Posted 8 hours ago by Art Hagen (’72)
Reply from Ginger LaRocque Poitra (’65): Belcourt, ND
Hey Gary,
I notice a quietness in the blog hope all is well with Dick and Larry even
Vicki, the usual. Hope all is well with you and Bernadette.
I will be retiring at the end of this school year, after devoting more
than half my life to these wonderful children that I have had the pleasure
of working with. They are special children. I began working with them in
January 1974. It takes patience and a lot of it, for most people. I don’t
have a degree just a 2 year. but a lot of experience.
We are sure having a lot of murders and such in North Dakota strangers
coming to work on oil rigs, and flood clean-up I’m thinking and a very big
factor DRUGS.
I notice a quietness in the blog hope all is well with Dick and Larry even
Vicki, the usual. Hope all is well with you and Bernadette.
I will be retiring at the end of this school year, after devoting more
than half my life to these wonderful children that I have had the pleasure
of working with. They are special children. I began working with them in
January 1974. It takes patience and a lot of it, for most people. I don’t
have a degree just a 2 year. but a lot of experience.
We are sure having a lot of murders and such in North Dakota strangers
coming to work on oil rigs, and flood clean-up I’m thinking and a very big
factor DRUGS.
Ginger
Congratulation Ginger with your pending retirment. You have most certainly earned it. Gary
Veronica Azure’s passing
Posting from Verena Gillis: Dunseith, ND
> Gary,
Clarence Azure’s mother, Veronica Azure 86, passed away Thursday. Wake is
set for Tuesday and Funeral Wednesday at St. Michael’s the Archangel
Catholic Church. I’m sure you will be receiving a full obit from Neola.
Clarence Azure’s mother, Veronica Azure 86, passed away Thursday. Wake is
set for Tuesday and Funeral Wednesday at St. Michael’s the Archangel
Catholic Church. I’m sure you will be receiving a full obit from Neola.
Verena
Obituaries
| Veronica Azure (August 31, 1925 – February 2, 2012)  Send Flowers Send Sympathy Card Sign Guest Book VERONICA AZURE Veronica Azure, age 86 of Dunseith, died Thursday, February 2, 2012 in a Belcourt hospital. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. in the St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Dunseith. Burial will be at the St. Ann’s Cemetery in Belcourt in the Spring. A wake will be held on Tuesday beginning at 4:00 P.M. with a prayer service at 8:00 P.M. in the Church. |
Reply to the Neil Smith Picture posted several days ago
By Arlan Hagen (’75): Bottineau, ND
I’m sure Neil Smith was here just to go to college. I went at the same time.
Ramifications of the ND Oil Boom
Comments & concerns from Aggie Casavant (’69): Fort Mill, SC
Hi Gary,
With all the discussion about the Oil Boom in North Dakota, I would like to take a few minutes to share some thoughts. Short of sounding real negative( which I’ve always said,that their is a fine line between being negative and a realist.) I feel in my heart, and have felt for some time,that “our”state of North Dakota as we’ve known it will very soon become a thing of the past, due to this “Oil Boom” in the western part of the state.. My greatest fear with all of this is,and always has been is the saftey and well being of the good people of North Dakota. And my greatest fear was realized, on January 7, when Sherry Arnold, the teacher from Sidney Montana,was abducted,and more than likely raped and murdered. There was something about that incident that tore my heart out,and I don’t think I could of known her personally,and greived any harder. It made me physically ill. Not that this type of horror story is anything new to me,because I hear about incidents on the news like this all the time. The difference between here and North Dakota is that it’s almost expected here for crazy things to happen knowing that the south is a melting pot of people from all over the United States,and crazies,and criminals seem to gravitate to warmer climates,and is more densely populated. What was so difficult to accept with the Sherry Arnold situation was the trusting simplicity of life, that her and her family and the people of Sidney enjoyed,only to have such a horrific nightmare visited on them and forever shatter the innocence of their way of life. It should of never happened,and it will forever change the peace and tranquility of Sidney,and their trust of anyone they don’t know…not to mention the long range traumatic effect it will have not only on her kids,but the kids from the school who so dearly loved her. Losing someone you love is one thing, but to lose someone in such a horrific manner,and no closure,is more than I can get my mind around. Having said that, I hope the people of North Dakota keep in mind that, unless you live in a very small town,hundreds of miles from these oil fields,that you live by the same rules as I do here in the Carolinas, as far as walking or jogging by yourself or with ear phones in while walking or jogging,and you stay aware of your surroundings,and you trust no one you don’t know. Thier are hundreds maybe thousands of people pouring into the state that don’t necessairly live by the same values as the people in North Dakota were raised with…and trust and beleive they know we are trusting and giving people….(a criminals dream) I’m not saying everyone that’s coming to the oil feilds are criminals…I’m just saying their strangers,and you know nothing about them,and this “Oil Boom” is attracting all kinds…and you have to stay vigilant. The police reports speak for themselves. Just to solidify the point I’m trying to make I want to share with you a conversation that I had with an inmate at the North Dakota State Penitentary in Bismarck about 33 years ago.
I was with the Prison Ministry from the church I attended in Bismarck 33 years ago. We would go in and have church services and Bible Studies with the inmates on Saturdays. I was talking with an inmate that was from Arizona. He said, North Dakota is a criminals dream, because the people are trusting, not real criminal saavy,and if you do get caught and sent to prison here,it’s like getting sentenced to a Boy Scout Camp….he said, it’s worth the risk. I never forgot that conversation. So I hope this gives the people of my home state a peek into the reality, of what’s to come. By the police reports it looks like it’s already arrived. I’m not saying people need to live in fear,but they certainly have to rachet up their awareness a bit,and be more cautious,and less trusting. I think one positive thing to this equation, that will forever be with the people of North Dakota, is the cold winters…I have to smile when I say that,cuz it makes me think of the t-shirt I bought one time when I went home for a visit… It said,” “Minus 65 degrees below zero, Keeps the Riff Raff Out of North Dakota”. When the people here would ask me what that meant, I told them,”It’s plain and simply stating…”If your gonna live in our state your either gonna work or die,cuz theirs no sleeping on park benches in the winter,so you better find a job and get an apartment,and get indoors. Some smiled and shook their heads, some got offended, and I said, “Oh well” 
Gods Blessings and Protection….Aggie
Joke of the day
Posted by Dave Wurgler (’64): Rugby, ND
Guaranteed tomakeyou smile…especiallysinceit’s a true story
On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words After stepping on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap For mankind,” were televised to Earth and heard by millions. But just Before he reentered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky.”
True story
On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words After stepping on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap For mankind,” were televised to Earth and heard by millions. But just Before he reentered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky.”
Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either The Russian or American space programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the Good luck, Mr. Gorsky” statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions Following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year-old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died, so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small midwest town, he was playing baseball With a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in His neighbor’s yard by the bedroom windows.
His neighbors were Mr. And Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the Ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. “Sex! You Want sex?! You’ll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon.
True story