Faith In The Valley with Erik Hatch

March 11th, 2010

 

A bricklayer preacher…

I had an incredible opportunity to listen to my friend Paul deliver a sermon/message at our U-Night worship this last Sunday. U-Night is an ecumenical gathering that is very emergent-church-esque. We gather at a pizzeria for dinner, laughs, fellowship, and then a large group worship featuring music, testimonials, skits, prayer, scripture, and so on…and we continue to grow and flourish as we are finding new ways to praise Christ together.

Now Paul is a bricklayer by trade. He has these giant hands that are powerful and commanding…yet his demeanor is calm and inviting. He’s a man of God that I deeply respect. He had approached me and asked if he could share a message with our group – and I eagerly jumped on board.

So Paul was our featured preacher/teacher for this particular U-Night gathering. Over 150 people packed the room for our Sunday evening worship. And as Paul got up to speak he was able to get the entire group to focus in and wait on his every word.

Paul spoke of the death of a young man who was close to him and his family…and as he did, you could hear a pin drop in the room. The ‘main point’ from the message was that we don’t always understand why things happen…but we need to trust God. And as the honest testimony of Paul echoed throughout the pizzeria I felt Christ, with his powerful and worn hands (I imagine a carpenter’s hands are similar to the hands of a bricklayer), resting on the shoulders of Paul as he spoke. God was indeed speaking and working through Paul.

Now Paul’s calling is that of a bricklayer by profession (and not as a pastor/priest) – but that doesn’t change his desire to glorify Christ through his other gifts. He is dastardly important to the kingdom and is a shining example of Christ’s love…from worship to mission work to the construction site…Paul is used by God. It’s awesome to watch.

I find myself relating to Paul and his calling to share the love Christ has put in his heart. For quite some time now I’ve had people asking me when I’m going to seminary (I serve as the director of youth ministries…and my degrees are in speech communication and religion…but I have no formal seminary training). It takes a real calling from God to go to seminary and that call hasn’t been placed on my heart (at least not at this point in my life).

But does the lack of a degree for someone like Paul or me diminish our calling from Christ? I don’t think so! God uses all people in all circumstances to bring him glory. God doesn’t call just pastors and priests…He calls all of us. God wants to use each of us, no matter our professions.

Upon his resurrection, Jesus comes back to his disciples. These were a bunch of rag-tag not good-enoughs (sounds kinda like you and me)…and yet Jesus gives them what is called the great commission. In Matthew 28 Jesus says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus doesn’t say to them that we need certain credentials in order to do God’s work. Jesus doesn’t say that you have to have gone to seminary…or even work at a church…to bring Him glory. The way I interpret this is that Christ is telling us that we all can and should share Christ in however we are called.

So today, may you share the good news. May you bring God glory in how you live. May you discern the difference between your occupation and your calling. May you find that passion inside of you and use it in whatever way possible to praise God. May you share your life with others so that the world will know Christ through you. And may you rest assured that God can use a rag-tag, not-good-enough like you for His glory.

<><
Erik Hatch is a Youth Director at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND.  Hatch is a graduate of North Dakota State University and sells real estate in his spare time for the Jim Lund Team, Keller Williams.  Hatch also is founder and director of Homeless & Hungry.  To contact Hatch,  email him at ehatch@flcfargo.org.

Posted in Faith in the Valley | 2 Comments »

Outdoors With Doug Leier

March 10th, 2010
 

Is technology steering the future of the outdoors?

The obvious answer is yes, but the direction is not always so clear. Using a GPS device to mark a sandbar that might be a safety hazard to boaters is a good direction. Using a computer linked to the Internet linked to a webcam watching over a deer feeder in a distant state, allowing someone to “hunt” a farmed deer from their office, is not a good direction.

On a personal level, I am part of the latest craze. I have Facebook and Twitter accounts and am mostly an exact opposite of the people 15 years ago who scoffed at e-mail and most likely didn’t think we all “needed” a cell phone. And now ask yourself, who doesn’t have an e-mail address or cell phone?

E-mail and the Internet have speeded up the rate at which hunters and anglers can share information. Had a good evening fishing? You can send a photo and an e-mail report to all your friends shortly after you get home.

Oh, wait, that’s old technology. Today, you can take a photo of your biggest fish with your cell phone while still on the water, and send it, along with GPS coordinates to the exact spot you caught it, to your list of text message contacts.

When anglers began posting true – and sometimes not-so-true – reports on message boards and stories on blogs, word of a hot bite could spread through a virtual gas station or coffee shop. In the past, word trickled down, and now it can spread like a windblown prairie fire.

The challenge is determining just how much you want to believe reports from others who are often anonymous and not bound by accountability. More than a few anglers have embarked on wild goose chase. Even in the World Wide Web you have to take the good with a bit of skepticism.

I wonder how this all ties in to the latest crazes of I-phones, Twitter and Facebook?

The information hasn’t changed, but the delivery is taking another step forward, or backward, depending on your perspective. When and where are the fishing biting, or what’s the latest on the spring snow goose migration? Years ago we learned these things by word of mouth, telephone reports or print in newspapers and and radio broadcasts.

A Web-based phone allows posting of reports or messages sent on Twitter to the masses, compared to a separate and intentional connection to a phone or even sitting down a the computer. Now, an angler or hunter can broadcast their message to anyone who signs up to get the messages.

Personally, I feel sorry for the angler or hunter who puts in the time or effort to discover a secret spot, only to have the second in line quickly broadcast the accidental find to literally the rest of the world.

What’s the old saying? Once the horse is out of the barn? The message hasn’t changed, but options for delivery of certain types of messages sure have.

The trick is figuring out how much you want to share with the rest of the world, how much you want the rest of the world to share with you, and how much time you want to take away from actually fishing or hunting to send and receive.

For more information, listen to 790AM or visit www.kfgo.com
 Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. Leier is also host of “Outdoors Live” which airs on Saturdays on AM 790 KFGO.  He can be reached by e-mail at dleier@nd.gov.

Posted in KFGO Outdoors Live with Doug Leier, Sports & Recreation | 2 Comments »

Paulee’s Pro Wrestling News

March 9th, 2010

> RVD RETURNS TO THE RING AT TNA iMPACT!
- Rob Van Dam made his long awaited debut on TNA iMPACT! yesterday night getting a massive pop and defeating Sting in a matter of seconds, however celebrations didn’t last too long. The returning Sting got his “revenge” immediately afterward beating the hell out of RVD with his baseball bat. After referees managed to get Sting away from the ring, the former TNA champion forced his way back to the ring and continued his attack as fans kept chanting “RVD, RVD” however there was no comeback from the crowd favorite. Current World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho tweeted about RVD’s arrival, confused as to why he was booked to get beat down so bad on his debut. “The beat down of RVD 20 seconds into his debut in TNA was mind boggling,” Jericho said. “I don’t understand how so many talented people can be so clueless.” You can see RVD’s TNA debut at http://bit.ly/ ddFPwG


> AL SNOW JOINS TNA WRESTLING
- Former WWE Hardcore champ and Tough Enough trainer Al Snow has joined TNA Wrestling as an agent. Snow had several runs with WWE, between 1995 and 1997, 1998 and 2001, and 2002 and 2008 however this will be his first full-time employment with TNA. He did, however, appear once for the company in December 2008 at the Final Resolution pay-per-view where he took part in an angle with his long-time friend Mick Foley. Snow started his new job yesterday.

> DAVID HASSELHOFF TO GUEST HOST RAW IN LONDON
- The man who made running in slow-motion famous on television, David Hasselhoff, will be hosting the April 12 edition of Monday Night RAW in London, England. Hasselhoff – star from the TV shows Baywatch, Knight Rider and former judge on America’s Got Talent – is super popular in Europe thanks to endless reruns of his television shows so it made sense to tap him for the guest host role in England. Boxer Ricky Hatton was the last overseas guest host.


> STIPULATIONS ADDED TO TAKER VS HBK MATCH
- The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels match at this year’s WrestleMania has been turned into a no disqualification and no count out bout with the only way to win is either by pinfall or submission. While the Undertaker will be putting his undefeated streak up for grabs, Shawn Michaels is putting his career on the line and considering the show these two individuals put on last year, fans watching WrestleMania will be in for another thriller which has higher stakes this time around.


> ARTWORK FOR HART AND SOUL DVD
- The artwork for the upcoming three disc DVD “Hart and Soul: The Hart Family Anthology” has been released. The artwork has a pink background with images of Owen, Bret, Stu, Helen, Jim Neidhart and the British Bulldog around a maple leaf which sits in the middle with the title of the DVD inside it. You can see the artwork at http://bit.ly/ cbzjsf

Posted in Entertainment, KFGO, Paul Leintz, Sports & Recreation | No Comments »

Outdoors with Doug Leier

March 3rd, 2010

I know that’s not exactly how the traditional saying goes, as I’m substituting a kitten in place of lion to describe the month of March. At least, that’s how I’d like to see March unfold, with a beginning, middle and end less like January and more April-ish. 

In fact, after last spring, most of us North Dakotans probably wouldn’t argue with skipping past the freeze/thaw pattern altogether and instead transitioning right into summer. Save for a few hardy ice anglers, who’ve already had nearly three months to satisfy their hard-water fishing hunger, it’s not easy finding a benefit to a hard, drawn out winter. 

We all know a typical winter in North Dakota can produce lion after lion, and the lambs might be limited to a couple of weeks, or even just a few days like last year. After that intense 2008-09 winter, man and beast are ready for a little less winter and earlier spring. 

Of course, our preferences don’t really matter. With more than a foot of snow during the December Christmas blizzard, and ensuing temperatures pushing to 30 degrees on the wrong side of zero, our winter was off to a familiar pace.  

An Alberta Clipper here and another foot of snow there and deer, pheasants and other critters were not only conserving as much energy as possible, but tapping into fat reserves that can prolong their lives if winter lingers into April as it did last year. 

So here we are, rounding the back stretch of another winter of discontent not really knowing exactly how our wildlife fared. We do know that animals that live in areas that have good winter habitat are likely faring better than those that live in areas with marginal habitat. 

Many people think that we can “help” pheasants and deer by feeding them, but there’s no shortage of studies that indicate heavy winter cover trumps food availability when it comes to winter survival. I’m not saying food isn’t important, but a place for pheasants to get out of the wind is more important. Exposure is much more of a factor than starvation in winter pheasant deaths. 

The good news is that even though this winter is colder and has more snow than average, it’s not as severe or as long as last year. Remember, November of 2009 was practically balmy compared to November 2008, which came in with a major snowstorm over the western half of North Dakota. So far, this winter has been about a month shorter than last year, with not as much snow and not quite as cold. 
 

As March presses on, the grip of winter may loosen and then tighten up again before a full release. It is a critical month as far as winter mortality. While young, old and weak animals likely succumb first during a severe winter, the longer it lasts, the higher the overall mortality.  
I hate to use the comparison of a flood, but it’s not the first month of winter or first inch of water. More often, it’s the last storms of winter and final crest. So here’s one guy hoping and praying for March coming in like a kitten and going out like a nice soft lamb.  


For more information, listen to 790AM or visit www.kfgo.com
Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. Leier is also host of “Outdoors Live” which airs on Saturdays on AM 790 KFGO.  He can be reached by e-mail at dleier@nd.gov.

Posted in KFGO Outdoors Live with Doug Leier, Sports & Recreation | 1 Comment »

Faith In The Valley with Erik Hatch

March 3rd, 2010

 

What are you waiting for?

Are you waiting for it to be safe? Are you waiting for all the stars to align? Are you waiting for the timing to be perfect? Are you waiting until you have enough money? Are you waiting until you reach a certain age?

Maybe you’re waiting on someone else. Maybe you’re waiting for your fear to subside. Maybe you’re bogged down with work and you need a lighter load. And maybe, just maybe, you are waiting for someone else to lead the way as you don’t want to stick your neck out.

We’re full of excuses, aren’t we? In the wise words of Yoda (and I am not a Star Wars fan but I really like this quote): Do or do not; there is no try.

So, what are you waiting for? Often times I hear the lyrics of Switchfoot’s “This is your life” echoing in my soul.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead, yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now, yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

I love it. TODAY IS ALL YOU’LL EVER HAVE. So stop making excuses. Start living out loud for God. Start living the life that God intended us to live. Take chances. If you’re waiting for things to be perfect then you’ll do nothing but wait.

God gave us one life to live – it’s about time we start taking advantage of that time. You either DO or you DO NOT. Waiting or trying won’t allow God’s glory to shine.

Isn’t that what faith is about? Isn’t faith about trusting God when we can’t see the finish line? Isn’t faith about being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)?

So what are you waiting for? Where is your faith? Are you actually living by your faith or is there always something or someone or some excuse standing in the way?

I’m not telling you to go jump off a bridge because you have faith in God. I am telling you that you need to trust God. He has been faithful to us. What if we started living as though we knew Jesus was coming back? What if we trusted God and stopped making excuses? What if His glory was more important than our fears? What if!?!

So what is God calling you to? This is your life, after all…are you who you want to be?

<><
Erik Hatch is a Youth Director at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND.  Hatch is a graduate of North Dakota State University and sells real estate in his spare time for the Jim Lund Team, Keller Williams.  Hatch also is founder and director of Homeless & Hungry.  To contact Hatch,  email him at ehatch@flcfargo.org.

Posted in Faith in the Valley | 1 Comment »

Paulee’s Pro Wrestling News

March 2nd, 2010

> FAMILY OF NANCY BENOIT CAN SUE HUSTLER FOR PHOTO SPREAD
- The case of the estate of Nancy Benoit against Hustler Magazine took a turn in favor of the Toffoloni family as The Supreme Court ruled against Hustler in its latest ruling after the magazine publisher tried to get the lawsuit thrown out of the window. Hustler Magazine published naked photos of Nancy Benoit in their March 2008 issue just months after she was murdered by her husband Chris Benoit in June 2007. The photos were originally taken by radio disc jockey Mark Samansky twenty years before after Nancy expressed interest to enter the adult industry. The family of Nancy Benoit then sued Hustler for publishing the photos saying that the photos were not “newsworthy” material. In February 2008, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Thrash denied Maureen Toffoloni’s – Nancy’s mother – request for a temporary restraining order against the publication, allowing Hustler to keep their magazines on stand. In June 2009, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Toffoloni family and eventually reversed the ruling. Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling allows the family to continue their lawsuit against Hustler. Two photos from the magazine leaked online at the time of the original story in January 2008 which you can see at http://bit.ly/ Xn4yo

> HART VS MCMAHON OFFICIAL FOR WRESTLEMANIA
- The match that many thought would never see is finally happening at WrestleMania XXVI. In just 26 days, Bret “Hit Man” Hart will lace up his boots for one more time as he steps into the ring to take on the mastermind behind the Montreal screw job, Vince McMahon. This will be Bret Hart’s first WrestleMania appearance since 1997. That year, he and Stone Cold Steve Austin had one of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history in Chicago. Bret’s current WWE deal expires just after WrestleMania. He signed a four month deal which started in January rumored to be worth $500,000 plus the usual cut from WrestleMania.

> MAD DOG VACHON NEWEST INDUCTEE TO THE WWE HALL OF FAME
- Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon was announced for the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony yesterday on Monday Night RAW. Another WWE Hall of Famer, Pat Patterson, will be inducting him. The 80 year old Vachon made his pro wrestling debut in 1954 and gained fame when he joined the AWA in the early 60s. On May 2, 1964, Vachon won the AWA title from Verne Gagne but lost it just two weeks later. From that year to 1967, he went on to win the AWA World Heavyweight title for a total of five times. In 1984 he joined the then World Wrestling Federation but only spent a year there. He retired from active wrestling in 1986. He later appeared on WWE television in 1996 during the In Your House pay-per-view where he was sitting front row. Kevin Nash – as Diesel at the time – ended up ripping Vachon’s artificial leg off to use it against Shawn Michaels in their main event match. He also appeared two years later at the Over The Edge pay-per-view where he knocked Jerry Lawler out of the ring.


> WWE, MELITA SPORTS ANNOUNCE THREE YEAR TV DEAL EXTENSION
- WWE and Melita Sports in Malta announced today that they have renewed their TV broadcast agreement for an additional three years. The new deal includes the addition of WWE Superstars which is added to the lineup of RAW, Smackdown and NXT already airing on the cable provider. All WWE pay-per-views air for no extra charge on a tape delay. “WWE is delighted to be renewing and broadening our agreement with Melita Sports. The new addition of WWE Superstars to the programming schedule means that WWE fans in Malta will now be able to see more original WWE action than ever before,”
said Dominic Hayes, Vice President and Managing Director of International Television and Digital for WWE.

> AWESOME KONG SAYS SHE HAS BEEN RELEASED
- Former TNA Knockout champion Awesome Kong posted a message on her Twitter announcing that she has been let go from TNA. The rather sarcastic tweet reads, “I’d like to thank @tnaDixie and all of the employees at TNA for wishing me the very best in my future endeavors.” The @TNADixie refers to TNA President Dixie Carter who is also on Twitter. Kong made her TNA debut on October 11, 2007 and during her time there she won the Knockout title twice and was the reigning Knockout Tag Team champion with Hamada. In January Kong was involved in a backstage incident with new TNA hire Bubba “The Love Sponge” for his Haiti remark on his Twitter account. Kong ended up punching him in the face and later asked for her release which was denied.  She was eventually suspended for failing to go on tour in the UK that same month.

> LINDA MCMAHON TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST PUBLIC DEBATE TONIGHT
- Former World Wrestling Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Linda McMahon will be making her first public debate tonight as she fights to win the Republican primary for the Connecticut Senate. McMahon faces two other fellow Republicans tonight, Rob Simmons and Peter Schiff, and the debate is scheduled to air at 7PM EST on the local Fox affiliate in Hartford. It is being held at the University of Hartford. McMahon’s campaign team recently revamped the linda2010.com website to push her nomination online and through the world of social networking.

Posted in Entertainment, KFGO, Paul Leintz, Sports & Recreation | 6 Comments »

Paulee’s Pro Wrestling and MMA News

February 25th, 2010

> MIR WANTS LESNAR TO BE FIRST ONE TO DIE FROM OCTAGON INJURIES
- Frank Mir’s obsession with UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar crossed some boundaries late last week when Mir was interviewed on Mark Madden’s show on WXDX. “I want to fight Brock Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring,” the former UFC champion said. “I want him to be the first person that dies to Octagon-related injuries,” he added.  The rivalry between Mir and Lesnar started when Mir defeated Lesnar in his first MMA match however Lesnar got revenge, unifying the Heavyweight titles at UFC 100 in the middle of last year. In that fight, Lesnar decisively beat Mir with the fight ending in a TKO in favor of the former WWE champion in the second round.

> UFC, DANA WHITE ISSUE STATEMENT OVER MIR’S COMMENTS ON LESNAR
- Mir’s public comments on Lesnar forced the UFC to issue a statement to do some damage control after Mir implied that he wants Brock Lesnar to be the first person that dies to Octagon-related injuries. “I was disappointed by Frank Mir’s comments,” said UFC President Dana White. “I think his emotions are running high right now, he has a big fight coming up next month and he’s still upset about his loss to Lesnar.” White lashed out on Lesnar after his UFC 100 victory against Mir when he cut a wrestling-like promo in the Octagon and flipped the bird to the fans. However this time it was Mir who ended up getting the President’s backlash. “He’s been talked to, he regrets what he said, and he won’t be saying anything like that again.” Meanwhile, Mir himself issued a short statement saying, “I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks. I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts. I’m sorry that I stepped out of line.”

> WARRIOR ACCEPTS HALL OF FAME INVITATION.. ..THEN CHANGES HIS MIND
- Mike Johnson over at PWInsider.com is reporting that the Ultimate Warrior originally accepted WWE’s invitation to be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame however changed his mind and last week he let the company know that he won’t be involved with the ceremony at all. Warrior, who lives in Phoenix, was going to be the headliner at the ceremony but unless there is some divine intervention and he changes his mind again, the late Stu Hart will be taking his spot. Warrior’s relationship with WWE came out with a Warrior DVD which purpose was more to mock him rather than to showcase his WWE career.  The two parties were involved in different lawsuits in 1996, 1998 and 2006 because of Warrior’s failure to show at events, the Warrior trademark name and the DVD. In September of last year, Warrior lost his latest lawsuit against the company over The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.  The most famous bust-up between Warrior and WWE came at SummerSlam 91 when Warrior blackmailed WWE asking for a sum of money or else he would not show up at the pay-per-view where he was teamed up with Hulk Hogan to take on Slaughter, Sheik and Mustafa. McMahon eventually gave in to the demand and as soon as Warrior reached backstage he was fired on the spot.

> RAW RATING
- Monday Night RAW with Jewel and Ty Murray as guest hosts pulled in a 3.8 rating off hours 3.77 and 3.83 and a total of 5.5 million viewers. The number is up by 0.4 from last week. Curiosity following the pay-per-view certainly helped the number. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWInsider.com)

> NXT CAST MEMBER DAVID OTUNGA WANTS TO MARRY IN THE RING
- The latest news popping up for NXT cast member and WWE Superstar-in- training David Otunga is that he wants to marry his fiancé, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, inside a wrestling ring. When the Harvard Law School graduate was asked if WWE would be able to convince them to actually do it, Otunga said he’d be up for it, but as far as his fiancé goes he said, “I don’t know if Jennifer would go for it!” Otunga said the date is set but he cannot reveal it for now. The two met on Hudson’s 27th birthday and together they have a six month old son.

Posted in KFGO | 8 Comments »

Duck stamps help more than just waterfowl and ducks

February 24th, 2010
Duck stamps help more than just waterfowl and ducks
 
 
Over the past decade I’ve read numerous accounts on the rising popularity of watch able wildlife, which is a more inclusive and contemporary terminology than simply bird watching.

Certainly, watch able wildlife includes observing birds, but it also embraces everything from a toddler chasing butterflies, to gramps pulling over on a gravel road to marvel at a moose wandering across the prairie.

It’s likely that most people in North Dakota would fall under the spectrum of wildlife watcher. Nationwide, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimate more than 50 million birdwatchers. Among those are the millions of anglers and hunters who identify more with their consumptive activity than an off season Sunday drive to check out the spring duck migration or an early morning date observing dancing sharp-tailed grouse. Unknowingly, some hunters and anglers probably spend as much time observing wildlife as they do pursuing fish or game.

All of us – hunters, wildlife watchers and people who couldn’t care less – contribute indirectly to wildlife management through our state and federal tax dollars, which support agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture programs intended to benefit wildlife.

Hunters and anglers contribute millions of additional dollars a year in license fees and excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and fishing equipment. For instance, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department does not receive any general state tax dollars. At the federal level, much of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and particularly land management and acquisition, are supported by waterfowl hunters who purchase an annual federal duck stamp.

Duck stamps have helped purchase waterfowl production areas, and state license fees help Game and Fish maintain wildlife management areas, all of which are open to use by all – with some restrictions – not just people who hunt and fish.

Thee excise taxes and license fees paid by hunters fund habitat management such as tree plantings, grass seedings and wetland restorations. While these are designed primarily to benefit game species, they almost always directly or indirectly benefit species that are not hunted, fished or trapped.

Over the past couple of decades, wildlife enthusiasts who are not necessarily hunters and anglers have led national efforts to provide a means for nonhunters and anglers to contribute specifically to wildlife management. While anyone can buy a duck stamp – and I know several nonhunters who do just that because duck stamp dollars help other birds besides ducks and geese – these efforts have pushed for a dedicated funding source so most everyone who participated in wildlife-related recreation would be a contributor.

A little over ten years ago there was the Conservation and Reinvestment Act or CARA which would have established a type of manufacturer’s excise tax on some outdoor recreation equipment like binoculars, backpacks, etc. that would have provided increased funding research and management related to nongame species. This would have meant a sizable increase to the dollars states were and still are receiving from volunteer tax checkoff for nongame or watch able wildlife purposes.

Eventually, CARA morphed into the State Wildlife Grants program, funded not by an excise tax but through congressional appropriation. State Wildlife Grants has helped with many management and research projects in North Dakota, benefiting golden eagles, fishers, otters and American martens, shorebirds and many other species.

The point is, in this day of stretched dollars for wildlife agency budgets, adding a source of funding for watch able wildlife is a big help to hunters and anglers who have carried the load for decades. And if you want to do more, buy a duck stamp – even if you don’t hunt ducks, or don’t hunt at all.

Money directed toward waterfowl habitat is a good start and benefits wildlife and people who watch wildlife.

 
For more information, listen to 790AM or visit www.kfgo.com
 Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. Leier is also host of “Outdoors Live” which airs on Saturdays on AM 790 KFGO.  He can be reached by e-mail at dleier@nd.gov.

 

Posted in KFGO, KFGO Outdoors Live with Doug Leier, Sports & Recreation | 10 Comments »

Paulee’s Pro Wrestling News

February 24th, 2010

> WENDI RICHTER ANNOUNCED FOR HALL OF FAME
- Former five time WWE Women’s champion Wendi Richter was announced as the latest inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2010. Best known for defeating The Fabulous Moolah in Madison Square Garden at MTV’s “The Brawl to End it All” and for teaming up with Cyndi Lauper, Richter left the then WWF on bad terms after she got screwed by Vince McMahon and Moolah. In 1985, Richter was supposed to wrestle The Spider Lady, a masked female, and after the match started, Spider Lady pinned Richter thanks to the help of the referee who was in on the plan. Richter actually kicked out of the pin however the referee continued his count regardless. After the match was declared over, a very angry Richter attacked Spider Lady, unmasking her to reveal the Fabulous Moolah. The whole screw job came after there were reports that Richter did not sign her new WWF deal even though she said she still was under contract. Last year WWE contacted Richter again to be a part of the “Miss WrestleMania” battle royal at WrestleMania XXV but declined the appearance and has not appeared on WWE television since 1985. She will be inducted by Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper. You can see the whole, original screw job match between Spider Lady and Richter at http://bit.ly/ cwUrtj

> THREE WRESTLEMANIA MAIN EVENTS ANNOUNCED
- Three huge matches were announced for WrestleMania XXVI in Phoenix, AZ., on March 28 and the Money In The Bank ladder match will also return despite given its own pay-per-view in July. The World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho will be defending against Royal Rumble winner Edge; The new WWE Champion Batista goes one on one against John Cena; and The Undertaker battles Shawn Michaels for the second Mania in a row however this time in a Streak vs Career match. Also eight WWE Superstars will be involved in the MITB ladder match with Christian already qualifying on RAW.

> TRIPLE H, EDGE WRESTLE BATISTA AND JERICHO AFTER RAW
- One RAW main eventer was notably missing from the show yesterday however he did appear after the cameras stopped rolling. Triple H, along with Edge, wrestled in a dark match against Chris Jericho and Batista when RAW went off the air. The whole tag match started after Triple H called out Batista but Jericho came down for a two on one until the number one contender Edge evened the odds and suggested that all four wrestle in a tag team match.  Both HHH and Edge wrestled in their street clothes and won the match after Triple H delivered the pedigree on the new World Heavyweight champion.

> HALL, JEWEL EXCHANGE TWITTER MESSAGES OVER BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
- Yesterday’s RAW guest host Jewel wrote on her Twitter that she hit Jillian Hall really hard yesterday during the backstage segment where she ended up slapping her. “I clocked [Jillian] hard! My hand hurt! Shes tough! Gotta say, it was fun,” she said. Jillian also replied on her Twitter to Jewel’s comments, writing, “you don’t hold back… Awesome time!!” The RAW guest hosts have been a hit with many Superstars backstage and as much as it is a thrill for the guests themselves to meet the Superstars (well those who are fans anyway), the Superstars get star-struck themselves as well. Bob Barker and Jerry Springer were reportedly the two busiest people backstage when it came to photographs!

> FLAIR’S AGENT ISSUES STATEMENT OVER WIFE’S ARREST
- Melinda Morris Zanoni, the CEO of Legacy Talent and Entertainment which handles Ric Flair as one of their clients, said that the Nature Boy did nothing wrong in the domestic dispute that led to his fourth wife Jacqueline getting arrested. “Ric and his wife had an unfortunate disagreement late last night, which led to his wife being arrested and charged with assault,” she said. “The important thing to remember here is that we have some very exciting professional announcements in the near future. Ric finds this incident unsettling and is committed to correcting any issues in his personal life.”

Posted in Entertainment, KFGO, Paul Leintz, Sports & Recreation | 1 Comment »

Football thoughts from Western ND

February 23rd, 2010

Hello,

You know, I got to thinking yesterday. And Shirley always warns me about this. She is absolutely right that nothing good has ever came from it, but sometimes I just can’t help it.

North Dakota is sitting there with a little extra cash. And the legislature is in a quandary on how to handle it. Some want to save it. Some want to give it back. Some want to wave it at other states and go “na-na-na”. Shirley wanted to study building an oil refinery in the state. Just because we get less for our oil, and pay more for gas. None of these ideas really strike me as good.

I want to buy a football team! Really! Like Green Bay fans own the Packers. We should take the money and buy a football team. Oh, I know you naysayers will say we don’t have enough people to make it work. Well, we don’t have to keep the team here! We could buy one that has people around it.

And here is the clincher. We don’t have to hire a coach. We do it. Just like we legislate. We manage the team with initiated measures and referrals! If we don’t like the way the operation is going, bam, we change it. If the general manager is not drafting right, bang, we send him down the road.

We have interim coaches. We have four divisions in high school football. So we give each champion coach a fourth of the season. Currently they get to coach an all-star team. In the future they would coach “our” team for four games. We could have Fridley, Gordon, and host of others that have proven their ability over the years.

All those washed up athletes that currently play fantasy football could really be involved. They could text each other and suggest players and plays that should be in at certain times of the game. They probably wouldn’t throw the ball three times and then kick a field goal when it is first and goal from the one. If we bought the Vikings, we darn sure could improve the play calling.

And here is the real clincher. We could change the name. A lot of the lawyers in the state are mad because of the NCAA making us dump the “Fighting Sioux” moniker. They are real concerned that they will have to learn new words to the songs they sang around the keg while studying law at UND. Like where I learned, “We’re the Mighty Bison, and we don’t….”. You see what I mean. That kind of education can carry you a long way!

We graduate the name to the new team! We could have the Washington “Fighting Sioux”. That would solve a couple problems. At least it would get rid of their current name. Maybe they’re not for sale, but I think they are already operating their coaching with a plan much like mine. Maybe we could partner with the current owner. I bet he’d like my idea!

Now, I haven’t researched this a lot. But I am sure we could buy a pretty good team for a few hundred million. Couldn’t cost a billion. I don’t think so anyway. I want you to contact your legislators and get this deal rolling. Or start circulating a petition. I’ll start checking on a team for sale!

Later, Dean

Dean Meyer is a rancher from western North Dakota. His column, Hat Tips, which usually deals with the lighter side of ranch life, has appeared across North and South Dakota for twenty years. When not planting hay, putting up hay, or feeding hay, Dean enjoys teaching his grandkids bad habits. To read past Hit Tips with Dean Meyer Click Here

Posted in Country Life, Dean Meyer, KFGO | 6 Comments »

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