Grand Forks Guy is on Facebook

I'm now on Facebook and I would like to be your friend.

Check out my profile. :)

Grand Forks' new Christmas decorations

This past holiday season debuted the city of Grand Forks' new Christmas decorations.  Gone are the days of the tattered old "Christmas bell" lights that used to decorate the city's thoroughfares.  The tinsel-wrapped bells with countless burnt-out light bulbs have been replaced with new LED snowflakes in a bluish-white color.  LED lights were also used on trees throughout the city and in the downtown area.

So, now that the holiday season has drawn to a close, I'm interested to hear what people think of the decorations.  The decorations are still up around the city in case you haven't had a chance to see them.  Actually, that was part of the reason to switch over from an exclusively Christmas theme to a more "winterish" (and non-denominational) snowflake theme...they can be kept up throughout the winter months if desired.

It's interesting to note that, while the city's old program used to include decorations along multiple major streets throughout the city, the new program essentially limits streetlight decorations to the downtown area and along Washington Street and DeMers Avenue.  Perhaps the city will look at expanding into other areas in coming years. I do like that the city has decorated multiple trees throughout town.  There are lights on trees along both North and South Washington and in a couple of spots on Columbia Road.

I have to say that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with LED Christmas lights.  I still appreciate the warmth and glow of "old fashioned" lights over the rather cold look of LED lights.  Also, the city appears to have come across some rather weak LED lights.  I was under the impression that LEDs are usually brighter than traditional lighting.  That appears to be the case with the lights used in the snowflake displays on the city streetlights...they look very bright  However, what's wrong with the light strands used downtown?  The lights on the downtown rooflines and on the trees lining Kittson Avenue/the railroad are exceptionally dim.  In fact, I had to actually point out that the city still had lights on the rooflines to a friend...she hadn't even noticed them on first glance.  The LEDs used downtown are so dim that they are hardily even worth the effort of putting up...the city made a bad purchase in my opinion. I'm also not entirely sure what I think about wrapping those LED rope-lights around the streetlight lampposts on Washington and DeMers.  In a way it looks cool and in a way it looks a little amatuerish.  What do you think?

I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the city's new lighting program.  Was it worth it?  What would you change for next year?

(Image - Pinkdream Photography)

Business names that drive me nuts

Recently, Mark's Amoco gas station at 1301 University Avenue was renamed to University Landing Strip gas station.  What?  Who came up with that name?  Is this supposed to be some sort of parody of the University Station gas station at University Village?  At least that building was built to somewhat resemble a train station.  Calling a gas station University Station is kind of cute, but calling a gas station University Landing Strip is just bizarre.

Simply put, there are some local businesses around Grand Forks-East Grand Forks that make me stop and wonder just what exactly someone was smoking thinking when they came up with the business's name.

How about Trojan Promotions in downtown Grand Forks?  A new visitor to our downtown might think we have a condom superstore right across from Town Square. Or what about People Barbers in the Grand Cities Mall?  Why do they feel the need to point out that they "barber" people?  What else would they be barbering?  Monkeys? Then there's He/She's Salon...Grand Forks' own transsexual hair salon.

And we wonder why small businesses have a tendency to fail from time to time!  What business names drive you nuts?

Not a very formidable "Force"

The Fargo Force has revealed their new mascot...


I know...nothing really to do with Grand Forks, but just too good to pass up.

Thanks to SiouxSports.com for this story.

Welcome to Grand Forks

As I write this, Senator Barack Obama's plane has either touched down at Grand Forks International Airport or will do so very shortly. From there, he will make his way to Grand Forks' Alerus Center where he will give the keynote address for the North Dakota Democrat-NPL convention. While he is speaking, Senator Hillary Clinton will make her way to this "grand city" where she will also address her supporters.

I have no doubt that the next President of the United States of America will be speaking in Grand Forks tonight. I'm not sure if that leader will be a black man or a white woman, but I feel that either candidate would make a great president and their election would be a historic milestone in our nation's history. Tonight, we will see the future of our country in our own backyard.

Of course, as many of you probably know, there are numerous other events going on in Grand Forks tonight and over the next few days. In all, tens of thousands of people will be attending the various events that, together, are turning this into one of the most historic times in Grand Forks history. Welcome to all who are in Grand Forks for the first time or who are making a return visit.

And again, a very special welcome to the two inspirational individuals who will be addressing our city, our state, and our nation this evening. Welcome to Grand Forks!

This made me laugh

According to aleruscenter.com, "There will be no Public Walking this Friday, April 4th, due to the Democratic National Convention." Wow, pretty good for Grand Forks!

Merry Christmas from GrandForksGuy

Merry Christmas to all my friends and readers of GFL! My wish is that you are all able to share these days with those you love. May we all be like the reformed Ebeneezer Scrooge and keep Christmas in our hearts throughout the year.

Happy Halloween!

What will you be doing this Halloween?

I'll be handing out candy to the half a dozen kids that make their way to my home. We used to get more trick or treaters, but the numbers have really dropped off in the last few years.

Whatever you do, please stay safe and keep the holiday fun for all.

Update - 11/1/2007 - 12:29 AM
Guess what...I didn't have ANY trick or treaters tonight. Pathetic! I suppose it didn't help that my house appeared to be the only one on the whole street that was giving out candy...bunch of cheapskates. Oh well, I hope the kids had fun at the Alerus Center. Still, nothing can quite compare to going trick or treating door to door...those were the days, huh?

Tornado pictures

We've seen images of the destruction caused by Sunday evening's tornado and now we are able to see images of the actual tornado that struck Northwood. Several UND atmospheric science graduate students were out storm chasing on Sunday evening and you can view their gallery of images.

Tornado strikes Northwood

A tornado struck Northwood, North Dakota last night at around 8:50 PM (Herald story). At least one person was killed and multiple people were injured. Early reports are that the town has been devastated by the tornado and that numerous structures are seriously damaged if not totally destroyed. A 19-unit mobile home park was destroyed. Winds were strong enough to tip over railroad cars and rip of the top of a grain elevator. Dozens of fire trucks and ambulances and literally hundreds of emergency responders were one the scene late last night. The town is without power and the lack of lights is preventing a thorough assessment of the tornado's level of destruction. The morning will shed light on just how destructive this tornado was and just how much assistance the people of Northwood are going to need cleaning up.

My heart goes out to the people of Northwood. Please feel free to use this thread to share your thoughts and stories of the tornado. Also, feel free to post requests for and offers of assistance here.

Tragedy in Minneapolis

The thoughts and prayers of those in Grand Forks are with our friends and family in the Minneapolis area.

How you can help out.

Get those mowers out!

Driving around town today, I was a little disappointed in the way the city has been maintaining their property so far this spring. Is it that hard to mow properly? I know it's been a little wet lately, but many of the city-owned areas around town are getting to have very tall grass and weeds. There are certainly homes and businesses out there who also need to do a better job of keeping their yards neat, but the city isn't that much better really.

Some of the worst areas in town are the grassy medians on major streets. There is a median on 32nd Avenue in front of Sam's Club that has weeds that must be about two feet tall. Another poorly maintained area is the yard around the Public Works facility. Yes, the city-owned building that houses city-owned mowers has a yard filled with tall grass and weeds. Please! With all the tax money we pay, I would think the city could at least do a decent job mowing their property.

Also, what's the deal with areas around fire hydrants, street lights, and signs? I know the city uses some big mowers for most areas, but couldn't they send somebody back with a smaller mower or a weedwhacker? I wouldn't dream of mowing my yard, but then neglect to trim around a fire hydrant or a sign. I know I'm probably picky, but is it also impossible for the city to use a bagger when they mow? As it is, they seem to just blow grass all over the street. Very messy looking.

After all, the city clearly isn't out there painting new lines on the streets so they might as well do a decent job mowing the grass...

The music we love...or so this guy says

Did you know that Grand Forks residents still can't get enough AC/DC, Guns & Roses, or Lynyrd Skynyrd? That's right, those bands are "the state of the upper-Midwest music scene"...at least in the view of one Brett Lindenberg from Grand Forks. He recently received honorable mention in an "I'm From Rolling Stone" contest on the rollingstone.com website.

"Pop-music has failed to be a blip on our musical GPS." Hmm, I can't really agree that much with Lindenberg. Then again, I guess I'm too much of an "organic-eating Starbucks-drinking tree-hugging liberal" in Lindenberg words.

This is just the kind of portrait of Grand Forks as an outdated, uncultured entertainment hinterland that makes me cringe.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas!!!

Rydell's open house

This past Sunday afternoon, I attended the open house at the new Rydell's car dealership on South Washington. Don't ask me why they chose to hold the open house so long after the building was actually completed. Still, I enjoyed getting to see what the new Rydell's looks like.

All in all, it is a nice structure. I like the giant, curved roof that seems to tower over your head when you're inside the building (reminds me of a stadium) . My only problem with the building is the lack of signage on the outside. They must have spent millions on this building, yet apparently they couldn't spend the money it would take to put up a sign that says "Rydell" on the building. I'm not kidding...there is no sign other than a red neon one that hangs inside behind a window and is only visible in the dark (and even then it doesn't stand out).

My favorite part of the open house? The free food! Pulled pork sandwiches, chips, cookies, and beverages. Apparently, the great Chef NarDane (aka Dennis Narlock) prepared the food. Yes, there is actually a chef in Grand Forks who has come up with his own "celebrity chef" moniker...think what you will. Anyways, thanks to the Rydell's for the free food...now go put up a sign on the building!

An early frost?

Only in North Dakota: 90 degrees on Thursday afternoon and the threat of frost by early Saturday morning.

As I write this, it is 40 degrees and the wind chill is 36. It's still early...I'm sure it's bound to get closer to the magic number of 32 in a few hours. Hopefully you all remembered to cover any plants that you have before you went to bed on Friday night. I just brought in our flower pots...all twenty-some of them.

Still, I can't help admit that I kind of like seeing Fall settling in upon us. I've always loved this time of year. The crisp days, the vibrant leaves. Gee...ain't I the romantic type?

Update - 9/10/2006 - 2:17 AM
On Saturday morning, the low was 40 at the Grand Forks NWS office, 33 at the airport, and 32 at the base. Seven degrees difference from the NWS office to the airport? Is that possible? Maybe this has something to do with urban areas retaining heat more than rural areas?

Downtown Grand Forks 40 years ago

A week or two ago I put up a postcard picture of downtown Grand Forks circa 1946. Interestingly, I have another postcard in my collection which shows downtown as it appeared in the 1960s...about twenty years after the other postcard. As you can see, this picture was taken from virtually the same spot as the earlier postcard's picture.

Clearly, not too much construction or demolition took place downtown from the 40s to the 60s. The days of "urban renewal" would come in the 70s and, of course, the flood would change downtown plenty in 1997. One interesting thing about this picture is how clearly it shows all of the buildings that used to sit south of Kittson Avenue on the river-side of South 3rd Street. As you can see, this stretch used to be lined with buildings. Now, the area is used for parking and the dike. Also, you can see the old grain elevator on South 5th Street. This area now houses the Police Department.

I just thought you might enjoy seeing this postcard since it is so strikingly similar to the other postcard I showed you, yet many details are even clearer and in full color.

Downtown Grand Forks 60 years ago

A while back, I came across this old postcard of downtown Grand Forks. The postcard is used and the postmark is from 1946, so I'm guessing that's around the time this picture was taken. In other words, this means that we're looking at downtown Grand Forks as it appeared 60 years ago...right after the end of the war and before the time of "urban renewal".

When I look at the picture, I can see many of the same landmarks that are still standing to this day. You can probably pick out obvious structures like Central High School and the Courthouse. I can see many other familiar faces, too. The old First National Bank building is still downtown. So is the old Griffith's Department Store, St. Johns Block, and the Ryan Hotel.

However, it's clear that, while much of downtown looks close to the way it did 60 years ago, much has changed as well. Look in the back of the picture...where's the Kennedy Bridge? It isn't there yet. Where are the parking ramps? They wouldn't come for years. The old library would stand for a couple more decades before the first ramp would be built on that property. Other unfamiliar sights to us include the old Security Building on the north side of downtown. The fire which would devastate downtown 50 years later would start in the Security Building. How about all those buildings so close to the river? They would slowly vanish over the coming years and the flood would have the final say.

It might be confusing for some to look at the old postcard and pick out individual buildings and areas. That's why I made up this annotated version...


It's interesting to look at some of the areas that I have boxed off. These show whole sections of downtown that have succumbed to "urban renewal", new developments, or disaster over the years. Clearly, a good portion of downtown circa 1946 is no more. Kind of fascinating, huh?

(BTW, If you want to get a closer look at the pictures, just click on them.)

Chautauqua reborn

The century-old tradition of Chautauqua has come to the city of Grand Forks in the last few days.

What is Chautauqua? According to Wikipedia: "The Chautauqua was a popular educational movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. When the Chautauqua came to town, it brought entertainment for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers and specialists of the day."

The Chautauqua that's been visiting Grand Forks also has speakers, teachers, and musicians. Daily activities have been going on at the Myra Museum on Belmont Road and nightly activities take place "under the big blue tent" in Lincon Drive Park near downtown. Each night at 7 P.M., a speaker portrays a historical figure and gives a presentation about that individual. On Monday night, former UND professor D. Jerome Tweton will be playing John Jacob Astor (America's first millionaire).

I love seeing something like this come to Grand Forks. This recreation of the Chautauqua experience is a sentimental nod to a more innocent America of 100 years ago. It's also a chance for citizens to learn (the goal of Chautauqua) about the lives of influential Americans and our country's rich history.

I'm going to Monday night's lecture and I hope (::crossing fingers::) to see the place packed.

Update 8/8/2006
I went to Dr. Tweton's portrayal of John Jacob Astor this evening and I thoroughly enjoyed the night. What a great thing having something like Chautauqua pay a visit to our city. There was a good crowd at the lecture so that pleased me. It was such a lovely evening and Lincoln Drive Park is a wonderful place for events like this. The music before the lecture was great too.

There is one more night of Chautauqua left. On Tuesday night at 7 P.M., a man will be portraying York. I encourage you to experience Chautauqua while you still can.

Dreaming of January

It isn't just our air conditioners that are getting workouts from this summer's soaring temperatures. Pavement throughout the city is experiencing stress from the brutal conditions. Much like extreme cold can damage pavement, so too can extreme heat. Earlier this week, a portion of 7th Avenue South buckled and is in the process of being repaired.

A portion of the driveway directly in front of Lowe's has also buckled under the extreme heat. I noticed this on Wednesday night when I was shopping in the area. Crews were breaking up concrete near the store's eastern entrance and piling it up in large piles in the parking lot. This must be very disruptive because the concrete in question is right near the customer loading area. Maybe that's why Menard's seemed busier than usual...

And to think that in a few short months the temperatures could literally be 100+ degrees cooler. My yard is actually cracking up in places. I've heard plenty about the terrible heat the area experienced in the summer of 1936 (121 degrees in Steele, North Dakota). Let's hope things cool down soon. My air conditioner and the streets of Grand Forks can't take it much longer...