NEWS & NOTES

12/2/2024

Hello,

• Well, the Thanksgiving Holiday certainly brought a taste of winter weather!  Unlike weather in some other areas of the country, when it warms a bit, we can be grateful most of our buildings are still in tact.
• Remember the Barnes County Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign is underway.  The Barnes County Salvation Army provides avenues for needy folks to get back on their feet and become self sufficient.  Please give what you can, Blessings.  To “ring the bell”, please call 701-840-1357 or 701-541-1418.
• Kicking off the Holiday Season Saturday evening, a Light Parade and the Veterans’ Park Lighting Ceremony were hosted by the Valley City Chamber of Commerce.  The temperature was pretty cool though the wind subsided making a nice “crisp” night for a larger than expected crowd.  Thank you to all who made units and participated in the parade.
• Hats off to our city employees who do such a great job with holiday lighting, adding more lights here and there while tweaking some existing lights elsewhere.  Along with lights and decorations on Main, Central and 8th Avenue being spectacular, Veterans Park amazes me every year.  Light colors and unique placings in the park make a drive around looking at lights worth the trip.  Oh, there are “photo ops” all around Veteran’s Park and the sitting area south of City Hall.  Enjoy!
• ONLY 3% of us donate blood while over 90% of us will need blood at some time!  Every 2-seconds someone in the United States needs blood.  YOU can make a difference; call 701- 845- 4257 or 877-258-4825 to donate December 16, noon to 6:00 or December 17, 8:00 to 12:30.
• Thank you to all who provide and proof material for this column.
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; It is the courage to continue that counts.”      ~ Bud grant

         Blessings, Pray, be Respectful and Grateful,

Dave

Dave Carlsrud     

NEWS & NOTES

11/25/2024

         Happy Thanksgiving Everybody,

• Correction:  Last week I indicated “KW”, and it should have been “MW”.  Sorry for my mistake & thanks Tim.
• Saturday at 6:00 our annual “Light Parade” will begin on Central Avenue and at 7:00 the Lighting Ceremony in Veteran’s Park will be held.  Come out and enjoy the fire pits, hot cocoa, a free cup giveaway, the coloring contest kickoff and PHOTOS WITH SANTA!  “See ya there”.
• Thanksgiving is this Thursday, a wonderful time for festive, thankful gatherings with family and friends. Record numbers of people traveling are being forecast, be patient, be safe.
• Thank you to our team in the police department. During all the construction projects we had this summer, our police department was instrumental in keeping construction zones and nearby traffic patterns safe for all of us.
• Saturday the 30th is “Small Business Saturday”.  According to the United State Small Business Administration, small businesses are responsible for about 61% of net new jobs since 1995 and employ around 45% of the employees in our nation’s private sector.  Please support our local small business Saturday, and every day. Thank you.
• The Barnes County Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign begins Monday, November 25, please give what you can, Blessings.  To “ring the bell”, please call 701-840-1357 or 701-541-1418.  If you haven’t rung the bell, visiting with folks around the kettles is a blast, give it a try!
• How about an “icebreaker” game to play at your Thanksgiving?  “Give Thanks Fast” is one.  Choose two-person teams and have each team list those things for which they are thankful and take turns sharing each.  The first team to runout, is eliminated. Make it more challenging by having a category — maybe topics could begin with a certain letter or things related to school, etc.
• RESPECT, if you aren’t paying rent on a dumpster, it is illegal to use it so please don’t.
• Thank you to all who provide and proof material for this column.
• “We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”      ~ John F. Kennedy

         Blessings, Pray, be Respectful and Grateful,

Dave

Dave Carlsrud     

Hello Folks,

• Thank you to all who have been doing such great jobs keeping your properties looking so nice.  I know it is a lot of work, but with weather having been pleasant, it makes the tasks easier.
• That we all need some degree of exercise for healthy living, please consider the following.  “America’s Largest Public-Private Wellness Partnership” includes municipalities, schools and private entities contributing over $100 Million to combat obesity and the burdens of sedentary lifestyles.  The mission is to build healthy communities by bringing fitness opportunities to all.  See: https://www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/
• Hats off to our City Employees as they are scurrying in their preparations to beat the cold weather.  Cleaning streets, putting up Christmas lighting and winterizing are a few of the chores.  Thanks everyone.
• The other day a person was driving forth & back making u-turns on a residential street trying to see a house number.  If your house number isn’t easily identifiable from the street, please make it larger and a brighter contrasting color.  Thank you.
• Thanksgiving is about a week away.  It is a celebration with Native American and Puritan traditions along with Egyptian, Greek, Roman & Jewish Sukkot Harvest Festivals.
  • Thanksgiving fun fact:  There is no rest for the weary – or plumbers. These protectors of the pipes log their busiest day on Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving.  Pro tip: Oil and kitchen drains often mean disaster!
• Perhaps many of you are familiar with “Data Centers” which require power for “A-I type” needs.  Valley City uses about 22 KW of power per day and a moderately sized Data Center uses about 100 KW.  To power the city of Fargo for a day it requires  about 100 KW!  So many “advancements” in our country are requiring greater amounts of energy and water.  Providing enough of each will be challenging.
• Thank you to all who provide and proof material for this column.
• “We should just be thankful to be together.  I think that’s what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown”           ~ Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Blessings, Pray, be Respectful and Grateful,

Dave

Dave Carlsrud      

NEWS & NOTES

11/11/2024

Greetings Everybody,

• November 11th is/was Veteran’s Day.  Thank you to all veterans for providing and protecting our freedoms. 
• Governor Doug Burgum officially proclaimed Sunday November 10th as “North Dakota Law Enforcement Support Staff Day”.  The occasion was celebrated with gratitude Sunday on the North Dakota State Capitol Steps.
• Thank you to all people who participated in the democratic process by “stepping up” running for office and/or voting in last week’s election.  In two years there will be another election with openings needing candidates.  I invite all of you to ask yourself “What if I would run for office”?  Congratulations to the candidates who were selected to serve their respective offices and represent their constituents.
• Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 CHI Mercy Health is hosting a public open house featuring the new Mammography Department.  A state-of-the-art, handicap accessible mammography machine in a comfortable new suite is in place.  It is very attractive and user friendly.
• Sunday mid-afternoon the sun was shining beautifully so I went to the golf course where there were a half dozen others playing.  Not long after arriving and a few poor shots, I noticed a pair of Bald Eagles majestically soaring over the river and wooded hills.  The sky was vivid blue, a half moon was hanging low in the eastern horizon, a shiny jet flying above the moon and the eagles appeared to be soaring higher than the moon & jet. It was mesmerizing, sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.
• Rotating your running & walking shoes allows midsoles to recover before your next walk or run making your legs and feet feel better and extending the life of your shoes.  A 2015 study found that runners who rotated their shoes had a 39% lower risk of injury.
• Thank you to all who provide and proof material for this column.
• “America is a tune.  It must be sung together” ~ Gerald Stanley Lee

Blessings, Pray, be Respectful and Grateful,

Dave

Dave Carlsrud      

Hello All,

• We had some rain so the burn ban is off!  YAY, but please be careful when burning as fire can get away quickly.
• It is our Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Save Some Bucks & Spend Some Doe” celebration this Friday and Saturday.  For those of us who don’t go deer hunting, it’s a great time to head uptown and the weather forecast is favorable.  Check out some stores and visit with folks.  
• November 11th is Veterans’ Day, a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. The armistice between Allied Nations and Germany went into effect during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of WWI, “the war to end all wars.”  Thank a veteran.
• Voting is our responsibility, be an informed voter and be sure to VOTE.
• Are you familiar with our “Find The Good Life Campaign” in Valley City?  There are so many great things here which I too often take for granted and perhaps you do too.  Anyway, I was guided to the following websites and was amazed, open them and enjoy:  https://www.developvcbc.com/goodlife and https://findthegoodlife.com/cities/valleycity/ . Thanks to all who developed “Find The Good Life Campaign”.
• What if each of us would commit to executing three acts of kindness this week, how many people would be touched….?  Perhaps help someone pick-up leaves, make a friendly phone call to someone you haven’t visited for a while, treat someone to coffee or bring your special someone a flower?  “Kindness is contagious”. 
• Are you contemplating a career, research “Careers in Energy” at getintoenergy.org.  There are a variety of rewarding careers in the energy industry. It could be for you!
• Thank you to all who provide and proof material for this column.
• “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Blessings, Pray, be Respectful and Grateful,

Dave

Dave Carlsrud