By Steve Shirley 

North Dakotans face some important decisions regarding the future of our great state.  The outcomes of Measures 1 and 2 will determine the type of state we create for the future.  
We are in the enviable position of having experienced a robust economy in recent years coupled with an abundance of natural resources. Combine our small population, and the result is a proportionately wealthy state and healthy state government.  
So, we face some choices in managing our financial resources and prioritizing for the future. As a firm believer in Education’s inextricable link to economic, social, and cultural development – I suggest we balance reinvestment and preservation of these resources ensuring a sound pre-school to graduate school system of education.
This includes a vibrant system of both P-12 and higher education. The passage of these measures would have a detrimental impact on higher education and reduce opportunities for our citizens by increasing tuition, reducing student aid programs, continuing nearly lowest-in-the-nation wages, and perpetuating long-term deferred maintenance. However, as important as the preservation of a sound educational system and these issues are to our state, it is only one of many reasons why we should defeat these two measures; there are many other reasons:  
• We need a modern system of infrastructure.  This includes our roads, bridges, and highways. While we are small in population, we are a geographically large state. We have a vast infrastructure to maintain necessary for agricultural and commercial delivery.  We have tremendous climate extremes resulting in increased stress on our roads from January to July.  With our good fortunes of additional oil, wind, coal, and other energy investments, we are also seeing a huge influx of commercial traffic across our roads and bridges. This additional stress requires investments in our state’s infrastructure necessary for continued long-term prosperity.  
• We need the ability to attract enough people to fill the 15,000+ jobs currently vacant in North Dakota.  What message does it send to individuals considering a move to our state if we continue paying our teachers, college professors, and other state workers at or near the bottom of the wage scale? What message does it send to those prospective North Dakotans if we continue with rapidly escalating property taxes?  We already live in a state with some of the lowest income taxes in the nation, so income taxes should not be the target.
• The ongoing escalation of our property taxes could discourage prospective future North Dakotans. The passage of both (or even one) of these measures would permanently jeopardize any meaningful property tax relief.  It appears we may already be hampering our ability to maintain current residents. Note the front-page story in the Sunday Fargo Forum (Oct. 26) discussing the movement of residents from Cass County (ND) to Clay County (MN) – the article states property taxes on a $200,000 home in Fargo are nearly twice the amount one would pay in Moorhead.
• Who will benefit from Measure 2 and the proposed income tax cut? According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 72 percent of the total cut would go to the top 20 percent of wage earners – that doesn’t leave much for the bottom 80 percent of earners.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this income tax cut would result in a tax savings of ONE dollar for a married couple with two children earning $25,000 annually. A one dollar savings for a struggling family?  Does that represent meaningful tax relief? Consider someone on a fixed income living in their own home. Measure Two would provide little to no benefit for that individual, but property tax relief, on the other hand, could provide real benefit.
• What about the oil trust fund? If Measure One passes, 26 percent of our elected officials could keep those revenues in the fund permanently locked. That is tremendous power for a very small minority. Is that representative democracy?   Consider that the Legislature and Governor have already put away $400 million in rainy day funds without this trust fund; they clearly have solid priorities and exercise sound fiscal management. We can and should trust them to continue building our reserves at an appropriate rate without this measure.
• The major contributor to the Measure 2 campaign is a man from Cincinnati who supports similar measures across the country. Do you really think his primary intention is the overall long-term interest of a successful North Dakota? I trust our governor’s judgment far more than that of a Cincinnati businessman, and that is why I will follow Governor Hoeven’s lead and vote no on both measures.
These are not Democrat vs. Republican, East vs. West, Rural vs. Urban, or Liberal vs. Conservative issues. Rather, these are fundamental decisions we need to make about the type of state we want to have, and the investments we want to make supporting future generations of North Dakotans. We have a unique opportunity to be the envy of the nation by significantly strengthening our system of public education, higher education, physical infrastructures, human services, healthcare, and provide long-term property tax relief.
However, none of this is possible if 1 and 2 pass. I urge you to join me and vote NO on Measures 1 and 2. Thank You.
Dr. Steve Shirley is President of Valley City State University

By Jodi Rae Ingstad 

As kids we’d play dress up and not just on Halloween either. Any time we could get our hands on various items out of our mother’s closet we could become anything we wanted.   
I always favored Betsy Ross. She was fresh on my mind after learning about her in elementary school. My mother just seemed to have all the right frocks and accessories tucked away in order to transform me into this historical flag-maker.
My brothers and I used to play war with our neighbor kids. We dressed in our costumes made out of mom and dad’s attire and used lath boards as our weapons. I always got to make the victory flag. After all, I was Betsy Ross.  
We imagined ourselves as great and powerful war heroes. When we got bored with that we just imagined.
Imagining can open up a whole new life when you’re a kid. There are two types of imaginations – active and overly-active. Both kinds are honorable as a lot of creativity is born of them. In my family, those with the active imaginations are all educated, socially sound individuals.
I fit into the overly-active group. I find that most of the artistic people I know are pre-disposed to having an overly-active imagination attached to their names. It’s our way.  
A couple of years back that husband of mine and I were driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. We were on a long road that ran through the hot desert.  I had been the passenger for hours when I looked out the window and saw a sail boat smack dab in the middle of the desert outside. I let out a sound of wonder and began shaking my head in disbelief. Husband asked me what was wrong so I told him, “I thought I just saw a sailboat in the middle of the desert.” I figured I was just seeing a mirage. Heat does that.
“You did see a sailboat in the desert,” he calmly cooed. It ended up being a wind sailing machine with dune buggy wheels on the bottom. This was a very peculiar experience for me. I thought I imagined it all and here it was real.  My overly-active imagination usually works just the opposite of that.   
This past weekend we traveled to Bismarck. We stopped for a quick cup of coffee and continued to our destination. We were on a busy street with a fence that lined it.
As Husband drove I looked over and saw a few camels huddled together. They stood in the wind with their hooves on the prairie grass. The fence protected them from the roadway. I knew it couldn’t be a mirage so I said to Husband, “Look! Camels!”
I’m eager to tell you what happened next but before I do I just must share a quote with you. The quote goes like this, “Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.”
So there we are, two educated adults traveling through the state they were born and raised in. We should both know that camels are not indigenous to North Dakota.
That’s why when that husband of mine said what he said I did what I did. He said simply, “That’s the zoo.” (Insert a side glance of disbelief for dramatic effect because I sure did!)
And then I said with a wee bit of sarcasm in my voice, “You mean those camels didn’t walk here from Egypt?” And then I asked with a wee bit more sarcasm in my voice, “Are you sure it’s not just a group of horses dressed up as camels?” His explanation was that I’m a blonde and he wasn’t sure if I knew Bismarck had a zoo.
I’m going to dress as Betsy Ross and make me a flag.  I’ll fly it proudly from our farm and it will read, “I might be blonde, but I ain’t stupid.”

By Carla Kelly 

James Adams, PhD., gave his first concert at Valley City State University last week with the university’s concert band. It was an impressive debut. The first selection was a John Philip Sousa march titled, “Nobles of the Mystic Shrine,” edited by Frederick Fennell. I personally think all band concerts should begin with a Sousa march. If Frederick Fennell is in any way involved, so much the better.
I remember my encounter with Dr. Fennell, which happened long before James Adams was born. After my sophomore year in high school, I attended National Music Camp in Interlochen, Mich.  I was no great talent, but maybe National Music Camp needed oboists that summer.
It was an eight-week camp, with rigorous daily concertizing in band and orchestra. I also signed up for conducting, which is still useful to me. For years now, I’ve been one of the choristers in our branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Jamestown. I also lead the music in Primary, which is the children’s organization. Again, no great talent, but I know a downbeat when I see one.
Back in 1962, Fennell was at the top of his game as organizer and conductor of the famed Eastman Wind Ensemble at the Eastman School of Music. Point of trivia – He was the first person ever to receive a doctorate in percussion performance. He came to Interlochen often; in a sense, he’s still there. When he died in 2004, at age 90, he requested his ashes be scattered there.
One night, Dr. Fennell was the guest conductor for a sight reading session. Sight reading was always pretty casual. Signs were posted around camp, and someone announced the event at dinner. I went because I wanted to see how Dr. Fennell conducted. Sight reading sessions were always a challenge. Earlier, we had sight read something by Bela Bartok and survived, so what could Dr. Fennell throw at us?
No one knew what the evening’s music would be. Jaws dropped when we looked at the music stands and saw Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite.” Yikes squared. It’s devilishly difficult music, and that’s just to listen to. I never dreamed I’d ever attempt to play it. Oh, well – too late to leap up and run screaming from the concert hall. Like most oboists, I parked my oboe reed in my mouth to keep it moist. My mouth went dry and I felt like I was sucking on a two by four.
Dr. Fennell bounded onto the stage. Those of us who weren’t in a catatonic state applauded. He was a short man exactly my height, thin and wearing a green velour shirt. (Oboists sit near the front, so I had a good view.) I’m always amused by what I remember about long-ago events, but it was a dark green velour shirt.
The cool thing about Fennell was part of his legend – he was Mr. Enthusiasm. He used a lot of his body to conduct us, or that may have been what is required of a Stravinsky piece. Mind you, although we were just teenagers, we were a collection of pretty good musicians, some even excellent. We stunk up “Firebird Suite” like you wouldn’t believe, because it’s that hard to play and probably impossible to sight read with anything approaching skill. I have to give the great man credit: He was kind and patient, but exacting, and determined that we would finish that bear. We did. Lesson learned.
I was in the orchestra a few years later at BYU, playing English horn in the pit for Georges Bizet’s opera, “Carmen.” Our conductor was Dr. Kurt Weinzinger, a fearsome man with a baton. Like all young boys growing up in Germany, he had been compelled to join Hitler Youth. Even in 1966, with World War II but a memory, he had an unflinching quality about him that smacked of Germanic uber-expectation. I never wanted to upset Dr. Weinzinger.
The second act of “Carmen” begins with an English horn solo. Ooh, that was my job. The violins began that ominous rustling sound, and Dr. Weinzinger stabbed his baton right at me. I could almost see panzer divisions. Dry mouth again, but by golly, I was too afraid not to play. Abject fear has its uses, apparently.
There’s no startling conclusion to this column. I enjoyed going to the VCSU band concert and doing a terror-struck walk down memory lane. Auf weidersehen.

By Sharon Schloegel 

Who is in control? You or your diabetes.
Controlling your diabetes can seem overwhelming at times. Knowing when, how, and why to test your blood sugar in addition to interpreting your numbers can provide you with more freedom and power with less frustration.
These are some of the topics we’ll be discussing at the Diabetes class on Saturday, Nov. 1, being held at the Mercy Hospital Health Education Center. There is still time to register for the class which will run from 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The cost is $25 per participant to include materials and noon meal and snacks, and $7 for a relative/friend to also attend.  Call Mercy Hospital at 845-6456 to register.
Knowing what your blood sugar is doing is the most important thing you can do to take control of your diabetes. Did you know that your readings can tell you how your body responded to: a specific meal, taking a walk, vacuuming, having a cold, not sleeping well, and a host of other situations? Your blood sugar provides you with specific information on changes you are making or may need to make. It can tell you if your medication is working the way it should.
Get the right equipment for blood testing, not all meters are the same and some perform better than others. Things to consider in choosing a meter are: pain involved, what features do you want on the meter, what size are your hands, what is your dexterity, how is your vision, how many steps are involved, and what is your insurance coverage. Once you have the right equipment, learn how to maintain it for optimal performance. Read your manual as each meter can vary.
When it comes to testing, first have a clean finger. Wash and dry well. An unwashed finger may give incorrect results. Alcohol is not necessary for cleaning your finger, but if you do let it completely dry. Avoid using hand sanitizers. Secondly, check to see that your strips have not expired, that they have been stored properly, that the meter code and strips match, and that controls have been done if needed.  
Alternate sites for obtaining blood on arms and side of palm will not provide accurate readings if your blood sugar is rising or dropping rapidly, such as after eating or exercise, or if you suspect a low blood sugar. To make your fingerstick as pain free as possible try the following: avoid the tip of the finger and the middle of the fingerpad, aim for the side of the fingerpad, use a lancet pen with a good spring mechanism, press the pen tip down firmly on finger before releasing the needle.
Knowing how to test is the first step in gaining control of your diabetes. The next step is to learn when to test and how to read your blood sugar log to learn what you are doing right and what may need some work.
Please see your diabetes educator for more individual information and further instruction on pattern management.