 2.6 million pounds of food for North American food banks. At each community where the Holiday Train stops, money and food donations are collected. The collections support charitable food efforts in each of those communities. CP also makes donations in many of these communities. Each Holiday Train is about 1,000 feet in length with 14 brightly decorated rail cars, including a modified box car that has been turned into a traveling stage for performers. Each car is decorated with hundreds of thousands of technology-leading LED Christmas lights. Santa Claus rides the Holiday Train all along its route, passing out Christmas goodies to children in each community. In 2011, more than 20,000 candy canes were handed out to the kids at Holiday Train events. In the 13 years of the Holiday Train

program, it is estimated over a quarter of a million candy canes have been given to children as treats. The Holiday Train also features top-flight musical acts which perform at each stop. Here is the itinerary for the Holiday Train’s upcoming North Dakota stops: SATURDAY, DEC. 15  Hankinson – 7 p.m., American Legion parking lot, Main Street railroad crossing.  Enderlin – 9:45 p.m., CP depot, 101 Harvest Lane. SUNDAY, DEC. 16  Harvey – 4:30 p.m., CP Depot, 600 Lincoln Ave.  Minot – 7:30 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing  Kenmare – 10 p.m., First Ave. S.W. and Central Ave., east side of railway tracks CP advises that scheduled stop times are approximate and subject to change. 

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PHOTO COURTESY HAZEN STAR

KnifeRiver Knife RiverChorale River Chorale liftsChristmas lifts Christmas hope

or Elda Baisch and many other Hazen, Beulah and area residents, Christmas revolves around the Knife River Chorale. Baisch has sung with the chorale all of its 55-year lifespan. She will be among the voices in the Chorale again this year, for its Dec. 15 and 16 performances in Hazen. “We just love to spread the wonderful news of Christmas and the birth of Jesus through music,” Baisch says The Knife River Chorale will present its 56th annual Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, in the Hazen Elementary School gymnasium. The Chorale has a strong tradition of unifying local voices in the spiritual celebration of the season, through music. “Our Knife River Chorale shares the true message of Christmas with our communities,” says Dan Pillar, an eightyear member. “We have a large variety of music that has been gathered throughout the years and we make it a point to select music that does in fact spread the message of Christmas,” he says. Pillar adds the Chorale also emphasizes inclusiveness and good

cheer. “One of the things that’s nice about this group is that there are no tryouts - it’s an opportunity to get together and socialize with friends.” Pillar says this year’s edition of the Chorale will consist of a group of close to 60 vocalists and musicians, including bell ringers. The vocal director is Mary Lou Aune, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Beulah. The instrumental music is directed by Chris Harvey, Hazen High School band director. For the performances, the school gymnasium is decorated with sets, trees and floral arrangements that convey the Christmas message, as well. There is no admission charge, but a freewill offering of support is conducted during each performance. Pillar, an employee of Dakota Gasification, resides in Hazen with his spouse and two daughters. He continues to be impressed with how the community, without hesitation, supports the Chorale’s Christmas concert year in and year out. “The group is very proud to provide this service to the community, it’s really a dedicated group.”  more Christmas in N.D. on page 20

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 17

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ChristmasSpirit Christmas Spirit thrives atWest atWest WestAcres Acres

20 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2  N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

COURTESY PHOTO

est Acres Shopping Center in Fargo has plenty of Christmas cheer and abundant shopping waiting for the many, many visitors it will host this month. Alissa Sorum, marketing director for West Acres, on 13th Ave. S., says the mall expects to see an average of 30,000 visitors per day this month. That will be a part of the 7 million visitors Sorum says are projected to visit West Acres in 2012. Sorum says virtually all retail space at West Acres is currently occupied with retailers. “We are also full to capacity with specialty holiday carts and kiosks,” she says. Sorum says the mall’s “anchor” department stores (Macy’s, Sears, JCPenney and Herberger’s) are doing well, and the center includes national chain stores as well as many that are locally owned. Cass County Electric Cooperative serves West Acres Shopping Center. West Acres kicked off the holiday shopping season this year on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving. The 14th annual “It’s A Wonderful Night” event catered to after-hours mall shoppers, each gaining entry by buying a $5 admission ticket. Proceeds from the ticket sales go to local charitable organizations. Then, merchants opened their Thanksgiving weekend “Black Friday” doors at midnight. Santa Claus arrived at the mall that Friday and remains at West Acres to hear from youngsters through Dec. 24. This month, Sorum says West Acres is hosting holiday performances through Dec. 14; this involves more than 60 musical and dance groups providing weekday performances, in the Fountain Court. The performances are part of West Acres’ Regional Showcase Program. Sorum says research indicates about 60 percent of West Acres visitors come from the Fargo-West Fargo-Moorhead communities. She adds that 25 percent of visitors come from more than 100 miles away, including Canada. According to Sorum, and industry studies, mall shopping has weathered the recent national recession and the ongoing fl ight of shoppers to online outlets. “We’re confident that malls will always have a place,” Sorum says. “Malls, in general,

have something that online shopping can’t offer customers, which is the experience. We work very hard to make sure that the experience for our customers is a positive one.” Sorum says West Acres is designed to host diners, walkers and people meeting and interacting. Displays from local artists add to the ambiance and comfort. “Our mall is about more than just shopping – it is a social experience, a warm environment and a familiar place. You can’t get that online,” Sorum says. Holiday schedules and other holiday season mall promotions are available at www.westacres.com and www.facebook.com/ westacres. 

Happy holidays at Minot’sDakotaSquare Minot’s Minot’sDakota Dakota Square DakotaSquare

akota Square Mall, Minot, is another major shopping center in the state and it will be rolling out the Christmas red carpet this year, too. Santa Claus arrived at Dakota Square Mall early last month and will be available to hear from children through Christmas Eve. Visits with Santa at Dakota Square are available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays; and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Dakota Square Mall, with about 90 stores, is served by Verendrye Electric Cooperative. 

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O Dickens Village

COURTESY PHOTO

ake advantage of the Dec. 7 and 8 conclusion of the Dickens Village Festival, in Garrison. This year’s edition of the Dickens Festival, which started Thanksgiving weekend, is celebrating author Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday. Entertainment each weekend offers a live rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Sakakawea Area Council of the Arts actors hit the stage each evening at 7:30 p.m. Advance ticket information is available by phoning 800-799-4242. Watch this small town turn into a treasure of entertainment, unique shopping and experiences at this all-volunteer, seven-day festival. Enjoy street food vendors, a craft show, house tour, an English tea, lighted street parade, unique shopping and ride on an authentic double-decker bus or on a horsedrawn carriage. “The festival is celebrating its 19th year and each year we continue to add new and interesting twists,” according to Chairman Paul Schlichting. 

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 21

INSPIRED LIVING

Roxanne Henke

Dreaming of sugarplums

The curtain settled on the first act and my sisters and I looked at each other and smiled – those polite smiles when you’re really not sure what to say. Eyebrows raised, lips curved, a signal that said, “Well, let’s wait and see what happens in act two.” Once again, the lights dimmed and the curtain rose. The dancers leapt out on stage and danced a bit more. I was having a hard time following the story line if, in fact, there was one. I was confused and not sure this was quite what I’d imagined all those years I dreamt about being a ballerina. My sisters and I exchanged glances again. And right about then, my 8-year-old niece leaned over to her mother and whispered what I suspect we were all thinking, “Is this supposed to be this boring?” If I hadn’t already been in my 40s and knew that wasn’t a politically correct thing to utter, I just might have said that myself. All those years of wondering, imagining, dreaming about “The Nutcracker,” only to find out it wasn’t quite what I’d cracked it up to be. And isn’t this what we do with so many things in our lives? We dream. We imagine. We covet and envy things we have no way of knowing about – whether they are worth the emotion and money we’re spending on them. We get so busy wishing for what we don’t have, that we fail to appreciate the good things all around us. We want a new vehicle and forget to appreciate the reliable car we already drive. We want a bigger house, but forget about the many memories made in our perfectly fine smaller home. We wish for more friends at the same time we make excuses for not calling the ones we have. I wonder how many little girls, who have been forced to take ballet lessons in a big city, would love to hop on a bicycle and ride around the streets of my little town all by themselves? With a dollar and spare change, they could stop at the McTwist and get an ice cream cone, then pedal over to a friend’s house and pretend they’re ballerinas. If you’ve always dreamt of going to “The Nutcracker,” by all means go. It’s a feast for the eyes and the senses and a wonderful way to make holiday memories. My sisters and I are still chuckling over our experience. And, it just might turn out that you’ll love it. Obviously, many people (more cultured than my family) do. But while you’re waiting to get tickets, don’t spend your time dreaming about what you don’t have. Grab a little kid and go play in the snow. Make a pot of coffee and invite a friend over for a chat. Sit down, grab a pen and write a letter (an old-fashioned letter) to someone who would appreciate hearing from you. Dreams are good, but it’s what we do while waiting for our dreams to come true that make a fully lived life. Make yours a good one! n

PHOTO BY KEN RADA

et me start by apologizing to anyone who loves the perennial Christmas favorite ballet, “The Nutcracker.” I wanted to like it. I really did. But, well, let me explain. Growing up in rural North Dakota, I didn’t have much exposure to anything in the ballet department. Oh, I wanted to take ballet lessons, but they were hard to come by in the middle of nowhere. I checked a book out of the library and tried to mold my hay-bale-climbing, one-speedbike-riding feet and legs into plies’, or whatever that contorted position is Roxanne Henke called. I didn’t have much luck in the teaching-myself-ballet department. Instead, I read about ballet and imagined what one might look and sound like. Every now and then, close to Christmas, I might catch a snippet of the most famous ballet on TV. But, we only had two television channels and glimpses of ballets were few and far between. Mostly, I simply heard about “The Nutcracker” ballet – the Sugarplum Fairy and all those tin soldiers who marched in a synchronized line. But, in all honesty, I actually had no idea what “The Nutcracker” really was. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I was well into my 40s before I realized the ballet was a full-blown, dance-and-music-filled holiday program. And the only reason I finally knew that is because my sister (who lives in Minneapolis) suggested all the “girls” in our family take a night out during our family Christmas celebration and attend a performance of the famous play. It sounded like a great idea, so we made a night of it. The gals in our family decked ourselves out in fancyschmancy clothes, piled into a couple vehicles and drove to downtown Minneapolis. First, we ate a semifancy meal, then we took in the Holidazzle parade, then we made our way to the glittering theatre where “The Nutcracker” was being performed. The orchestra was tuning up as we got settled into our seats. We were all excited. None of us, from Grandma in her mid-70s, to the youngest, about 8 years old, had ever seen a ballet, much less the most famous one of all. The lights dimmed, the orchestra started and the curtain rose. Onto the stage leapt the ballerinas. They danced. And danced. And danced some more. I kept waiting for someone to speak. To tell us a story of some sort. To let us know what, exactly, was supposed to be going on. But other than a lot of dancing and a lot of orchestra music, there didn’t seem to be much happening in the talking-outloud category.

Roxanne (Roxy) Henke writes from her home in rural North Dakota. Reach her at roxannehenke@yahoo.com. 22 decembe r 2 0 1 2 n N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n d e c E M B E R 2 0 1 2 23

R E A D E R R E P LY

This month, we asked our readers to submit replies to the following...

“Many of the best gifts cost little to nothing, and bring great rewards. Tell us about a gift you’ve given, or plan to give.” Special heirloom

My daughter, Cassidy, graduated from high school this past May. She’s the baby of the family, and after losing her father/my husband on Christmas Day 4 ½ years ago, we’ve hung onto one other. Having the baby leave was another adjustment for me on the farm. One evening during one of my visits to her college, she presented me with a “jar of love” filled with candy. Each piece had a hand-written message like, “I miss our talks,” “Thank you for coming to my games,” and “I love you so much.” There were many tearjerkers too, like, “You deserve to be happy,” “Dad was the luckiest man in the world,” and, “You deserve to be loved again.” Each day I go to my little “jar of love” and receive a message from Cassidy. Today, I pulled out, “I’m blessed to have such a loving mom!” And in return, I know I’m blessed to have a loving daughter.

I gave my granddaughter, Paige, my father’s baptismal gown, which has been preserved and placed in a memory box. My father, Alfred Riskedahl, was baptized in the gown in 1912. I was baptized in it in 1945, and our children in 1970 and 1973. Next to use it were our three grandchildren. Paige, being the oldest, received this special heirloom on her 14th birthday in November.

Cathy Unterseher Northern Plains Electric Cooperative

UPCOMING READER REPLY QUESTIONS: JANUARY: Meet the 2012 Reader Reply winners. FEBRUARY: “Tell us about a favorite winter vacation destination in North Dakota, and share a photo.” Deadline for submission: Jan. 15 WE WANT TO HEAR YOU: Submissions should be no more than 250 words, typewritten or in legible handwriting. Include your name, complete address, daytime phone number and the name of the rural electric or telephone cooperative to which you belong. NOTE: Magazine staff reserves the right to make editing changes and cuts. We pay $25 for each letter we print. Email to cdevney@ndarec.com or mail to READER REPLY, North Dakota Living, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. 24

COURTESY PHOTO

Jar of love

After a volleyball game at Jamestown College, student and athlete Cassidy Unterseher, left, gave her mother, Cathy, a “jar of love” filled with candy and heartfelt, handwritten messages.

Homemade video My 13-year-old daughter, Carly, surprised me by creating a Mother’s Day video on the computer using a program called Animoto. This program allows a person to select pictures, music and text to create videos. This video contained a wide variety of pictures with sections dedicated to family, siblings, friends, pets and many others. The upbeat, catchy song she chose contained the lyrics, “Ain’t nothing better than watching you smile,” and I had tears in my eyes while watching it for the first time. I have re-watched the video several times, and it touches my heart every time.

Julie Fornshell Capital Electric Cooperative

Shares of mutual funds In 2005, I began giving shares of one of my mutual funds to grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, too. Each December they get a card in the mail or under the Christmas tree. It is something they can open; is personalized; takes no time to shop; cannot be lost, outgrown, worn out or discarded; and the amount grows.

Marlene Kouba Consolidated Telephone Cooperative

DECEMBER 2012  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

Ardyce Argent KEM Electric Cooperative

Magic from grandpa’s shirts My dad, Claire Hermes, died on May 29, 2011, the day we were to have celebrated his 90th birthday. Mom died two months later. As a quilter, I knew there was one item I wanted of dad’s: the tan and black plaid shirt he wore often. I also chose two more shirts that coordinated with plans to make “something quilted.” I carefully dissected each shirt, and meticulously saved every cuff, collar, pocket and button. A quilt show yielded the perfect fabric called, “Yuletide Magic,” to coordinate with Dad’s shirts. He loved Christmas because their house was always filled with family. Each runner included fabric from all three shirts, a bit of the Christmas fabric, and a button from the original shirts. As I sewed, I remembered previous falls spent playing cards with and baking for my parents. Tears often intermingled with the fabric scraps. I found I had enough fabric pieces to make a runner for each of the 15 grandchildren. What started out as seven gifts turned into 22. While these runners were gifts from me to my siblings, my children, and my nieces and nephews, I realized that the gifts my parents had given us all over the years were far greater.

Claire Althoff Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative w w w. n d a r e c . c o m

Gascosage Electric Cooperative (GEC) seeks General Manager

Headquartered in the city of Dixon, Missouri, the cooperative serves approximately 9,700 consumers located in Pulaski, Miller, Maries, Phelps, and Camden counties. The city of Dixon, with a population of 1,547, is located 45 minutes from Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, the Midwest's premier lake resort destination that offers world-class boating, golfing, shopping and fishing and a wide variety of lodging, restaurants, state parks, and other recreational activities. The General Manager of GEC is responsible for the day to day management of the cooperative and reports directly to a board of directors. Applicants should possess a broad knowledge of rural electric cooperative distribution system management with an emphasis in the areas of long-range planning, financial management, budgeting, human resources, and fostering positive long-term relationships with the GEC board of directors, members and the public at large. Applicants should hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree from a four-year accredited college, or alternatively, have at least 10 years experience at a senior staff/managerial level. The successful candidate will have a minimum of 5 years experience in the rural electric cooperative industry sector at a senior staff/managerial level. Please provide a complete application package, including cover letter, resume and recent salary history, along with 6 verifiable business and 3 personal references, no later than March 1, 2013 to: Andrew Sporleder Johnson & Sporleder, LLP 304 E. High St., Suite 200 P.O. Box 1670 Jefferson City, Mo. 65102

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 25

TEEN-2-TEEN

ELENORE FRANKLUND

I want to be me

Hey, teens! Become a

NORTH DAKOTA YOUR LOCAL COOPERATIVE NEWS

LIVIng

CORRESPONDENT PSSST

moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and teachers! Tell a teen you know that North Dakota Living is seeking teen correspondents for 2013. Writing for North Dakota Living is a great way to earn some cash, build a resume and get real-life experience!

The teen correspondents we select will receive $50 for each article North Dakota Living publishes. 26 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2  N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

the unhappier you are. Society has a certain path a “normal, good little girl” will follow. I jumped off that path and am tramping through the wilderness. My life is mine, and I will not change to fit society’s perceptions. Whether you are 8 or 80, I encourage you to be yourself. Whether you are crazy or sane, outlandish or sensible, stop caring what everyone else has to say. When you become the person you were meant to be, you will be happier and make the world a better place.  Elenore Franklund, 16, is a junior at Century High School where she is active in Knowledge Masters and pit orchestra. She also volunteers at the zoo, writes vast quantities of fanfiction and occasionally plays clarinet. Elenore is the daughter of Don and Kelley Franklund, Bismarck, who are members of Capital Electric Cooperative.

Accepting applications NOW!

he popular Teen-2-Teen column features writers from across the state who address issues of importance to teens. This past year, some of our correspondents tackled subjects including coping with a disability, taking on responsibility and protecting privacy online. The writers included Katrina Leintz, Minot; Ethan Michelson, Rolla; Cassie Logie, Hampden; Abigail Alt, New Leipzig; Kim Ellwein, Hazen; Caleb Hoverson, Burlington; Kendra Akset, Buxton; Hayley Moe, Watford City; Zachary Klockstad, Westhope; and Elenore Franklund, Bismarck. Don’t pass up this rewarding experience! If you would like to write for North Dakota Living as a teen correspondent, send us an essay detailing why you would make a good contributor, along with a recommendation from a teacher. Also include at least two topics you might like to address in a column. Include your name, the names of your parents, your complete mailing address, telephone number and email address so we can contact you. Also indicate if your family belongs to an electric and/or telephone cooperative. Submissions should be received by Dec. 21. To apply, email all requested information to cdevney@ ndarec.com or mail to: Teen-2-Teen, North Dakota Living, PO Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554-0727. North Dakota Living staff will review the submissions, and select eager and qualified applicants to serve as correspondents throughout 2013. Students, we look forward to hearing from you!  w w w. n d a r e c . c o m

COURTESY PHOTO

PHOTO BY CARMEN DEVNEY

ith the New Year approaching, I find myself reflecting on times past in order to be better prepared for the present and future. After a long and convoluted train of thought, I realized that what I learned as a kid still helps with my everyday life. Of course, what I learned in school is stuff I’ll need later in life. But what I also need isn’t necessarily taught in lessons. Of all the things school has inadvertently taught me, the most important is to be myself. An experience I had in kindergarten helped me realize I don’t need to change who I am to fit someone else’s mold. Elenore Franklund I remember asking to play with some popular girls, and they wanted me to do something I didn’t want to do. I refused and walked away, and from that day forward quit caring about what other people think and say. I may have been childish or selfish back then, but I learned something from the experience. I want to be me. No matter who you are, no matter how conforming you are, some people will always be upset that you don’t fit their idea of normal. And the more you try, the more you fail and

CALENDAR OF EVENTS DECEMBER THROUGH Dec. 20  Santa Village, Rheault Farm, Fargo. 701-499-7788. THROUGH Dec. 21  Festival of the Season Art Sale, Taube Museum of Art, Minot. 701-838-4445. THROUGH Dec. 23  Route 66 Musical, weekends in December, 529 Central Ave., New Rockford. 701-947-2174. THROUGH Dec. 29  Miniature Art Show, MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney, Mont. 406-433-3500. THROUGH Jan. 6  Our Treasures: Highlights from the Minnesota Museum of American Art Exhibit, Plains Art Museum, Fargo. 701-232-3821. THROUGH Jan. 12  Walter Piehl Cowboy Contemporary Artist Exhibit, The Arts Center, Jamestown. 701251-2496. THROUGH Jan. 26  Germans from Russia interviews from McIntosh, Logan and Emmons counties on food traditions,

8 p.m. Mondays and 11 a.m. Saturdays, Dakota Media Access Channel 12. 701-527-5169. THROUGH Feb. 24  A Creative Life: Honoring Charles Beck Exhibit, Plains Art Museum, Fargo. 701-232-3821. 7  Pearl Harbor in Serenade and Song, 1 p.m., Fargo Air Museum, Fargo. 701-293-8043. 7-8 and 14-15  Dickens Village Festival, Main Street, Garrison. 800-799-4242 or 701-463-2345. 7-9  Old Fashioned Cowboy Christmas, Medora. 701-623-4910. 7-9  Performance of “The Nutcracker,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Belle Mehus Auditorium, Bismarck. 701-530-0986. 7-9 and 14-16  Performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, 333 Fourth St. S., Fargo, 701-235-6778. 8  Art for Two: Cocoa, Cookies ’n Clay, 1-3 p.m., Plains Art Museum, Fargo. 701-232-3821.

8-Jan. 7  “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday, 519 Main St., Bottineau. 701-228-3922. 8, 15, 22  Santa Fly-In, noon-2 p.m., Fargo Air Museum, Fargo. 701-293-8043. 9  For King and Country Christmas Tour Concert presented by Temple Baptist Church, 7 p.m., Civic Center, Jamestown. 701-252-8088. 9  MonDak Christmas and Bake Sale, 1:30-3:30 p.m., MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney, Mont. 406-433-3500. 9  Ethnic Food Tasting, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Chateau de Mores Interpretive Center, Medora. 701-623-4355. 9  Organ Recital with Dr. Beverly Everett, 4 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck. 701-258-8345. 13  Youth Orchestra Concert, 7 p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Bismarck State College, Bismarck. 701-258-8345. 14-15  Bioethics Seminar: Issues of

Cooperation with Evil, 5:45-8:30 p.m. Friday and 9-11:45 a.m. Saturday, Matt and Jo Ann Butler Hall, Gary Tharaldson School of Business, University of Mary, Bismarck. 701-355-8002. 15  Santa Movie, Beeler Community Center, Lemmon, S.D. 605-374-5716. 15  Breakfast and Crafts with Santa, 9-11 a.m. breakfast and noon2 p.m. crafts, Dakota Zoo, Bismarck. 701-223-7543. 15  Concert by Lorie Line and her Fab Five, 3 p.m., Chester Fritz Auditorium, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. 800-745-3000. 15-16  Knife River Chorale Concert, 7 p.m. CT, North Central Ave., Hazen. 888-464-2936 or 701-748-6848. 18  Artful Happy Hour for Adults, 5 p.m., The Arts Center, Jamestown. 701-251-2496. 19  FirstLink Giving Tree of Hope distribution of gifts, 9 a.m.4 p.m., parking lot, Fargo Civic Center, Fargo. 701-293-6462. 21  Holiday Concert, 7 p.m., Dakota Stage, Bismarck. 701-258-4998.

31  Celebrate the Night, 6 p.m.-midnight, Alerus Center, Grand Forks. 701-330-9667.

JANUARY 5  Kid Quest: Magical Mystery Creatures, 1-4 p.m., Plains Art Museum, Fargo. 701-232-3821. 8-9  Winter Ag Expo, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Civic Center, Jamestown. 701-2521400. 11  Bluegrass Concert featuring Preston Schmidt and The Brand New Strings, 9:45 a.m., auditorium, Mandan High School, Mandan. 701315-0017. 11-12  Blizzard Bluegrass Concerts, featuring Cotton Wood and The Brand New Strings, 7:30 p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium,

Bismarck State College, Bismarck. 701-315-0017. 13  Talk on German Immigration to our Region, 2 p.m., Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, Minn. 218-236-8861. 15  Artful Happy Hour for Adults, 5 p.m., The Arts Center, Jamestown. 701-251-2496. 18  Winter Wonderland, 1810 Schafer St., Bismarck. 701-258-1975. 23-25  KMOT Ag Expo, North Dakota State Fair Center, Minot. 701-852-5254. 25-27  Boat and Marine Show, 1800 N. University Dr., Fargo. 701-241-9100. 25-27  Trinity Mardi Gras, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 3-11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Trinity High School, Dickinson. 701-483-6092.

PROMOTE YOUR COMMUNITY North Dakota Living publishes calendar events free of charge. We only publish the date, name of the event, time, place and location, and contact telephone number. To submit an item, email cdevney@ndarec.com or mail to: Calendar of Events, North Dakota Living, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. North Dakota Living does not guarantee the publication of any event.

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G ď Ž D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 29

RECIPE ROUNDUP

CARMEN DEVNEY

Make ordinary things look exceptional!

PHOTO BY CARMEN DEVNEY

he holidays truly are one of the most wonderful times of the year. They unite family and friends, inspire acts of kindness and remind us to give thanks for our many blessings. From Thanksgiving turkey to Christmas ham, food warms our bellies and hearts, and gives generations an opportunity to collaborate and create in the kitchen. When you cook or bake this holiday season, Marge Horner, Napoleon, encourages you to dress up your favorite recipes — and make sure to invite a qualified taste-tester. Last year, Marge made more than 3,000 Christmas cookies and bars with help from her granddaughter, Syd. Marge’s husband, Mike, prefers simple recipes so they experimented with the cookies’ presentation. “For me, appearance is 90 percent of it,” Marge explains. “What I started doing is making ordinary things look exceptional.” Instead of making sugar or peanut butter cookies, Marge and Syd shaped the dough into reindeer heads and added pretzels for antlers, M&M’s® for the eyes and nose, and licorice pieces for the mouth. And rather than making Rice Krispies® treats, they made wreaths by adding green food coloring, molding the dessert into a

Marge Horner and one of her granddaughters, Syd, enjoy baking, working on 4-H projects and checking cattle together. This Christmas, Marge and her husband, Mike, will give thanks for grandchildren Katie, Anthony, Syd and Sophia, and the opportunity to spend time with them and watch them grow. The siblings belong to Jody and Dawn Horner, Napoleon.

hollow circle and decorating them with holiday M&M’s. Baking is nearly an everyday thing for Marge, who specializes in making buns. In addition to baking for family and friends, she makes kuchen for weddings and gives dough lessons to area 4-H students. “We make everything from caramel rolls, kuchen and rahmnoodla, to wiener wraps and Stromboli,” she describes. “I tell them, ‘Ordinary is good, but if you want to get a ribbon, find something that will knock my

AUNT CHRISTINE’S PFEFFERNÜSSE 1 ⁄3 cup sugar ⁄3 cup cream ⁄3 cup honey 1 egg 1 tsp. anise or anise oil 32⁄3 cups flour, enough for a very stiff 1 tsp baking soda dough 1 tsp baking powder powdered sugar 1 ⁄3 cup butter flavored shortening Cream shortening with sugar. Add honey, egg, cream and anise, and then dry ingredients. Form dough into small balls and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to10 minutes; baking time varies with ovens. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Put powdered sugar in a bowl; individually put cookies in sugar, then cover and tap off the excess. Store in covered container. Yield: about 4 dozen. Marge’s test notes: I prefer using anise oil, which can be purchased online or at a cake or candy specialty store. I also recommend using Dakota Maid flour for its uniform consistency. I have a convection oven and bake these cookies for about six minutes. Remember that cookies continue to bake on the pan after you take them out of the oven. Underbake them! If they look done, you’ve baked them too long. 2 2

DECEMBER 2012  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

socks off.” KEM Electric Cooperative members who farm and ranch southeast of Napoleon, Marge and Mike recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Marge says she learned how to bake and cook for her husband by watching her mother-in-law, Johanna. Now, she is teaching those techniques and traditions to Syd. In November, Marge and Syd baked Pfeffernüsse cookies for North Dakota Living staff. The recipe was given to Marge by her greataunt Christine. While the cookies’ appearance may be simple, Marge says the taste and texture make it her holiday favorite. “They’re a melt-in-your-mouth kind of cookie,” she describes. “They become more soft and full of flavor after a day or two. If you throw them in the freezer and take them out a month later, they’re even better yet!” North Dakota Living thanks Marge and Syd for baking and sharing some goodies and laughs.  Carmen Devney is a communications specialist for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Capital Electric Cooperative and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative. w w w. n d a r e c . c o m

H E A LT H Y H I N T S

READERS:

Explore the science of baking

“H

It’s time to restock the Recipe Roundup archives with your favorite recipes and cookbooks. We want to feature your recommendation in 2013. If we publish your submission, you will receive $50 for your time and effort. But be prepared, because we plan to join you in your kitchen — or invite you into ours!

Contributors appreciate North Dakota Living experience!

n June, North Dakota Living featured the American Legion Auxiliary cookbook and Garage Bar-B-Que recipe. The book was enhanced and republished in honor of Rutland’s 125th anniversary in 2007, and submitted by Deborah Banish. Following publication of the story in North Dakota Living, Banish emailed magazine staff with this note: “[Cooking and taste-testing the recipe] was a fun meal and get-together for us,” she wrote. “I want to let you know that we have sold 70 cookbooks already thanks to the article!”

PHOTO BY CARMEN DEVNEY

n August, North Dakota Living featured a Strawberry/ Spinach Salad recipe and Fruit Slush Drink submitted by Karen Boelter, Bismarck. The recipes were passed “up” to her by one of her daughters. Following publication of the magazine article, Boelter emailed this note to staff: “I received my copy of North Dakota Living today. How fun to see the whole article, picture and recipe. It looks great! … Is there any chance of getting extra copies for my children? I know they would enjoy it,” she wrote.

To submit your treasures, visit www.ndliving.com and click on “recipes” and “online recipe submission form.” Or, email cdevney@ndarec.com or mail to North Dakota Living, P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554. Please include:  Name  Email address, if applicable Address   Electric and/or telephone cooperative, if applicable  Daytime telephone number

We look forward to hearing from you and replenishing our archives! w w w. n d l i v i n g . c o m

Julie Garden-Robinson is a professor and food and nutrition specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. To learn more, visit www.ndsu.edu/food.

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 31

COURTESY PHOTO

NEEDS YOUR HELP!

ow much sugar should I add?” I asked my daughter. She was 7 at the time. The recipe says 34 cups,” she replied. “Are you sure about that?” I asked as I looked over her shoulder. “Well, there’s a 3 and a 4 by the Julie Garden-Robinson, sugar,” she noted. Ph.D., L.R.D. “Do you see the line between the 3 and the 4? That’s a fraction,” I said. “Well, we haven’t learned about fractions yet in second grade,” she responded a bit indignantly. I showed her the 1/4-cup measure and she filled it with sugar three times. She added each scoop to a 1-cup measure. I wanted her to visualize the measurement. Baking is a science. When you mix sucrose (sugar) with lipid material (butter or shortening), you are dispersing the ingredients and incorporating air. The protein in eggs helps bind the ingredients together. If you mix cookie dough too long, you may develop the gluten (flour protein) and end up with tough, dry cookies. Your kitchen can be a learning lab for children during the holidays. Besides measuring accurately and not overmixing, consider these tips:  Preheat the oven.  Use the right fat. If the recipe calls for butter, don’t substitute low-fat margarine, which is higher in water and may cause your cookies to spread right off the pan!  Keep the dough cool. Consider refrigerating the dough between baking sheets of cookies.  Prepare your pans as directed. Greasing usually isn’t needed; try lining with parchment paper for easy clean-up.  Use the right tools. For uniform cookies, use a cookie scoop. Until next time, enjoy a moderate amount of fresh cookies! 

FA R M BY LI N E

Al Gustin

Memories from the filing cabinet

launched in the early 1970s as a Texas-based farmer-owned cooperative. The co-op bought elevators at Hazelton and Tower City, but farmers didn’t get paid and American Grain and Cattle went bankrupt. Another folder is labeled “Wheat Pools.” Also in the 1970s, North Dakota farmers committed a million bushels of wheat to a pool that was, reluctantly, managed by the State Mill and Elevator. The idea was to gain a market advantage by being able to bargain with a large quantity of wheat. But farmers could have made more money selling that wheat on the open market. The folder labeled “American Ag Movement” contains articles about the farmers who drove tractors to Washington, D.C., in 1977, demanding parity prices for their products. But parity is no longer a basis for discussion in developing farm programs. So much has changed. And we wonder why producers today don’t seem to be the activists they once were. Today, instead of rallies and protests – instead of farmer-owned cooperatives trying to compete with giant corporations – we find ourselves reducing risk by contracting production with those corporations. Lots of memories. Lots of questions. n

PHOTO BY LAYN MUDDER

ou’ll notice that the bio at the bottom of this column has changed, again. For those who haven’t heard, I have officially retired from full-time farm broadcasting. One of the processes of retiring involves going through several filing cabinets of information. Each file folder brings back memories, thoughts of how things have changed and questions about why things turn out as they do. One folder is labeled “Ventures.” In the file are clippings and scripts from my stories on Pro-Beef, the Al Gustin Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative, the Dakota Skies Biodiesel Plant, Red Trail Energy, Western Dakota Pork, Oat Technologies, Northern Plains Premium Beef, Dakota Growers Pasta, Goldboard Dakota LLC and many others. Some of those ventures succeeded. Some did not. Some started as farmer-owned cooperatives but changed their business plan. And you wonder why. Was it timing, capitalization or management? There’s a folder labeled “American Grain and Cattle,”

2013

Al Gustin is recently retired as the farm news director for KBMR and KFYR Radio in Bismarck.

A GRI I NTERNATIONAL O UR 36 TH Y EAR !

2 BIG DAYS!

February 12-13, 2013

Bismarck Civic Center - Bismarck, North Dakota Reserve your booth space today

Each year, thousands of farm and ranch families attend our premier regional mid-winter event. The KFYR Radio Agri International is a marketplace where farmers, ranchers and agri-business meet. Nearly 400 exhibit booths pack the Bismarck Civic Center. Seminars, educational programs, a Living Ag Classroom and Farm Toy Show round out this popular event.

For booth information call 1-800-766-5267 or visit kfyr.com to download a booth contract

32 dece m ber 2 0 1 2 n N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

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SINCE 1948

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 33

M A R K E T P L A C E F O R U M R E A L E S TAT E • F A R M & R A N C H • W A N T E D • F O R S A L E • T R AV E L REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • 158.3-acre hunting/recreational property 10 miles from Dickinson, one mile off pavement. Beautiful property with the Heart and Green Rivers running through it. $435,325 • 166-acre hunters’ paradise between Grassy Butte and Killdeer Mountains. “Elk Gratis,” two-bedroom home, restored log cabin, barn, corrals, SW water. $420,000 • Goldsberry horse/cattle ranch on the Little Missouri River north of Medora. One of the prettiest ranches in western North Dakota with a 278-head national grasslands grazing permit. $1,950,000 SOLD! • Absolutely beautiful Little Missouri River Ranch west of Grassy Butte with 2,360 deeded acres, plus 250-head national grasslands grazing permit. More than $500,000 in recent improvements. New home, second home, new shop, etc. Awesome hunting ranch allowing for bonus income. $2,800,000 • 139 acres of prime commercial- and industrialzoned land approx. three miles north of Dickinson with Highway 22 frontage. • 153 acres of land for development bordering Highway 10 and the proposed new truck bypass west of Dickinson. • 46 acres of land in the heart of the oil field west of Killdeer on Highway 200. $460,000 Contact: Don Schmeling, Continental Real Estate, Dickinson. Call 701-260-5555 or 701-483-4400. View properties online at www.donschmeling.com.

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Harding

Ceramic Artist Brad Bachmeier

Poet Mark Vinz Hennagir Singer/Songwriter Jesse Veeder Kaleidoscope Craftsman Rodney Haug Singer/Songwriter Chuck Suchy Poet Bill Holm Jewelry Designer Cathy Sutton Writer Chuck Klosterman The Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Painter Dan Jones Jazz Arts Group of Fargo-Moorhead The Johnson Family Band Textile Designer Katie

Walter Piehl, Jr. Orange Peel’d (detail) 48x36

watch at

prairiepublic.org!

Let the ‘Foam Ranger’ rescue you from high energy costs!

Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation Locally Owned & Operated Bismarck, ND

Residential & Commercial

(701) 391-3120 - Mark (701) 400-7618 - Ken

www.insulationsystemsllp.com

• Strengthens building structural integrity • Twice the insulating ability per inch of fiberglass or open cell foam • Pole barn specialists • $$$$ Energy savings pays for investiture within 3 1/2 years

BIG TRACTOR PARTS STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST Red & Green 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. We rebuild axles, transmissions and drop boxes with one-year warranty. 50% savings on used parts. We buy running or damaged Steigers.

1-800-982-1769 www.bigtractorparts.com

Area dealer: Construction with R&R • Dave Rud • (701) 337-5169

1-800-547-8188 • www.constructionwithrandr.com

Best pricing for quality building every day! Call today for your free estimate. Expires 5-15-13. Code 4.

34 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2  N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

• Opportunities

The Insulation Place “Spray-on Urethane”

Roofing & Insulation ESTABLISHED IN 1978

• • • • •

New Homes or Remodeling Cathedral Ceilings Commercial Buildings Farm Shops Cattle Confinements

GRAFTON (701) 352-3233 (800) 352-0620

BISMARCK (701) 255-0025 (866) 425-0025

WINTER VACATION PACKAGES Jan. 7-14, 2013

Honolulu, Hawaii Air; Transfers; Lei Greeting; insurance 7 nts. at Hilton Hawaiian Village $3635 for 2 Cabo San Lucas, Mx Air; Transfers; insurance 7 nts. Riu Santa Fe Resort (all inclusive) $2357 for 2

(prices subject to change. Other dates and resorts available)

Globe Travel

Call Us Today!

1-888-735-5337 FREE

Soon the “Mark” of the Beast will be enforced as Church and State unite! Let the Bible reveal. FREE BOOKS/DVDS. The Bible Says, P.O.B. 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771 thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com • 1-888-211-1715

DESERT DELIGHT

Jan. 27-Feb. 11 Features 3 nights in each Laughlin, Yuma & the Palm Springs area

LOUISIANA LOWDOWN

Mar. 18-30 Featuring 3 nights in New Orleans & 2 nights in Lafayette Call For Details abtoursonline.com / abtours@srt.com

n Basin Electric Power Cooperative...............27 n Best Western Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck......25 n Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota...... 5 n Dakota Medical Foundation........................ 19

800-365-9737

SOLAR, WIND, HYDRO:

n Dickinson-Medora-MinotWatford City-Williston CVB....................14-15 n Gascosage Electric Cooperative..................25

Earth Energy • 406-892-2505

n Grand International Inn, Minot....................28 n Heringer Dentistry....................................... 13

www.GlobeVacations.com Email: globetravel@globetravel1.webmail.com P.O. Box 1529 • Jamestown, ND 58401

Custom system design, expert technical support, best equipment, lowest prices in the industry. We have it all. We know our products. We know our business. Complete alternative energy source.

MOST EFFICIENT

INSULATION AVAILABLE All types of farm and ranch buildings • Spray on wood or metal • Best R-Value available • Eliminates condensation • Reduces bug & pest infiltration • SWD products Free estimates available Call Vern, Myron or Roger at

391-3857

Dakota Four Seasons Heating, Cooling, Insulation Mandan, ND

701-852-8144 or 800-440-2690

BISMARCK TO LAS VEGAS CHARTER March 7-11

20 13

Winter travel specials available for the early booking

Dickinson, ND •

n Heritage Modular Homes............................29 n Jensen Travel..............................................23 n Judy’s Leisure Tours Inc.............................. 19 n Junk Yard Chic............................................21 n Kelly Inn, Bismarck...................................... 3 n KFYR Radio.................................................32 n Kvamme Travel & Cruises........................... 19 n Luter’s Supply.............................................21 n Naomi Rossow Realty LLC.......................... 3 n ND Farmers Union Tours.............................25 n North Dakota Pork Council.........................33 n North Dakota Soybean Council...................29 n Radisson Hotel, Bismarck...........................23 n Retrouvaille.................................................21 n Sanford Health............................................ 13 n Satrom Travel & Tour.........................25 & 28 n Sleep Inn & Suites, Minot...........................23 n Spine and Pain Center................................. 18

VACATIONS

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n Attention to Detail Painting Inc. .................. 18 n Bank of North Dakota.................................. 18

n Days Inn, Bismarck..................................... 19 n Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort................29

(701) 252-5757

WE BUY MINERALS We pay cash for producing or non-producing mineral interests.

n Acme Tools..................................................33 n Ann Andre, Realtor...................................... 3

225-6801 • 1-800-732-7075

n St. Alexius......................................Back cover n State Historical Center of N.D..................... 18 n The Vegas Motel, Minot..............................33 n Trinity Health....................... Inside front cover n WaterFurnace International........................ Inside back cover

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 35

CO - OP COUNTRY

Heavenly peace

“S

ilent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright.” It’s the most wonderful — and busy — time of the year. Amid the holiday hustle and bustle, may these North Dakota Living kids inspire us to pause and reflect on life’s most treasured gifts, and, “Sleep in heavenly peace.”  POWER NAP: Playing is hard work! Benjamin Kaylor recharges his battery with a short snooze. He’s the son of Kent and Beth Kaylor and grandson of Capital Electric Cooperative members Joe and Beverly Schatz. Grandpa Joe submitted the photo.

CREEP TO SLEEP: Justin Bonogofsky takes a break from working with dad, who is an auto mechanic. When awake, Justin often sneaks tools to work under the hood of his battery-powered Jeep. He is the son of Brad and Jen Bonogofsky, who are members of Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative. Jen submitted the photo.

CONTENT CATNAP: Some children think Santa is scary, but Aleaha Wangler finds him snuggly and safe. She is the daughter of Derek and Jenny Wangler and granddaughter of KEM Electric Cooperative members Rita and Anthony Wangler. Rita submitted the photo.

SWEET DREAMS: Visions of sugar cookies and milk dance in Logan Peterson’s head. He is the son of Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative members Michael and Kelly Peterson, and the grandson of David and Pauline Peterson and Del and Tom Rasmusson. Tom is construction supervisor for Burke-Divide. Kelly submitted the photo.

North Dakota Living is seeking photos of kids related to winter, school and chores! Of course, we also want other family favorites for upcoming Co-op Country pages. We’ll select and print them as space allows. Those whose submissions appear on this page will receive a check for $10 following publication of the magazine. We prefer high-resolution digital photos emailed to cdevney@ndarec.com, but you may also mail entries to Co-op Country, North Dakota Living, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. Readers, North Dakota Living will not publish low-quality photos such as those taken on cell phones. When submitting photos, please include the following information: your complete name and address, your daytime phone number, and the name of your electric and/or telephone co-op. We will contact you prior to publication. NOTE: Please keep a duplicate photo, negative or file; the magazine is no longer able to return submitted photos.  36

DECEMBER 2012  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

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WATERFURNACE UNITS QUALIFY FOR A 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT

and it isn’t just corn. You may not realize it, but your home is sitting on a free and renewable supply of energy. A WaterFurnace geothermal comfort system taps into the stored solar energy in your own backyard to provide savings of up to 70% on heating, cooling and hot water. That’s money in the bank and a smart investment in your family’s comfort. Contact your local WaterFurnace dealer today to learn how to tap into your buried treasure.

YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALERS Dickinson & Killdeer Badlands Htg & Air, LLC (701) 483-4822 www.badlandshvac.com

Linton Prairie Heating & Air, Inc. (701) 254-4966

Minot North Central Service Htg & Clg (701) 852-1948

“I was walking outside when all of a sudden I fell over.” Tom Kloster is alive thanks to a procedure performed at St. Alexius Medical Center. After suffering a stroke, he was rushed by ambulance to St. Alexius. There, doctors used the Merci Retrieval System to remove a life-threatening blood clot from Tom’s brain. It was the first time this procedure was done in North Dakota. “It’s a miracle I’m alive.” Tom’s story is just one example of why people come to St. Alexius for healing.

900 East Broadway Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501 • (701) 530-7000