I have written about my views on autism many times in my blog. It has been a topic that has been near and dear to my heart since I discovered close to six years ago that my grandson Noah Jr. was on the autism spectrum. It also became apparent a couple years back that my [...]
An open letter to STEM Center Principal Michelle Weber…
Dear Principal Weber, At the outset, I ask that you share this letter with all of the faculty and staff at the STEM Center. I would also appreciate it if you shared it with the STEM family. I will be sharing it with the West Fargo School District Superintendent, Dr. David Flowers, and the North [...]
Putting it in context…
Troy Becker at The Forum created a map that illustrated the "swath of the Oklahoma tornado if it had hit the F-M area." The map quickly puts into context the breadth of the devastation in Oklahoma and provides local folks a somber reminder that it could happen here. Take a good look at the path [...]
Three and a half years…
In late December 2009, Minard Hall at NDSU suffered a partial structural failure. Fortunately, this failure happened at the perfect time - a time when no one was in the building. The construction company that was putting on an addition excavated a 25 foot hole directly adjacent to the original building and that along with [...]
It is not a question of if…
Of all the hazards we face in this area of the country, the hazard I personally fear the most is a tornado. There are number of reasons why this hazard is at the the top of my list, but the primary reason is that a tornado can pick up and toss around houses, cars, and [...]
Need help raising a mighty girl?
My thanks go out to my fellow fierce girl Donna Wood for introducing me to a fabulous site called A Mighty Girl. A Mighty Girl bills itself as the world's largest collection of books and movies for parents, teachers, and others dedicated to raising smart, confident, and courageous girls. When I visited the site I [...]
Mike’s goodwill reservoir…
A common concept in business is the value of goodwill as a buffer for those moments when things go a bit south. The accrued goodwill of the business acts as a buoy that keeps the business afloat. Goodwill is typically built in the moments that businesses act with integrity, treat their employees well, or help [...]
THE NEW FORTY 