Bender Barn on KELO-TV-Watch the Video

photo from © 2007 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved

News, Weather and Sports for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa: "The Bender family has farmed near Fulton since the early 1900s, and their big, round barn has been around for more than 90 years. It's still in use and was recently recognized by a national farm preservation trust.

At 95 years old, Ed Bender's job on the farm isn't so much the chores as it is sharing his life experience. "

Family Treasures

more details

Prairie Birdy Trail

Take a look at the South Dakota birdingbooklet.pdf for places to observe prairie birds. The migration is in full swing and birds are starting to nest while others are on the way north. Now is the time to see those species that are passing through.

Fredricks earns top honor in contest

Fargo Forum Press Release

For full details, visit the North Dakota Professional Communicators (NDPC) website

For more information about Fredricks Communications

Check back often, he is winning awards and putting out new information all the time.

Bender Barn on National Trust Register

The National Trust Award was presented at the South Dakota State Historical Society on Saturday, April 14, at its annual history conference in Pierre.


Reprint from Mitchell Daily Republic April 21, 2007.

Fulton-area barn gets recognition


The barn on Scott Bender’s farm located north of Fulton is more than just another farm building. It’s been in his family for decades, starting with his great-uncle, Ed Bender, now 95, who as a boy spent rainy days scaling the barn’s hayloft with his brothers. Ed Bender, of Mitchell, was 5 when his father, in 1916, built the round arch barn that anchors his family’s farm. Scott Bender now owns the land and continues to use the barn in his daily farming and cattle operations.

Other stories pertinent to this story.

National Trust & Historic Preservation Press Release

Scott and Ed Bender, Mitchell, South Dakota. A concave pointed arch distinguishes this 1916 barn, which received a new roof and a new paint job and now looks as good as new.

About Barn Again

Ed's cousin, Garvin Bertsch, long time pharmacist was also awarded individual historian award at the 2007 conference. The Press Release.

Bertsch is being recognized for his dedication to researching and recording the history of Mitchell by covering selected historical topics in great detail. A pharmacist by trade, Bertsch’s “second career” has made him an invaluable resource to the Mitchell area.

In remembrance of Kurt Vonnegut

A poem I wrote a few weeks ago and posted on Confedtrouble

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
How many fascists in high places


Gopher Prairie’s Somnambulant

"I love America, but I don't like it." *

Asleep in one dimensional word hovels,
ghosts of Dickens squirm
like a psalmist for the first little pig’s last party

First
there were
the reefers

Next
came
the huffers

Followed by
the buzz runners

Fire & crystal
forged
into
a conundrum
Flimflam Damn
the Rapper Mann
could not
crank off
or blame a DJ
hand job
remix 4

Could not
regurgitate
the
swallowed
sounds

Match
the
referential hyperbole
reinvented
for high crime
Improv,

etwas
* Sinclair Lewis
anticipating
Slaughterhouse-Five
who set
Kesey
frei for a story named after the 3rd goose . . .

---step 1

from the poem written by Mr. Vonnegut called "Requiem,"

how poetical it would be

if Earth could say,

in a voice floating up

perhaps

from the floor

of the Grand Canyon,

"It is done."

People did not like it here.

Step It Up 2007: Climate Change Action Day

Step It Up 2007: April 14

From Bill McKibben

This is an invitation to help start a movement--to take one spring day and use it to reshape the future. Those of us who know that climate change is the greatest threat civilization now faces have science on our side; we have economists and policy specialists, courageous mayors and governors, engineers with cool new technology.

Please join United for Peace and Justice, and many UFPJ member groups including Peace Action, CODEPINK, Global Exchange, Climate Crisis Coalition, and others by participating in local actions on April 14th to say NO WAR, NO WARMING! Send the message "Fight Climate Change, Not Wars for Oil."

For more Climate Change and Anti-War Posts go to the

Washingtongue Post Hole!

E-stir Poem Published

Check my latest at Sunday, April 08, 2007, The New Verse News: POST MEDIEVAL PROM PARTY

tease:

"They parade down the time line from paradise
Bless post-menopausal teachers with knowing smiles.
Recreate virginity with time machine travel
as miraculous as the birds flying through tales before
they happen."

The High Plains Writers Sixth Annual Poetry Award will accept submissions March 12 - April 16

South Dakota Artists Network Member Gallery Page four - News/Info Page Four: "CALLING ALL POETS
The High Plains Writers Sixth Annual Poetry Award will accept submissions March 12 - April 16
$100 in cash and prizes
Poets are invited to submit one (1) poem of 35 lines or less in any style to: Rapid City Public Library
attn: Jason Walker
610 Quincy Street Rapid City, SD 57701
or jwalker@rcplib.org
Electronic submissions are kindly suggested to be in the body of an email. Attachments that do not open, open poorly or contain questionable file extensions will be excluded. Any entry over 35 lines will be discarded. Any poet who submits more than one poem will be disqualified.
Last date entries will be accepted: April 16th.
Winners will be announced at the Spring Poets Coffeehouse at the Rapid City Public Library on April 20th. Participants are not required to be present to win. However, winning entries will be read at the Coffeehouse either by the author or a member of HPW. Submissions become the property of High Plains Writers and may be used in HPW promotions. Authors retain all other rights."