Condolences to the Houle family from Bev Morinville Azure (72):Dunseith, ND

 

To the Houle family . Our condolences in the loss of your Mother, Grandmother and Great grandmother. Clarence and Bev (Morinville) Azure

 

 

Reply from Marge Landsverk Fish (57): Horicon, WI

 

Hi Gary,

 

I am writing in response to Erling’s letter which was such a tribute to N.D.

 

I wanted to tell you that he is talented in many ways.

He is blind but uses the computer. That must be very interesting to know how he does that.

 

He plays guitar by ear very well. He is invited to preform at the state capitol every year and other places.

 

He has written a small book about his growing up in the Turtle Mountains which is very good. I have a copy which is being passed around to my kids. It even has a picture of my dad in it with me when I was a baby.

 

I felt like blowing his horn for him as he is my 1st. cousin. His dad Gunder and my dad Knute were brothers.

 

I live about 40 miles from him . I live in Horicon Wi. and he and Joanne live in Portage.

 

Sincerly,

Marge(Landsverk) Fish

 

 

 

Reply from Tom Hagen (51): Mesa, AZ, Williston, ND & Allegany, NY

 

Hi, Gary, just wanted to add my “RIGHT ON’ to Erling Landsverk’s
letter to NG. I knew several of the people written about and quoted in
that article around Williams County where I was administrator of New
Public School Dist.#8 from 1970-1979.

Tom Hagen, (51)

 

 

 

Reply from Bill Grimme (65): Birmingham, AL

 

Gary,

 

I might as well put in my comments on the ND video. I didn’t send it to promote dialogue or provoke any controversy, although, I guess the video did that by itself. Thanks for the comments in today’s posting, Gary, but, I think you are stretching it with “brilliant”. I sent the video because I thought it was funny and it had some good pictures of snow. But, when I watched it before I sent it, I set up the context in my mind that this was a Michael Moore effort and I knew that it would be humor without any accuracy or truth, like nearly all of Moore’s efforts, academy awards notwithstanding. (Although, I guess it didn’t surprise me that ND might be the least visited state-it’s a long way for most folks. So, I kind of believed that.) This production used the same formula that most popular “documentaries” use – interview a bunch of people, pick the ones that either make the point or are stupidly funny, sometimes rearrange the questions and answers, and go into production. What surprises me is that people would even consent to be interviewed by Michael Moore and his crew, but, I also know that the interviews are often sometimes scheduled under false pretense. (Example: Borat) Someone mentioned Jay Leno’s on-the-street interviews. Does anyone really believe that all those people are that stupid (maybe some do because they are usually done in LA, although I know there are some very smart people in LA.) But, if someone puts a camera in your face and a microphone close to your mouth (and that someone is JAY LENO) and asks you a bunch of questions, there will be one or two where you go blank. Guess which response gets aired? (Usually the one where the eighth grade history teacher from Kansas, or Oregon, or Florida, or possibly even North Dakota can’t recognize a picture of George Washington.) So, now he or she gets to go home looking like a fool. Any recourse? Nope. You signed a release.

 

Even some of our “revered” news interviews are staged. CBS’ “Sixty Minutes” was notorious. Mike Wallace routinely filmed his questions after the “answers” were selected. I had an opportunity, about 20 years ago, where the company being interviewed also filmed all The Sixty Minutes interviews while the Sixty Minutes crew filmed. When Sixty Minutes aired, sure enough, answers were edited out of context, questions were reworded, and comments were aired stating contents of documents to suit the needs of the show. The interviewed company requested that CBS air a correction to show the true interviews. Guess what, there is no requirement to do anything of the sort. “If you want your side aired, buy some of our air time yourselves”. Of course, that air time will be at one in the morning right alongside the Veg-A-Matic ads.

 

There is an old adage that says, “Believe none of what you hear, half of what you read, and all of what you see.” I don’t think that is true today. You can’t believe half of what you see. Most of the “news” in our country is really not news-it is entertainment. I actually believe you can believe more of what you read in the papers than what you “see” on TV.

 

As they say down here – “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!”

 

Bill

 

 

 

Reply from Colette Hosmer (64): Santa Fe, NM

 

Hi Bev,

YES! I’m sure any photos you have would be of interest to all of us. You did a great job of “uploading” the others, but in case you need a refresher …. our kids are a great resource for technical help, right?

And, in response to your request, my address is:

Colette Hosmer

1558 Avenida de las Americas

Santa Fe, NM 87507

I would be very happy to receive any originals of the Hosmer clan that you might be tired of storing.

Thanks, Bev,

Colette

 

 

From Bev Morinville Azure (72): Dunseith, ND   Bev, I for sure want to share this beautiful story. Gary   Gary, this can be a personal letter or if you feel you want to share it with the wonderful people on the blog go ahead. Many years ago we were stationed at Ft Knox Ky. While there I was involved in my childrens school I would be at the school each day working with my childrens teachers. That is where I met a realy cool woman that taught 3 nd grade. Her and I were talking one day about were we had been in our travels in the army. And she asked me where I was from When I said ND she said I have never meet anyone from there before and have never been there. Then told me her husband and her travel to a different state each summer. A few weeks later she told me they were going to ND that summer because of the things I told her about. Well to make a long story short. That fall when school started again she came up to me and told me this story. Her and her husband had come to ND and had a great time and had car trouble in a little tiny town( I forget where) but she told me that the man that fixed there car also became a good friend in this tiny town there was no hotel to be found and they wouldn’t get the part for 2 days . The man and his wife offered Deanne and her husband a place to stay in there home till the car was fix. They took them up on there offer and they made friends for a lifetime. She couldn’t believe how kind and how friendly people were . She couldn’t wait to tell me that I should be very proud to shout from the roof tops that I was from ND the friendliest state in the nation ( these were her words) not only had the couple let them stay in there home when the guy fixed thier car he only changed them for the part. She said if they would have been anywhere else her and her husband figured it would have cost them hundreds of dollars. there total bill as i remember was like 25 bucks. I was very proud to say. Deanne that is the way people from ND are and your right I am very proud to be from ND . Bev       Reply/message from Ginger LaRocque Poitra (65): Belcourt, ND   Gary, In reference to the unknown picture taken with Joe Morinville from Joe’s daughter, I thought the man looks like Freddy Hiatt.   I remember hearing of a family drowning, they (if I recall correctly) lived in a house on Main Street in Dunseith. Does anyone remember this happening? I seem to remember that they hadn’t lived in Dunseith for very long. I always wanted to know what happened. My parents didn’t discuss these types of happenings with us, in our day we left the room when adults were speaking, so I guess I overheard parts of their conversation. I could be totally wrong on all counts. I don’t suppose I was very old.   Some of the others who lived in Shanty Town were,( as I remember) Me, Joseph and Madeline LaRocque, Jerome & Alice LaRocque, Andrew & Mary Patnaude, Rosina Belgarde, Frank & Rose Belgarde, Van & Mabel Counts, Zephrin & Mary LaRocque with their sons Paul & Denny that was who were left after the rest of the family married and left home, Walter Counts and his large family, Lloyd & Louise Counts, August(Guff) & Alice Faine, Annie Grady, Reil LaFromboise, Raymond & Francis Theifoe, Hetle’s, Zelda Gunville,Delorme’s, Burcham’s, Decoteau’s (Julie, Shirley,Ruth), Kling’s, the blacksmith, Bill & Alvina Robillard, St.Clair’s Lloyd and Clarine, Joe Belgarde. These were in my day, I’m sure I missed a few, but that’s the jest of them. Ginger (LaRocque) Poitra (65) Ginger, There is a little resemblance of Freddie Hiatt in that picture of Oscar Hagen with Joe Morinville.

Reply from Margaret Metcalfe Leonard (65): Rolette, ND   Gary   This was a neat song sung by a very good musician. So much talent from such a little town!   Margaret Folks, Margaret is replying to the Honky Tonk Player song that I forwarded to her from Frank Poitra’s CD that Alan Poitra sent to me.

 

 

 

Request from Ardis Metcalfe Steggall:Coupeville, WA

 

Hi Gary,

I would like a copy of the Tickled Pink CD also.

Thanks,

Ardis Steggall
845 Seabluff Terrace
Coupeville, WA98239

Ardis, Please let us know if you are unable to down load the songs and place them on a CD from Bill Grimme’s WEB sight below. Gary

 

 

 

“Tickle Pink” WEB site posted by Bill Grimme (65): wgrimme@charter.net Birmingham, AL

 

Gary,

 

Mel Kuhn has graciously sent a copy of the “Tickle Pink” CD to me and I have posted the first 6 tracks. I plan to post 6 new ones each Monday until we get through the entire CD of 29 tracks. The quality of these tracks is amazing, considering they were made around 30 years ago and the original was taped on a one track portable cassette player (I believe it was done by a very talented sound technician from the Class of ’65.).

 

Some info we have on Tickle Pink:

 

Band members:

Elaine Metcalfe

Janice Metcalfe Poitra

Kathy Metcalfe (deceased)

Cheri Metcalfe Evans

Shelly Fulsebakke Albertson

Roberta Hagen Striker

 

According to the best sources, the band was named after a variety of Boone’s Farm called “Tickle Pink”. Boone’s Farm still makes some fine wine, although Tickle Pink has been retired.

 

To download and play the tracks, walk through the following:

 

Using your browser, navigate to http://webpages.charter.net/wgrimme/

 

You should see a page that looks like this:

 

 

 

If you place the mouse on a track and click the left button, the selection will play using Quicktime, but you will not download the track with this method. To download, place the mouse cursor on the track, click the right mouse button and you will see a pop-up menu. Select “Save Target as….” and you will be taken through the download process to put the track on your computer. From that point, you can play the track with about any music program, such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, etc.

 

Let me know if you have any trouble.

 

Bill

Kenny Nerpel, you did a fine job of recording these songs with what you had to work with 30 plus years ago. They actually turned out pretty good. These gals are good.

 

Bill Grimme, you are a genius with your abilities to be able to provide this to us. Gary

 

 

 

Message/Picture from Bill Grimme (65): wgrimme@charter.net Birmingham, AL

 

Gary,

 

Irina and I did a little whale watching in Monterey, CA, last month. Reviewing this picture got me thinking about the Alaska Cruise. Hope we get this close to a whale up there. I plan to turn around and look at it next time I get a chance. Note: Picture SLIGHTLY edited, but, not too much. 😉

 

Bill

Letter to the editor: People of N.D.
showing the way for the rest in the U.S.

Eric Anderson

The Jamestown Sun – 02/07/2009

The other day I ran across a news article on the Internet about North Dakota ‘s $1 billion state budget surplus. Sitting in my home state of Michigan ,wondered, “What are North Dakotans doing that we aren’t?” Of course, there are many practical answers to that question, including your energy and agricultural revenues. But I settled on a more emotional answer – and the answer lies with the people of North Dakota themselves.

Thirty-eight years ago, I was a young airman stationed at Minot Air Force Base. In the 14 months that I was assigned there, I grew to know and love the people of North Dakota . In a time when those in the military were not shown appreciation in other parts of America , North Dakotans took a different stance – they treated us with respect and appreciation. I’ve always remembered that, and to this day I have a warm place in my heart for the people of North Dakota .

But it goes deeper than that. In my time at Minot , I grew to understand how proud and how hard working the people of North Dakota are. Perhaps it’s the love of the land, the harshness of the winters or the spirit than binds people of the Plains together. Whatever it is, you North Dakotans are a breed apart. I’m just glad I had a chance to live there so many years ago and become acquainted with the people.

Yes, all of us in America face grave challenges in the days ahead. I understand that despite your budget surplus, North Dakotans face the same uncertainties as the rest of the country. Education, job growth, health care and infrastructure needs are concerns for all of us. Yet, I believe that if the rest of the nation had the same resolve, spirit and work ethic of North Dakotans , we would not fear the future, but embrace its possibilities.

May the people of North Dakota continue to show the way for the rest of the United States . Perhaps, someday soon, we’ll take notice and follow your lead.

Eric Anderson