North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
October 15, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) REGISTER NOW for 2004 NDHRC Conference November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck!!! 2) 2004 NDHRC Conference Community Resource Exhibits 3) CEU’s Available at the NDHRC Conference, November 5 & 6, Bismarck, ND 4) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Fargo Network Sponsoring Candidate Forums, October 19 & 20, Fargo 5) Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance, Tolerance.org: What’s in a Mascot? 6) Press Release: Mayor Warford names two to Human Relations Committee 7) Press Release: Hoeven Announces Grant to Provide Single Point of Access for Seniors and People with Disabilities 8) Election Day Hotline
Newspaper Articles 9) The Forum (Fargo), Bismarck Tribune, & Grand Forks Herald articles regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage or civil unions in North Dakota 10) The Forum (Fargo), Vandals hit Fargo mosque 11) The Forum (Fargo), NDSU blasts graffiti 12) Bismarck Tribune, Sakakawea the star in Piehl’s paintings 13) Bismarck Tribune, Protesters to target Bismarck’s activities 14) Bismarck Tribune, Celebration should embrace all 15) University of North Dakota, Grant to fund new Indian law program at UND 16) The Forum (Fargo), Drum leads celebration for Hindus 17) The Forum (Fargo), Fargo boy will not be forgotten 18) Valley City Times Record, VC student recipient of first-ever U of Minnesota disability scholarship 19) Bismarck Tribune, Group challenging judicial speech restrictions
Events 20) Town Hall Meeting, No Child Left Behind: Students with Disabilities, October 20, Bismarck 21) University of North Dakota’s 10% Society, Coming Out Week Events, October 15 – 16, Grand Forks
Reminders 22) ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, Native American) Week Events at UND, October 12 – 16, Grand Forks 23) Press Release: First Nations Day, October 8, Bismarck 24) Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, September 15 – October 15 25) Candidate Recruitment & Reminder from Uniting for Equality 26) Message from Equality North Dakota 27) Applications Invited for Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Please Note: The NDHRC distributes a weekly PAUR report to inform our members and friends about news, events, and other human rights related information around the state. The opinions expressed within the articles are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the NDHRC.
NDHRC members and friends receive an e-mail subscription of our weekly e-mail newsletter, the NDHRC PAUR Report. If you would like to be removed from the PAUR Report mailing list, please send an email to humanrights@ndhrc.org.
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) REGISTER NOW for 2004 NDHRC Conference November 5 & 6, 2004, Bismarck!!!
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, “Human Rights: Economic Impact of Discrimination,” is Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6, 2004 at the Best Western, Ramkota Hotel, 800 South Third Street, Bismarck, ND.
A detailed agenda including times and speakers is available here.
The conference brochure and registration form are available here.
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2.) 2004 NDHRC Conference Community Resource Exhibits
NDHRC Organization Members & Friends,
You are invited to participate in our community resource exhibition at this year's conference November 5th and 6th at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck!
The exhibition is designed to inform our conference attendees of human rights related organizations and resources available in North Dakota. There is a limited amount of booth space available, and requests will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
There is no registration fee, however booth participants are asked make a $25 donation to help defray conference expenses. Conference presenters are not asked to make a donation.
If you would like booth space, please complete and mail the booth registration form by October 27, 2004. The booth registration form is available here.
For additional information contact me Andrea Warren-Deegan at andreadeegan@ndhrc.org or (701) 793-1134.
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3.) CEU’s Available at the NDHRC Conference, November 5 & 6, Bismarck, ND
The North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) approved the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Conference, “Human Rights: The Economic Impact of Discrimination,” for 13 continuing education contact hours.
The NDHRC conference can be found on the NDBSWE web site at www.ndbswe.com, under education and approved program status.
Approval for CEU’s from the ND Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners is pending.
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4.) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Fargo Network Sponsoring Candidate Forums, October 19 & 20, Fargo
The ND Progressive Coalition's Fargo network is sponsoring candidate forums in Fargo on Oct. 19 and 20. The purpose of these forums is to make sure that members of the NDHRC and other progressive organizations can publicly make the case for justice issues that are important to us. These issues also well with the Progressive Coalition's campaign on economic justice.
PLEASE ATTEND AND/OR PARTICIPATE in these legislative candidate forums. Writing questions ahead of time will help you be prepared to get your message across and to connect with the other progressive issues at these forums.
IF YOU CAN COMMIT TO ATTEND, please e-mail Andrea Warren-Deegan ASAP at andreadeegan@ndhrc.org.
Here are the details:
DISTRICT 44 Tuesday, OCTOBER 19 at 7:00 p.m. McKinley Elementary School, 2930 8th Street North, Fargo
DISTRICT 46 Wednesday, OCTOBER 20 at 7:00 p.m. Centennial Elementary School, 4201 25th Street South, Fargo
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5.) Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance, Tolerance.org: What’s in a Mascot?
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition opposes the use of nicknames, mascots and logos which refer to Native American tribes at educational institutions in North Dakota. The NDHRC is committed to working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights, those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity. The human rights of Native Americans who are students at and work at such schools are being violated by the continued use of these nicknames, mascots and logos by being subject to derogatory T-shirts and chants while attending sporting events, and otherwise on and off campus. This also includes those who are not Native American and who deserve to not be subjected to the T-shirts and chants.
Schools across the country use
stereotypical Native American mascots. Learn how you and your kids can wage a
campaign for change.
Go
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6.) Press Release: Mayor Warford names two to Human Relations Committee
News Release September 30, 2004
Mayor Warford names two to Human Relations Committee
Mayor John Warford named two Bismarck residents to the Mayor’s Committee on Human Relations. The Bismarck City Commission confirmed the nominations of Daphne Ghorbani and Shih Ru Martin.
Daphne Ghorbani is an associate professor in education at the University of Mary. Ghorbani has lived, worked and studied in the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Germany, and Iran. She has lived in Bismarck since 1979 and describes herself as an avid reader of current events, issues and local trends.
Shih Ru Martin was born in Taiwan and came to Bismarck in 1995. Martin is a family nurse practitioner who also teaches at Medcenter One College of Nursing. She has been a speaker at a number of multicultural events.
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7.) Press Release: Hoeven Announces Grant to Provide Single Point of Access for Seniors and People with Disabilities
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today joined advocates for older adults and people with disabilities to announce that North Dakota has been awarded a grant to provide a single point of access to long term support and care services for seniors and people with disabilities. The $315,000 three-year grant will help fund the Governor’s initiative to provide North Dakotans with a full range of services from nursing home care to home and community-based support.
AARP North Dakota, the North Dakota Department of Human Services and the North Dakota Disabilities Advocacy Consortium collaborated to develop the proposal with the goal of creating a resource for families to contact when exploring long term support and care options.
“This grant will continue the work begun by the state’s Olmstead Commission,” Hoeven said. “It will enable North Dakota to strengthen the coordination between providers so that people are aware of their choices and can easily locate appropriate long term support services.”
Linda Wurtz of AARP said, “Older adults want choices, and many prefer to use in-home support services to remain independent as long as possible. Unfortunately, families often make decisions during a medical crisis with very limited information. This grant will help address that knowledge gap as well as other access issues.”
According to Hoeven, the initiative will focus first on coordination and public awareness efforts. Partnering organizations hope to propose administrative rules and legislation in 2007 to further rebalance efforts so that North Dakotans have a comprehensive range of service options.
<snip>
View full release here
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8.) Election Day Hotline
Message from the ARC of the United States (for people with disabilities):
Please forward widely.
Our colleagues in the civil rights community have set up a toll-free Election Day hotline. This hotline is staffed now and, in addition to logging your complaint, the civil rights organizations have law students and attorneys who can provide assistance on Election Day. The hotline number is 866-OUR-VOTE, (866-687-8683).
If poll workers refuse to allow you to vote for any reason, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
If the polling place is inaccessible, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
If there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
If your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
If you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved.
Angela Katsakis, Disability Vote Project Coordinator, American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD), 202-457-0046 x25, 202-457-0473 fax, 1629 K Street NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20006, Visit our website at www.aapd-dc.org or aapdvote@earthlink.net
Call your local Board of Elections before Election Day to find the location of your polling place and its accessibility features is part of good planning. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2004. As Justin Dart said, “Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.”
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
9.) The Forum (Fargo), Bismarck Tribune & Grand Forks Herald articles regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage or civil unions in North Dakota
The NDHRC Board of Directors has established a position on the proposed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment. The position and proposed amendment is as follows:
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition opposes the proposed North Dakota constitutional amendment to prevent the recognition of marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples.
The NDHRC supports full civil rights for all residents of North Dakota, including gay/lesbian/transgender/bisexual residents of our state. Neither enshrining discrimination in our Constitution nor stripping families of basic protections would serve our state’s best interest. The North Dakota Constitution protects and ensures equal treatment for all people. It should not be used to single out a group of people for harmful and detrimental treatment.
The information that the NDHRC Board of Directors used to adopt this position is available on the NDHRC web site at http://www.ndhrc.org/Goals/NDHRAct/GayMarriageAmmendmentPosition.htm.
Gerry Even is a board member of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
Gerry Even letter: Family Alliance contradicts itself
I'm quite amused by the North Dakota Family Alliance's most recent public action, their lawsuit in federal court to abolish a portion of the North Dakota Code of Judicial Conduct.
The amusing part is that this same group is warning about the possibility of so-called "activist judges" changing traditions from the bench. The group would rather see changes made through the legislative process. In fact, NDFA's executive director, Christina Rondeau, is quoted in the Oct. 3 Forum, referring to the GLBT community, as saying they "are not utilizing the democratic process. They instead are trying to force this issue down the throats of Americans by finding activist judges."
By filing suit to challenge the existing law and tradition of the Code of Judicial Conduct, aren't they also bypassing the legislative process, and actually searching for an activist judge?
Gerry Even
Fargo
View online article here
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Marriage
amendment sparks debate Posted: Bismarck Tribune – 9/28/2004
FARGO -- A
public forum here on a proposed marriage amendment led to spirited debate among
a handful of residents but might not have shed new light on the issue, said one
member of the group that sponsored the event.
"I almost
feel it was a bad idea to have the discussion," Huang said. "Somehow I don't
feel it will ever change ... and we only end up hurting each other."
View full article here
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Gay marriage amendment dialogue heated
A community dialogue on the North Dakota constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was heated and emotional Tuesday night.
Jonny Huang, a member of the Fargo Human Relations Commission, which sponsored the forum, said he thought the two-hour event turned out to be a bad idea.
"All we end up doing is just hurting each other verbally," Huang said. "I feel sorry to say, to me at least, it's not beneficial because I feel hate going on here."
Although moderator Amy Phillips, a professor from Minnesota State University Moorhead, established ground rules which called for calm, respectful conversation, she often had to rein in the audience of about 30 people.
Contentious points included the role of religious beliefs in policy-making, and whether homosexuality is biological or a chosen lifestyle.
The Human Relations Commission invited representatives from the North Dakota Family Alliance, which proposed the amendment, and Equality North Dakota, which opposes it.
No one from the Family Alliance attended the dialogue.
Equality North Dakota Chairman Robert Uebel spoke against the amendment.
<snip>
View full article here
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Marriage activists face off
BISMARCK -- A constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex unions is necessary to prevent courts from redefining marriage, Christina Rondeau said during a debate on the issue Wednesday.
But Robert Uebel, who opposes the amendment, said it is unnecessary and may have unforeseen consequences.
"Equality North Dakota believes that Measure One is an attempt to enshrine discrimination in our state's most important legal document, our constitution," said Uebel, chairman of the statewide equal-rights group.
Uebel and Rondeau, executive director of the North Dakota Family Alliance, faced off in a long-awaited debate taped in Prairie Public Television's studio.
North Dakota voters will decide the measure, proposed by the North Dakota Family Alliance, in the Nov. 2 general election.
The TV program, which airs at least four times in October, is the only scheduled debate between the two groups, the most vocal supporters and opponents of the amendment.
The North Dakota Family Alliance declined to take part in a dialogue sponsored by the Fargo Human Relations Commission. Family Alliance officials believed the forum would be slanted because the commission had taken a stance against the amendment.
<snip>
View full article here
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House
rejects amendment banning same-sex marriage Posted: Grand Forks Herald – 9/30/2004
WASHINGTON - A proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage fared better in the House of Representatives on Thursday than it did in the Senate in July, but still fell far short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass.
After more than three hours of often passionate debate, the House voted, 227-186, for an amendment that would define marriage as only between one man and one woman. It needed 276 votes to pass.
The measure failed to win even a majority in the Senate, which defeated it, 50-48, on a procedural vote July 14. Two-thirds of both houses of Congress and then 38 state legislatures must approve an amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution.
Amendment supporters knew they did not have the votes to pass it. But with pressure from conservative groups outraged by same-sex marriages in Massachusetts and earlier this year in San Francisco, supporters said they wanted to put lawmakers on the record on the issue.
"Everybody in this country's going to know how you voted today," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas told his colleagues after he took the unusual step of managing the Republican side of the debate on the House floor. "We will take it from here and we're going to come back and we're going to come back and we will never give up. We're going to protect marriage in this country."
Amendment supporters said that "traditional marriage" was under assault from "activist judges." Allowing same-sex unions goes against the wishes of a majority of Americans and would lead to fewer marriages and more children born out of wedlock, they said.
<snip>
View full article here
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Foes dig in on gay marriage
The North Dakota Family Alliance looks around and sees a wave coming.
Gays and lesbians legally marry in Massachusetts.
A judge in Washington rules that barring same-sex couples from marriage violates the state constitution's guarantee of equal protection.
A federal constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage fails.
The organization wanted to protect marriage from being redefined. That's why it initiated a measure that would amend North Dakota's constitution to ban gay marriage, said John Trombley, chairman of the Family Alliance.
"It's really forced us into this position," Trombley said of the actions elsewhere. "You look on the horizon and see what's going on and you realize you have to do something today because tomorrow's uncertain."
North Dakotans will vote on an amendment banning gay marriage on Nov. 2, as will voters in 10 other states.
Missouri and Louisiana voters overwhelmingly approved constitutional bans on gay marriage in August and September.
Hawaii, Alaska, Nebraska and Nevada previously adopted constitutional marriage amendments.
The Election Day measures are expected to pass in most of the states, according to polls conducted in states considering bans.
<snip>
View full article here
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Amendment votes fairly common
North Dakotans have not been shy about amending their state constitution.
More than half of the 262 constitutional amendments proposed since statehood have passed.
According to documents from the state's Legislative Council, 43 of these proposed changes were initiated by the voters through petitions.
Measure 1, the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, was placed on the Nov. 2 ballot after the North Dakota Family Alliance collected more than 42,000 valid signatures during its eight-week petition drive.
Traditionally, conservatives tend to argue against amending constitutions, but they support marriage amendments on a state and national level.
That flip-flop on this issue is not surprising, and applies to the left as well, said Lloyd Omdahl, a retired professor of political science at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and former lieutenant governor.
"The constitution is really a vehicle for the promotion of policy you favor or don't favor," he said. "They'll amend the constitution on issues they think are important.
"Otherwise, they think the constitution is sacred."
While most constitutional amendments have been procedural -- for example, lengthening term limits -- some have their roots in moral and social issues.
<snip>
View full article here
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Staffer for Liffrig quits over TV ad dispute By Deena Winter, Bismarck Tribune Bismarck Tribune – 10/6/04
U.S. Senate candidate Mike Liffrig's press secretary has left the campaign in frustration over a provocative television ad campaign that accused his opponent, Byron Dorgan, of supporting gay marriage.
Chris Morrola was Liffrig's press secretary from July 1 until last week, when he returned to Virginia. Morrola said he left largely due to the TV advertisements that were broadcast over his objections. He said he opposes gay marriage, but the ads were inflammatory and only hurt Liffrig's polling numbers.
Morrola has worked on six other campaigns, including four previous congressional campaigns. When asked about Morrola's departure, Liffrig's campaign manager, Jon Zahm, said Morrola wanted to return home to his family. Zahm said he had no knowledge of Morrola's unhappiness over the ads.
"There's probably a lot of things that I could say about him," he said. "He was not a real big part of the campaign."
<snip>
View full article here
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10.) The Forum (Fargo), Vandals hit Fargo mosque
Vandals hit Fargo mosque
Feces was smeared on the south door of Fargo's mosque this weekend.
Whether the crime was hate-motivated is not clear.
Fargo police were dispatched to the mosque, 2102 6th Ave. S., at 7:18 a.m. Sunday when the vandalism was noticed.
It occurred sometime after 9 p.m. Saturday.
Yahya Frederickson was leaving the mosque after morning prayer when he spotted paper on the ground.
"It looked like there was feces that had been smeared on the back door and toilet paper that had been stuck in it," Frederickson said.
Cigarette butts lay on the ground, and tobacco juice had been spit on the doorknob, he said.
Frederickson said the Muslim community was more concerned about assaults after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but not recently.
About a week after 9/11, a man displayed a rifle at the mosque, but did not overtly threaten anyone.
<snip>
View full article here
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11.) The Forum (Fargo), NDSU blasts graffiti
NDSU blasts graffiti
Campus leaders at North Dakota State University are condemning three recent acts of vandalism that contained anti-Semitic messages.
Student body president Craig Kilber said he was leaving the NDSU Memorial Union about midnight Sept. 30 when he noticed someone had drawn a swastika and written the words “Kill Jews” in freshly poured cement. The graffiti was smoothed over Friday morning.
Wednesday morning, NDSU Police Chief Tim Lee said he was alerted to 12th Avenue and 18th Street, where someone had placed a sticker on a bus bench depicting an arm holding a Nazi flag.
Those incidents come on the heels of an incident a couple of weeks ago, when someone spray-painted racist graffiti on an alley road a block from campus, NDSU President Joseph Chapman said.
In a joint statement Wednesday afternoon, Chapman, Kilber, University Senate Presiding Officer Charles Harter and Staff Senate President Susan Bornsen condemned the acts of vandalism.
“These are the acts of cowards who hide their identity in the dark of night to avoid association with their reprehensible words and thoughts,” the statement read. “We will not be silent about their deeds. North Dakota State University is a place where harassment is not tolerated and respect for all (is) expected.”
Campus police have no suspects but are trying to identify some people seen near the union the night of the cement incident, Lee said.
Chapman said that, while it would be easy to ignore the acts of vandalism as isolated incidents, people must understand that everyone is welcome at NDSU and the campus won’t accept bigotry of any kind.
<snip>
View full article here
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12.) Bismarck Tribune, Sakakawea the star in Piehl’s paintings
Sakakawea the star in Piehl's paintings By Virginia Grantier Bismarck Tribune – 9/29/2004
He was hired to paint, but exactly what he would paint, what his creations would say about Lewis and Clark, was left completely to him.
And contemporary Western painter Walter Piehl of Minot didn't have to ponder long.
"It was pretty obvious to me," he said Tuesday.
Piehl, commissioned by the Bismarck Tribune -- his work intended to further enrich Bismarck's upcoming Circle of Cultures national Lewis and Clark signature event Oct. 22-31 -- focuses on Sakakawea.
He said he hopes the two paintings, unveiled Tuesday, help people feel something about Sakakawea's importance and accomplishments, which should be celebrated.
What she accomplished for the expedition, first while pregnant, then a woman with a little baby, "it was an amazing thing," he said.
Piehl, known for his abstract style, decided to merge expressionism and some realism in the paintings.
<snip>
View full article here
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13.) Bismarck Tribune, Protesters to target Bismarck’s activities
Protesters to target Bismarck's activities By Deena Winter Bismarck Tribune – 9/30/2004
Lewis and Clark may have received a warm welcome from Indian tribes when they arrived in the area 200 years ago, but those commemorating their journey in Bismarck later this month won't be welcomed universally.
American Indian protesters plan to target the national "signature event" that will be held in Bismarck, because they say it's improper to commemorate an event that marked the beginning of the end of their way of life, culture and people.
"To us, it's no reason to celebrate," said Deb White Plume, a protester who lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. "To us, it represents the dawn of genocide. I think to Americans it's probably like a patriotic celebration but to us there's nothing to celebrate because it meant the end to our way of life, and why would we celebrate that? I think if there was a reenactment of the Jewish Holocaust or slavery nobody would ask 'Why are you opposing that?'
Victorio Camp, a 29-year-old college student who lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation, said the protesters who show up at the National Lewis and Clark Signature Event Oct. 22-31 are the same group that protested a Lewis and Clark event in Chamberlain, S.D., on Sept. 18 and in Fort Pierre, S.D., on Saturday. They angrily confronted reenactors who are retracing Lewis and Clark's journey, demanding that they turn back, and say they'll continue to protest as the events continue on to Oregon.
State Tourism Director Sara Otte Coleman said she learned Wednesday that protesters are expected to target the Bismarck events.
"The organizers are welcoming anybody who has a story to tell as long as there isn't any violence," she said.
The protests are being organized by a youth group called Owe Aku, which means "bring back the way" of spirituality, language and values, Camp said. They say Lewis and Clark gave President Jefferson a blueprint for invading and stealing their land and paved the way for missionaries, settlers and pioneers.
<snip>
View full article here
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14.) Bismarck Tribune, Celebration should embrace all
Celebration should embrace all By Ken Rogers for the Tribune Bismarck Tribune – 10/6/2004
The Mandan
people are still here. The Hidatsa people are still here. And so are the Arikara,
Lakota, Assiniboin and Crow.
The
bicentennial -- to be commemorated here in the Circle of Cultures -- isn't some
kind of holiday drummed up just for the selling of greeting cards, bumper
stickers and T-shirts. It focuses on a military expedition mounted for the
purpose of exploring newly acquired territory. The ensuing transformation of
that land brought horrendous change upon Indian cultures and sovereignty. That's
one truth.
<snip>
View full article here
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15.) University of North Dakota, Grant to fund new Indian law program at UND
The University of North Dakota School of Law received a $148,422 grant for its American Indians into Law program on Sept. 21. The funds will be used for student scholarships and stipends, and retention and outreach initiatives intended to support the new program.
The grant was filed in 2003, through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice, by then interim dean of UND Law School Candace Zierdt and law school professor Kathryn Rand.
The new dean of the law school, Paul LeBel, expressed a continued support for the Indians into Law program.
"I'm grateful to our Congressional delegation for securing this funding for a program that will help the School of Law continue its efforts to recruit and retain American Indian students," LeBel said. "Through the Indians into Law program, we join other parts of the University of North Dakota in increasing the professional opportunities for these students."
<snip>
View full article here
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16.) The Forum (Fargo), Drum leads celebration for Hindus
Drum leads celebration for Hindus
The pounding of a drum is the heartbeat of Durga Puja, a Hindu religious celebration thousands of years old.
That heartbeat could be heard loud and clear Saturday morning in the south Fargo home of Kaushik and Ananya Sen.
The drum beat was recorded.
But the spiritual benefit gained by listening to it in the company of friends and loved ones was real, Kaushik Sen said.
“You forget about everything else. And that’s very relaxing,” he said.
It is the second year in a row the Sens have hosted the autumn festival and hundreds will have taken part by the time the three-day event concludes today.
Guests were expected from all over the region as well as Chicago, with many North Dakota State University students helping with the elaborate preparations, which were weeks in the making.
<snip>
View full article here
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17.) The Forum (Fargo), Fargo boy will not be forgotten
Fargo boy will not be forgotten
There were smiles all around at the North Dakota School for the Blind in Grand Forks Friday.
The occasion was the dedication of a huge playground to honor the memory of a 9-year-old Fargo boy who tragically lost his life in August of last year.
The Outdoor Learning Center at the School for the Blind will be known as "Mikie's Place."
Mikie Jones-Schreder, son of Terry and Christie Schreder of Fargo, drowned in a motel swimming pool in Grand Forks.
"I think it's a very fitting memorial for someone as enthusiastic as Mikie was," his mother said. "Mikie would have loved it."
The dedication ceremonies were held just five days before Mikie would have celebrated his 11th birthday.
"I know he's smiling down on us from heaven," Christie Schreder said. "He's with us in spirit today."
Mikie was "profoundly blind," his mother said, the result of a virus that attacked his brain when he was just 2.
But she said it didn't slow him down much. He attended Bennett Elementary School in Fargo, used a white cane when he walked and was a Braille reader.
<snip>
View full article here
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18.) Valley City Times Record, VC student recipient of first-ever U of Minnesota disability scholarship
VC student recipient of first-ever U of Minnesota disability scholarship Valley City Times Record – 10/5/2004
Casey Martin, a graduate of Valley City High School, is one of three first-year students at the University of Minnesota to become the first recipients of the Robert and Gail Buuck Scholarship for Disability Services.
Martin intends to pursue a degree in international relations and mass communication and also compete in college speech competitions. His long-range goal is to enter graduate school and continue study in economics and international business.
In high school, Martin made the finals at the International DECA competition in marketing management in May 2004.
He was also in the National Honor Society, the National Honor Roll, Who's Who Among American High School Students and the Forum All-Star.
"This scholarship relieves some of the worry regarding costs and expenses here at the U, allowing me to spend more of my time focused on my studies and academic pursuits," Martin said.
The other two Buucks Scholarship recipients are Rachel Garaghty of Cottage Grove, Minn., and Jenna Aaland of Fargo.
After learning in an article last November that the University of Minnesota did not have any scholarships for students with disabilities, Robert and Gail Buuck donated $100,000 to the university's Disability Services Office to establish an endowment scholarship fund.
The purpose of the Buuck Family Fund is to provide access to higher education, opportunities for enhancing or supporting learning, and support for guidance or training in the development of self-advocacy and leadership for students with disabilities at the University of Minnesota.
No longer available online.
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19.) Bismarck Tribune, Group challenging judicial speech restrictions
Group challenging judicial speech restrictions By DALE WETZEL, Associated Press Writer Posted: Bismarck Tribune – 10/5/2004
A group that wants North Dakota judge candidates to answer questions about abortion, homosexuality and school prayer is suing to block judicial conduct rules that it says prevent the candidates from replying.
The North Dakota Family Alliance filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Fargo, its director, Christine Rondeau, said Monday. The group contends some of North Dakota's judicial conduct rules are unconstitutional because they infringe on the free-speech rights of judges and attorneys who are running for judgeships.
The lawsuit names 34 defendants, including members of North Dakota's Judicial Conduct Commission and the state Bar Association's inquiry committee, which investigates alleged infractions of rules that govern the conduct of lawyers.
In telephone and e-mail interviews on Monday, defendants in the lawsuit either declined comment or said they were unaware of the filing.
The lawsuit is being handled by a Terre Haute, Ind., law firm that successfully represented the Minnesota Republican Party two years ago in a U.S. Supreme Court dispute over judicial speech. The high court's ruling in the case, called Republican Party v. White, gave candidates for judicial office more leeway to discuss issues during campaigns.
An attorney in the Minnesota case, James Bopp Jr., said North Dakota did not change its judicial conduct rules in response to the Supreme Court's decision. As a result, judge candidates could be disciplined for making statements that the high court's ruling allows, Bopp said.
Rondeau said the Family Alliance wanted to encourage candidates to respond to a questionnaire it sent to judge candidates. The organization wants to use the information to publish a voters' guide, she said.
<snip>
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events for October is available on the NDHRC web site here.
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20.) Town Hall Meeting, No Child Left Behind: Students with Disabilities, October 20, Bismarck
No Child Left Behind: Students with Disabilities Town Hall Meeting Wednesday – October 20, 2004 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Tom Baker Meeting Room City/County Building 221 N. 5th Street, Bismarck
This Town Hall Meeting is an opportunity for parents, guardians and students to gain a greater understanding of the No Child Left Behind Legislation and its impact on students with disabilities.
Panel presentations (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.) The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Bismarck Public Schools Legislator (invited) Parents
Questions & Answers (7:30 – 8:30 p.m.) From the audience By telephone (222-6424)
Sponsored by: American People Self Advocacy Association, Bismarck Legislative Working Committee, CP Support Group, Dakota Center for Independent Living, Designer Genes, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, PDD Support Group, Partners in Policymaking, Protection & Advocacy Project, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, The Arc of Bismarck
Facilitated by The Consensus Council, Inc.
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21.) University of North Dakota’s 10% Society, Coming Out Week Events, October 15 – 16, Grand Forks
University of North Dakota's 10% Society about Coming Out Week events:
Friday, Oct. 15th Ellis will
be performing at the International Centre at 7:30 pm. This is a free concert. Line up for the parade starts at 9:00 am, with the parade starting at 10:30 am. We need people to march in the parade and carry signs. The signs can be as simple as "vote no". Children are welcome to be in the parade." "The Ten Percent Society is registered to march in the University of North Dakota homecoming parade which will be Oct 16, a Saturday, at 10:30 am with line up starting at 9:00 am. We are of course marching to make people aware of and vote no on Measure No. 1. In order to do this, we are getting different student organizations to march and show their support in fighting this proposed ammendment to our state's constitution in order to push the message that this not strictly a GLBT issue. If anyone would like to march with us or help make posters and banners, please ... come to the Ten Percent Society's weekly meeting, which is at the UND International Center at 7 PM every Monday night."
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22.) ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, Native American) Week Events at UND, October 12 – 16, Grand Forks
ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, Native American) week events Presented by UND Multicultural Student Services
Thursday, October 14: 12noon-1:30pm “Freedom of Expression” Interactive Audio Conference at the Memorial Union Pembina Room
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