The New York Says Thank You Foundation is sending a National 9/11 Flag around the country to have it stitched back to its original format after being damaged during the terrorist attacks ten years ago. Commemorative patches are sewn on in each state. This flag will be in Bismarck on August 12th and they are looking for nominations of local service heroes to help stitch the flag.
Click here to visit the Nominate a Service Hero page on the national 911flag.org website, and you can do what I did: nominate the Bismarck Police Department on behalf of Sergeant Kenner.
Fill out the form with your information and a description of what Sergeant Kenner's service and the Bismarck Police Department mean to you. Tell them that you wish to ask the Bismarck Police Department choose a representative to participate on Sergeant Kenner's behalf and in his memory.
For "Their email" you can enter "bismarckpd@nd.gov" and for "Their phone number" enter "701-223-1212". That will ensure that inquiries from the organization reach the Bismarck Police Department.
Here's a link to the poster for the event (PDF): Click Here
Here's a link to the press release for the National 9/11 Flag (PDF): Click Here
Spread the word, let our local law enforcement know that we stand with them, and help honor a local hero!
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The city of Bismarck has lost another member, one who served not only in the Public Works department but also as a state senator and leader. Services are being held today for Senator Bob Stenehjem, the senator from my district. If you live in south Bismarck, chances are he was your senator too.
Condolences to the Stenehjem family and the many others...family, friends, coworkers, and fellow legislators who will feel his loss.
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( 3 / 169 )
No, I'm not talking about the Enya album. I'm actually talking about indications of how high the river level has been. One of the best ways for someone who doesn't live in a flood-affected area to get a handle on the water level is to find a familiar place which can give you a good point of reference. For many, including myself, Pioneer Park is one of those places. If you look at the photo above, you can tell that the water level has dropped significantly.
Picnic tables that were bobbing in the water before are protruding from the water quite nicely now.
The only thing monumental about these things is the the waste of tax money to produce them. In any case, there's a good reference point here as well. A clear high water mark can be seen and the water was up to the signage at one point as well.
That's not all: the pilings for the NP railroad bridge have a tale to tell as well. Note the turbulence along the side of the pillar. I've got some amazing photos and videos of that from earlier in the flood event, I just haven't had time to share them...yet.
Even at good ol' Fort Lincoln, there are signs of receding water. In addition to the birds-eye view of the flood from the top of the northeast blockhouse, there's also this little slice of backwater.
Once again, the structure gives a good indication of water finally receding. There's a beaver that hangs out in this little inlet who I think has been enjoying the high water levels and is in for some disappointment! A couple of weeks ago I watched him slap his tail as he swam back and forth.
With releases from the Garrison Dam continuing to diminish, I'm sure we'll begin to see a major difference. I notice that the river gauge in Bismarck indicated 23.67 feet earlier today, but that's obviously a glitch. Hopefully we'll start a steady decline toward normal river levels soon!
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( 3.1 / 110 )
If you head down Washington Street and take a gander at the Main Avenue overpass, you'll see something unexpected... something I spotted weeks ago but subsequently forgot about.
Someone stenciled a couple of Pooh Bear silhouettes on the support pillars of the bridge. Despite the fact that they're sorta Kawasaki Green and Suzuki Blue, I'm not a fan of this sort of defacement.
My guess is that someone downloaded a copy of the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop and decided to be small town North Dakota's version of Banksy or something. The fact of the matter is that no matter how clever or extravagant, this "street art" is vandalism. It doesn't get any more complicated than that. Hopefully this sort of thing doesn't become too common in our city.
I can't help but wonder if the Pooh bears are in any way related to this stencil of Waldo that used to adorn a boarded-up rear entrance of the former Home Depot building. I wrote about it last year and it's no longer on that building, as the building configuration has been changed.
My suggestion for anyone who wants to get into "street art" is that they rent or buy a piece of property, and then go nuts with it. In the mean time, don't bother defacing property around the Bismarck-Mandan area that doesn't belong to you, and find a more constructive outlet for your stencil skillz (sic).
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( 3.2 / 110 );)
(Click the image for larger version)
Hundreds of area citizens joined hundreds of law enforcement officers on Thursday for a memorial service honoring slain Sergeant Steve Kenner of the Bismarck Police Department. The number of people attending, uniformed and civilian, was larger than any local church could hold.
Mayor Warford gave remarks honoring Sgt Kenner's service, saying that his stature as a man was paralleled by his stature as an officer and member of the community.
Chief Witt expressed that even now he's learning of things Sgt. Kenner did in this community that touched the lives of Bismarck citizens, things that nobody knew he did until the letters began pouring in at the Police Department over the last week.
Back when I was just a kid hanging out at the police department control room at any opportunity, Craig Sjoberg was one of my favorite officers. He also offered his personal recollections of Sgt. Kenner.
I was encouraged at the sight of many of my fellow citizens who came, like me, to join in support of all those grieving. Things like this make a fella proud of the community...
Just as the sight of people lining the streets along the route of the procession. It was an emotional thing, seeing people slowly arrive and display flags, flowers, even handmade signs of support. When the procession began, despite the number of people waiting at this intersection, downtown Bismarck was SILENT. It was a very moving experience.
One reason why Bismarck enjoys a low crime rate is because of its professional police department and officers like Sergeant Kenner who risk their safety to protect ours. Another is because of a community that will band together in support of those officers. People lined Fifth Street, Main Avenue, the Memorial Bridge, all along the route to the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery. I was told that afternoon by people who were in the procession that the show of the community was amazing and really meant a lot.
I put together a little video of part of the procession with the audio of A Hero's Last Call. This audio was among the most stirring things I've ever heard, and there wasn't a dry eye in the Civic Center as it played.
Bismarck surely has suffered a tragic loss, one I hope we never forget. What can we do to help honor the memory of Bismarck's lone fallen police officer? I think I have an idea:
The New York Says Thank You Foundation is sending a National 9/11 Flag around the country to have it stitched back to its original format after being damaged during the terrorist attacks ten years ago. Commemorative patches are sewn on in each state. This flag will be in Bismarck on August 12th and they are looking for nominations of local service heroes to help stitch the flag.
Click here to visit the Nominate a Service Hero page on the national 911flag.org website, and you can do what I did: nominate the Bismarck Police Department on behalf of Sergeant Kenner.
Fill out the form with your information and a description of what Sergeant Kenner's service and the Bismarck Police Department mean to you. Tell them that you wish to ask the Bismarck Police Department choose a representative to participate on Sergeant Kenner's behalf and in his memory.
For "Their email" you can enter "bismarckpd@nd.gov" and for phone number "701-223-1212". That will ensure that inquiries from the organization reach the Bismarck Police Department.
Here's a link to the poster for the event (PDF): Click Here
Here's a link to the press release for the National 9/11 Flag (PDF): Click Here
Spread the word, let our local law enforcement know that we stand with them, and help honor a local hero!
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( 3.1 / 151 )
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