North Dakota
North Dakota’s fun, little, hazing ritual
Ok, Mother Nature … hahaha … I get it … very funny.
So, as we were on the glidepath towards this past weekend, I had a few people come to me with the, “Say, buddy, you’re getting ready to see a REAL North Dakota blast of arctic cold,” and, “Just wait’ll you see THIS,” type of deal. I reminded them that I actually got here in early February of last year, but, to-no-avail. The “wintercast warnings” were ON!
So, having gotten out of the shower and insufficiently dried my beard before traipsing outside on Saturday, Florida-Man was not prepared for the immediate freezing sensation and the brittleness of my facial hair in-light of the minus-29 degree temperatures between The Studio and my garage.
Sometimes, “WOW!” just doesn’t quite cover it.
In any event, I weathered the weekend and am better for it, but it made me realize just how tough people up here are (again) and — in so many ways — now I’m better-prepared for the next one. Y’all warned me, and I didn’t necessarily listen (otherwise I would have dried my beard better), so yes the joke’s on me.
Down home, we just stay inside when it’s miserably hot and I suppose everybody does the same thing here but in reverse; it’s literally the “polar opposite.” The difference is that being outside during inclement weather up here actually HURTS, and even though the little freezing-cold-emoji guy on my phone has made numerous appearances the last 72 hours from friends down South it’s not necessarily that comical when you’re in the middle of it.
Truth-be-told, I was impressed. I think last February it got down into the negative-teens, but negative-50s with the wind-chill factor was a special kind of breeze and a different breed of cat. What’s also funny is how it seems to help y’all bond with one-another and you don’t understand or appreciate it (as an outsider) until you go through it. Don’t get me wrong, we do the same things down home and until a northerner experiences their first 95/95 day (95 degrees, 95% humidity), they don’t truly understand, either.
I was reminded of a joke they told back in the late-1980s down in Miami after we got My Beloved Marlins franchise and they were trying to decide on a name. One radio station had this bit where they said the team should be called “The Humidity,” because then — in June — people could say, “Yeah it’s not the (Miami) Heat that’s so bad …” you get the rest.
So, this weekend was just another event that is bringing me closer into compliance with my new neighbors, and I’m happy to have gone through it. There will certainly be many more where that came from, and I look forward to the future challenge(s).
It also got me to thinking: It really just briefly slows you people down, doesn’t it? I must have heard the word “hunker” about 15 times between last Thursday and yesterday, so everybody kinda gets into that mindset. I have to admit it threw a spanner into the sports-works for me — and I never appreciate that — and my sports-world stopped turning for a bit. But, hey, we’re back at it now and there’s a ton of stuff that has to be accomplished as a result.
Keep your heads on swivels, folks, because the next month is gonna be busy and we’re doing our best to touch all the bases on the way through it. Also, I wanna thank the athletic directors, players, coaches and fans who have been sending us photos of the scorebooks from games over the last few weeks; it really helps us and ensures the athletes get their names in the paper and they receive the credit they deserve for all their hard work and efforts. Teamwork is dreamwork, as far as I’m concerned, and y’all are great teammates.
With a slight hiccup over the weekend, we will have even more to get caught up on so bear with us and we will get it all done as best we can.
In any event, it was an interesting experience and North Dakota’s little hazing ritual was enlightening to say the least. If you saw my calendar on the fridge you’d understand just how many events we’re looking at for the next month and a half, so I would appreciate it if Mother Nature would give it a rest for a little while. Scheduling is half the battle for us in sports and (driving) distance does NOT make the heart grow fonder, I can assure you that.
Gaylon is a sportswriter originally from Florida, and his columns generally appear on Mondays. He can be reached at
gparker@thedickinsonpress.com
and/or 701-456-1213.
Gaylon is a sportswriter from Jensen Beach, Fla., but has lived all over the world. Growing up with an athletic background gave him a love of sports that led to a journalism career in such places as Enid, Okla., Alamogordo, N.M., Pascagoula, Miss. and Viera, Fla. since 1998. His main passion is small-town community sports, particularly baseball and soccer.
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.
Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.
Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.
Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.
New ballot measure guide to be mailed to North Dakota voters ahead of election
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