Just wingin’ it

The Chat-n-Chew Cafe is symbolic of all the small town coffee shops in the U.S.A. It’s a place where nostalgia reigns. A place where locals gather daily to discuss current events in town, the state of the world, and some­times each other.

Located in the heart of Wing, the Chat-n-Chew offers home­made meals and kuchen. And any local will testify, when they ‘do German’… it is the best!

I can hear some of their knoephla soup calling my name…

It’s not very big, but definitely makes up for size with small town hospitality! The friendly staff makes everyone feel welcome. It is a Must Stop destination for bird hunters, bikers, tourists, travel­ers and locals alike.

Drop on in for a hamburger & shake before heading over to the Wing The­ater for the show!

The Chat-n-Chew seats about 45 people, but can easily spill over into the hotel next door. It’s a nice place to have a gathering of family or friends. Far enough away to feel like you went somewhere- close enough to be home in a jiffy.

The Chat-n-Chew is easy to find. (North of Sterling on Hwy 14 or East of Wilton on Hwy 36) Located at 203 Main Street, Wing.

Response to pipeline decision: From shrill to responsible

By Don Morrison

When President Barack Obama denied TransCanada Corporation’s permit to build the Keystone XL Pipeline, the reaction ranged from inflammatory accusations to statements on how North Dakota can take responsibility for what happens here.

President Obama made his decision because of the “rushed and arbitrary deadline” Congressional Republicans inserted into a payroll tax bill in December. That politically inspired deadline “prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people,” Obama said.

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The Light at the End of the World: A story of spiritual transformation in a time of catastrophic change

By Barb Price

For the past 10 years there has been talk about Global Warm­ing and Climate Change. These are not new to the history of our world. Lorraine Dopson has writ­ten a most wonderful story of the end of the ice age about 10,000 BC. She writes how the melting of the ice in that time caused a crisis for the “People of the Mother”, peaceful natives roaming the European plains. The story looks at the events through the eyes of Thistle, a brave girl who lived in a tribal society before recorded time. Continue reading

Broken Thumbs: Great year for gamers

By Mike Swenson

2011 is officially behind us and with it, the close of one of the greatest years in gaming his­tory. With epic titles such as Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Mod­ern Warfare 3, and Uncharted 3, it’s easy to see that video games are truly a retail force to be reckoned with. Whether you’re a gamer or not, odds are someone you know is.

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North Dakota has Pride

By Katy Kassian

Many people are already famil­iar with the blue and gold Pride of Dakota logos on products, but it is unlikely that they may know the diversity of this pro­gram.

After seeing how other states used “branding” pro­grams to promote local busi­ness, Former Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Jones helped found Pride of Dakota in 1985. The first year saw about 20 companies join the program. Today, there are over 500 members. Continue reading

You’d be INSANE to miss Dakota Stage’s new production

Dakota Stage Ltd. is proud to present One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the classic dra­matic comedy that’s a favorite of page, stage and screen.

Starring DSL veterans George C. Welder as Harding, Austin J. Flemmer as McMurphy and Amber Rae Bernhardt as Nurse Ratched, featuring other familiar faces Amanda Pitzer, David Hagler and El J. Arntson, and under the direction of DSL Artistic Director Brian Brady, audi­ences would have to be CRAZY to miss this production.

This show contains mature themes and strong language and is not recommended for anyone under the age of 18.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest per­formances are at 7:30 p.m. on Wednes­days through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays from January 26 through Febru­ary 5. Continue reading

“Charity Begins at Home”- Except in Republican North Dakota

By Charlie Barber

Abridged/printed by permission of the author and the High Plains Reader, Fargo, ND

After living all of her 82 years in the same com­munity, Lois Sinness left her hometown this month, crying and towing a U-Haul packed with her every possession…’Our rents were raised, and we did not have a choice,’ Sinness said. ‘We’re all on fixed incomes, living mostly on Social Secu­rity, so it’s been a terrible shock.’”

- Bismarck Tribune, 11/15/11

“Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Scha­fer has joined the board of Continen­tal Resources Inc., the state’s largest oil producer, months after he led an unsuccessful public campaign to prod the Legislature into cutting oil tax rates.”

- Bismarck Tribune, 11/8/11 Continue reading

BYOB for young musicians

By Mike Swenson

The Belle Project will be return­ing this spring with the “Bring Your Own Band” event on Sunday, March 18 at the Belle Mehus Audito­rium.

The show will be open to perform­ers 18 and under and will be working with the Bismarck Public School sys­tem to bring awareness to youth and performance arts. Applications will be accepted until January 31. All genres of music are invited to apply.

If interested, please visit http://bis­marckciviccenter.com/belle/bellepro­ject/

History Notes: The Story Behind Amidon

by Sharon Carson

Amidon, North Dakota, the county seat for Slope County, is a town long known to drivers along Highway 85 for the life-sized but fake police officer who sat mo­tionless in an old patrol car parked along the highway at the edge of town. This of­ficer was an exceedingly compliant pub­lic employee who served for years as a low-cost speed bump.

In contrast to such a static symbol of the law, Amidon is named after Charles Fremont Amidon, a decidedly non-compliant federal judge who was born in 1856 to abolitionist parents and came to the Dakota Territory in 1882 to become the new and only high school teacher in Far­go. Amidon soon left teaching to study law in Fargo, and was ap­pointed Federal Judge for the District of North Dakota in 1897, serving in that capac­ity until 1928. He died in 1937, with an obituary in the New York Times reminding readers that Amidon “was an ardent advocate of judicial re­form, a supporter of the Constitution as a living document and a defender of the civil rights guaranteed by the Constitu­tion.”

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Gary Granzotto Letter: Coalition building neccessary

Dear Editor:

It has been two months since I be­came the president of the North Dakota AFL-CIO. The primary struggle during this time has been for the 1,300 locked out American Crystal Sugar workers. Though this situation remains unresolved there is cause to be thankful for those who have become involved in this struggle. Continue reading