Five years ago Sunday: Memorial Bridge demolition

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Clint

Five years ago on October 6th the first span of the old Liberty Memorial Bridge came down. Taking down this landmark was particularly tricky on the Mandan side, because the old and new bridges were so close together. Drop the old one incorrectly, and we’d be picking pieces of TWO bridges out of the Big Muddy! Nobody wanted that.

The west span came down in a blaze of glory, being cut into pieces by shaped charges and dropped into the drink in 26 large chunks (plus assorted debris).

I staked out a place on the fake riverboat at Steamboat Park early that morning. At 7:30 people were already parked and waiting. I got a great spot, met lots of really neat people, and got some great photos and video. Click below to watch the big bang, both in real-time and slow motion. You’ll hear my camera shutter going mad in the background.

Notice how the camera shook from the shock wave. I don’t think anybody, myself included, expected such an enormous BOOM from those charges!

This was the debris pile that was removed piece by piece. The concrete piers were detonated and removed separately later on while workers prepared to detonate the remaining spans later in October.

Getting photos of the remaining spans’ detonation was more difficult. I hiked a long ways from the Mandan side, humping some very heavy gear all down the Lewis & Clark walking trail and parking on a sandbar beneath the NP railroad brdige.

Initially here was a lot of confusion among spectators as to why the middle span came down in one giant piece. I’ll tell you what the explosives expert of the demolition crew told me. Before they install their shape charges, they cut the bolts anchoring the bridge spans to the pilings. They can’t be cutting them with a grinder and sending sparks all over their explosives once they’ve been placed, after all. They had the east span rigged as well as the bottom of the middle span, but then the winds came up. They didn’t want to risk their guys being on the top of the middle span if the wind blew it over, so they opted to drop it and finish cutting it on the ground with torches. Notice that in the days before the demolition, they pushed rocks and dirt out below the bridge. That allows the crews to have land on which to salvage the steel, much easier than hunting around the water.

Notice the piece on the right hand side, the top of the pier that underwent repairs in an attempt to help the old bridge limp along. The repaired areas served their purposes, keeping the old bridge in operation until the crews were ready to take ‘er down.

How about those jaws? This machine reminds me of that James Bond villain. This guy’s got a pretty fun job, I bet. Chewin’ up steel. I can see how a feller could derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.

Nobody was more devastated than the local pigeon population; they were violently deprived of their perching, nesting, and pooping grounds! They hung around the concrete for a while until that, too was demolished.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that the last vehicle to cross the Liberty Memorial Bridge before its official closing was a motorcycle: yours truly.

Coolest souvenirs of the day: these are pieces of shrapnel from the shaped charges that brought down the mighty Memorial Bridge. I got them from the demolition crew that was doing the aforementioned cleanup. They appear to be copper, and I guess they flew away from the detonation at an extremely high rate of speed. Thankfully these two managed to land in my hands. I’ll keep them forever as a souvenir of the old humming bridge.

ND Peace Officer Memorial Service

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Clint

It’s been long overdue, so I’m posting few photos I took at the North Dakota Peace Officer Memorial Service back on May 15th. The memorial is located east of the Judicial Wing of the capitol, and the area is marked off and reserved for this service once a year.

The honor guard stands by. Representatives from various law enforcement agencies around the state make up this team.

As Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem is the state’s senior law enforcement official. Here he gives his remarks. Also speaking were Governor Dalrymple, Chief Justice Vandewalle, Chaplain Dan Sweeney, and Sheriff Pat Heinert.

The flags returned to full-staff.

Salute by the honor guard. Very loud, very striking…and very challenging for a photographer, as the smoke of the first shot or two limits available chances for a photo.

A hard hymn to listen to; the bagpipes have a certain connotation all their own that remind us why we’re present on this day.

The wreath placed at the memorial at the conclusion of the service. Thankfully this year there were no additional names to add to the wall; however, as a shameless cheerleader for local law enforcement, I know it’s still important to pause and reflect upon the risks our state’s officers take in the service of protecting their fellow North Dakotans.

National Night Out

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Clint

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Last year, after missing the event entirely, I set a reminder in my phone to check on National Night Out sometime toward the end of July this year. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, after a little poking around I found that it’s typically in the beginning of August. Good to know. As you can see, there were some bouncy, climby attractions for the kiddos. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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Perhaps the largest presence there was by the Bismarck Police Department. They had a lot of cool equipment and Chief Donlin joined a large contingent of staff to answer questions. More on the various things they brought to display in a bit.

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This event was sponsored in large part by Target. They were serving burgers and hot dogs, but I was so busy talking to different officers and taking photos that I never did find time to grab one. It was great of Target to show such hospitality; they had an army of people working the event to make sure that everyone had a good time.

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Of course, you’ve got to have big fire trucks as well. These guys actually got sent out on a call or two during the course of the evening. Such is the nature of the job.

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State Patrol. I couldn’t help but start humming a Junior Brown song at the sight of this car. My littlest guy was quite enamored of this exhibit and the trooper’s presentation.

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The kids were each given a fire helmet if they wanted one, including pink ones for the girls, and then allowed to take a crack at putting out a “fire”. My little guys came back to this multiple times. The firemen manning this station were great, and it looked like they were having a blast along with the children.

natl_night_out_26977 Tools of the trade. From the M4-configuration rifle to the “RV”, these guys have the tools to go along with the tactics. One of the team was gracious enough to lift the children up through the top hatch to look around.

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Burleigh County had spike strips on display. I’m glad I have never had to be on the receiving end of a chunk of these! I bet they get used more often than you’d think.

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Early in the evening, a bunch of the Target girls came over to see if any of the SWAT guys wanted cute tattoos. I even heard the word “cupcake” bounced around. Although I doubt there were any pastries drawn, I think some of the team were good sports and went along with it.

natl_night_out_26911 Here’s the bomb squad robot. Visitors could go up in the trailer and see how it’s operated remotely, and other tools of the trade were on display as well.

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This battering ram really needs a smiley or a “KNOCK KNOCK” on it, a la Expendables. I’ve seen and/or heard what this thing can do, and wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it!

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My little guys had a lot of fun on the other attractions, too. While my youngest loved the bouncer more, my 6 year old scaled this climbing wall like a pro! He climbed it four times, ringing the bell three of those. I’m so proud.

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Officer Fuller was there, doing his part for community outreach and giving out sticker badges to hopeful Junior Officers. He gets all the fun duties like being on the news and stuff. 🙂

If you missed this but wish you’d been there, don’t worry: you should be able to set yourself a reminder for the beginning of August next year, and come out to meet the people who work rough hours dealing with challenging situations to keep our communities safe and orderly. Also, get a burger before 8 o’clock rolls around and you realize you’ve been socializing and photographing the whole time and missed your chance!

Independence Day 2013

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Clint

I decided to try a different angle for tonight’s capitol fireworks photo. I questioned whether to even try a photo at all, since I’ve been more devoted to Daddy time than anything else. I’ve taken an unprecedented week off from work, and am enjoying how much it has allowed me to do with my little guys and my sweetie.

Rather than photograph the Independence Day Parade this year in Mandan, I joined my little family to participate in our church’s float instead. It was extremely rewarding, and worth missing photos of some of the cool things I’ve heard about in the parade. I was planning on not taking any photos of the capitol fireworks display, too…but at my wife’s urging I combined family time with a little bit of “me” time:

I set up my camera with wireless transceiver with around 1,000 foot range, then went to enjoy the fireworks with my little guys on a blankie in the grass at the capitol. I was able to use the remote and time things pretty well, getting some neat photos. This one is my favorite. And, as my credo goes, any photo trip one returns from with at least one good photo is a successful trip. This one falls into that category, even though I spent most of it playing catch with my boy on the capitol lawn.

Multitasking on my vacation, you say? Absolutely.

Classic: So how do those letters and numbers appear in the capitol windows every July 4th, Christmas, and New Year’s Day?

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Clint

Monday night some of these windows will be lit up with “4TH” as part of the Independence Day celebration on the front steps of the capitol. Every year the celebration features the music of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and finishes with a dramatic fireworks finale. Have you ever found yourself wondering how those numbers or colored Christmas tree shapes appear in the capitol building’s windows every July and December?

That’s where Bill comes in. He works for the Facility Management Division up at the state capitol, and it’s Bill and his crew who oversee the window shade pulling (and opening) to make sure it’s done right.

While Bill can pretty much do this by habit now, he does have an interesting aid: a diagram of the capitol with the relevant squares (the ones to be lit) highlighted. Facility Management and Bill were kind enough to let me tag along for this year’s window shade operation.

Bill has his custodial crew of around thirty people close all the shades on the front of the capitol as well as the east and west sides. The idea is to have the sides completely blacked out for the celebration, with the “4TH” visible only on the front. Once the crew closed all the shades on those three sides, Bill and I roamed the necessary floors and pulled open the shades forming the text.

Some windows are in spacious offices, and some are in pretty tight spots such as narrow supply rooms. Some are in such tough spots that I got to lend my lanky arms to Bill’s aid in order to snag & pull the cord. Because of that, I can lay claim to part of the 4 and (I think) the H!

The whole process took about a half hour, and I don’t think I held up Bill at all. This was an easy one; the letters were small and compact, and only one side is lit. During Christmas there is the complication of colored shades and two sides to do. For New Year’s there are four sides of the building to do. Also, for displays that are left up for more than one night, it’s important to stay on top of things to make sure the right shades are up and down and lights left on.

I originally posted on this a few years ago and wrote an article for the Dakota Beacon as well. Later on the local TV stations picked up on the story, probably around Christmas time when the windows were decorated again. It’s one of those little things that makes Bismarck-Mandan special!

How every little boy’s breakfast should be served: with payloaders and excavators

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Clint

Many thanks to Butler Machinery for a wildly successful and entertaining Open House and breakfast last weekend! Naturally I was there with my little towheads to enjoy the food and lots of big machinery on display in a heated setting.

Big machines ranging from generators to excavators, construction equipment and farm implements were all available for big kids and little kids to explore and enjoy. Fun packets were given to the kids, which include really cool little foam bulldozers! Vroom.

What better way to start your day than at the controls of giant yellow machines, just imagining the enormous sandbox you’d need to play with them. These machines seem big to me, so they must be enormous to five year olds!

Pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice, served with smiles. The lines were long but moved quickly. Of course I ate first before stopping back to take a quick photo. A man’s got to have priorities, and after a good long session lifting my boys in and out of various machines’ cabs, food was at the top of our list.

These tables were packed with guests when I arrived, one more sign of the event’s success. Once we had our breakfast, it was off to explore more big machines before sneaking a quick photo before the end of the Open House.

The staff I’ve talked to are very excited about their enormous expansion, which hopefully will be done very soon. I imagine business is good with all the construction going on in our state, and it’s wise to grow along with it. Even better is the hospitality shown to the community, and the resulting smiles on all those kids’ faces! Thanks again for a breakfast experience that will be tough to beat.

The hottest cheerleaders in Class B Basketball

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Clint

It was a nail-biter, but sadly the Shiloh Skyhawks girls’ basketball team did not come away with the overtime win tonight. It was a packed house at good ol’ Mandan High, and enthusiasm was running high on all sides.

Part of that high energy was the cheer team for the Shiloh ladies: these dudes. I don’t really know what to say about them other than that they took team spirit to the max, and offered ample support to the girls on the court tonight!

The Cold War in North Dakota

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Clint

The most usable space in the Heritage Center was the setting for a very interesting presentation this weekend: the effect of the Cold War and military infrastructure on the landscape and culture of North Dakota. It was an extremely well-attended session, to say the least…one of three sessions planned to highlight North Dakota historic sites and their importance.

Site director Mark Sundlov, a former member of a Minot Air Force base missile crew himself, was the presenter. He has a unique perspective on this subject and is determined to help preserve this important part of North Dakota’s (and our nation’s) history. Right now it’s ripe for the picking, as there are many anecdotes to record. The audience had plenty of their own. The interest in this subject as well as the gold mine of information and firsthand accounts was a strong affirmation of just how spot-on Mr. Sundlov is about the impact of the military and this period of history on the culture of North Dakota and the everyday lifestyle of its citizens.

I strongly recommend clicking on this link to listen to a podcast interview with Mr. Sundlov from a while back, before the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Historic Site was even a reality. In it he talks about life on a missile crew, something that wasn’t really part of the focus of Sunday’s presentation.

If you want to read more about the Cold War remnants around our state from this photographer’s perspective, try some of these links, which will each open in a new window:

Cold War Mancation, Part One: Minuteman Missile Site

Cold War Mancation, Part Two: Nekoma Missile Base (Mickelsen Safeguard Complex)

Cold War Mancation, Part Three: Former OMEGA Station LaMoure

Cold War Mancation, Part Four: Cavalier Air Force Station

Cold War Mancation, Part Five: Minot

Duluth falls far short of North Dakota snow angel world record

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Clint

This is STILL the world record for single-site snow angels.

I found out today that Duluth tried, quite unsuccessfully, to top our record for the most snow angels made in a single location at a single event. Nice try, but North Dakota tops Minnesota in all the good ways. 🙂

You may remember a while back when I posted that Canadians had made over 15,000 snow angels for a new record – but they were at multiple sites across a wide area, so it is NOT the same record as ours.

Fear not, NoDaks…we’re still undefeated.

The only Super Bowl halftime show you’ll ever need

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Clint

Super Bowl XXXVI had a special significance outside the football realm: it was the first after the terrorist attacks only a few short months before. Concerns about security ran high, as the nation was traumatized by the events of September 11th and worried whether more such attacks on civilians were in store. Thanks to President Bush, we have not been hit since, but some healing was in order. Who best to deliver a halftime show to help along the way than U2?

The YouTube video I’m going to link to below contains the second half of the show. I have a copy of the full show, raw as it was sent from the truck to the network, but I don’t have permission to put it online. The first song they play, Beautiful Day, is also on YouTube; just search for “U2 Super Bowl Halftime” and you’ll find it. But the part that had me standing, jumping, and cheering that day was the second song, perhaps their most famous: Where the Streets Have No Name.

(Link – it’s no longer able to be embedded)

When Bono is walking with the microphone before he begins to sing, he quotes Psalm 51:15 – “O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.” In an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, U2’s manager tells the story of how, in the band’s early days, he’d find them in the bus after their shows reading the Bible instead of out partying it up. Apparently they’re Christians of some sort. According to the program, they almost called it quits when all the fame took hold because they didn’t know what it might do to them. They didn’t break up, however, although Bono has since jumped the shark. I like their music and choose to remember where they supposedly came from.

Tonight’s halftime show was predictably garbage – half dressed “dancers” writhing around without a musician among them – so I tuned it out. In fact, I didn’t even get to begin watching the game until the start of the second half, which turns out to be the best part of the game. I kept a thumb on the remote button to switch away from any of the racy commercials, caught the Dodge Ram “Farmer” ad (easily the highlight of the night), and kept my family’s eyes safe from whatever assault Big Media had prepared for them.

Bismarck-Mandan Blog

Photography , musings, and a love of North Dakota

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