Luann Dart

Formed in 1895, a mention of the city band was found in a Feb. 17, 1898, Kulm newspaper by local historian Jeff Malm. The article was about three Kulm men, Frank Coon, John H. George and Fred Buechler, leaving on the train for the gold fields of the Alaskan Klondike. It read: “Half the population of Kulm turned out and attended the boys to the depot and the band, of which Buechler was a member, discoursed inspiring music to give them heart for their enterprise.”

And band members have been playing with their hearts ever since.

Preparing healthy meals around a fully loaded family life, a devoted career and unrelenting farm/ranch chores isn’t always an easy task. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Carrie Gerving has eaten her share of tacos in a bag during her children’s sporting events.

“There would be weeks where we wouldn’t be home any night except Wednesday and if it was the Wednesday of my school board meeting, then I wasn’t home at all, so it was always trying to think of something that was quick and easy,” Carrie says. “And the quick and easy things are often the unhealthy things.”

North Dakota’s five tribal colleges are prairie gems, describes Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, who has served as the Cankdeska Cikana Community College president for 17 years.

“People refer to us as these little gems out in rural America,” she says. “We know education matters, that education makes a difference, education is the answer. … If my little college, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, was not there in Fort Totten, we would not have college graduates. It’s really the gateway, and we do so much more than just higher education.”

“It’s really catching on. It’s kind of a go-to thing now to do in the state parks in the winter, because it’s so friendly to a lot of different user groups,” says Kristin Byram, the public information officer with the N.D. Parks and Recreation Department.

“Statewide, we have a lot of trail opportunities with packed trails. The state also lends itself to opportunities off-trail,” she says.

Way’s mother, several aunts, a sibling and even an uncle had all been diagnosed with breast cancer, and other relatives battled other types of cancer.

“She had the classic family history,” says Linda Wolf, a genetic counselor at Bismarck’s Sanford Health who guides patients through the decision-making and genetic testing process.

Despite her family history, deciding to undergo the genetic test still wasn’t easy for Way.

“It is an exploding area, enabling economic activity and enabling social interaction. It’s not an option, it’s becoming necessary for people,” Hagerott says of cyberspace. “Consequently, it’s generating huge demands for an educated workforce who understands it.”

That’s where the armed security force, or cybersecurity, becomes important.

Cybersecurity was identified by TechND as the No. 1 workforce need, Hagerott says, and North Dakota’s colleges and universities are beginning to respond to that need.

The heart of the NDSF are the 4-H, FFA and open class exhibits vying for the top prize, Korslien says. Last year, the fair hosted 46,998 competitive exhibits.

“We have to congratulate everyone who puts in all that work to bring a project to the fair,” she says. “Come and look at the projects.”

The NDSF brings new competitions and entertainment to the grounds this year, too. A barn quilt competition and a new draft horse obstacle course will debut.

‘THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY’
“You watch these shows and in half an hour, you can transform your bathroom into this beautiful new bathroom,” says Tim Noteboom, who owned 20/20 Home Inspections for 18 years in the Fargo-Moorhead area. “It’s not like that at all.”

“Some of these projects can become quite complicated and you want to make sure you have the right skill set to complete the project,” advises Dave Lebrun, owner of Souris River Designs in Minot, whose own home is served by Verendrye Electric Cooperative.

“We try offering a great lineup of entertainment. Once you get on grounds, there are so many things to do that are free. Our concerts are free, our entertainment on grounds is all free. We have something for every age group,” Schulz says.

Schulz is fully committed to bringing family-friendly entertainment with an educational aspect to the RRVF. So, instead of sampling funnel cakes or corn dogs, he’s been taste-testing dehydrated insects such as Sriracha crickets and a bug kabob, which will be offered during one of the fair’s free shows.