Page 2
November 28th 2013
Valley News
and Views
rural town as an extendedwith youth carrying the hand can capture and post a
community, banner into the digital age short film of local "Heritage
Rural communities can of new media. Most any Heroes" on a dedicated
organize a heritage network student with today's tools in- Continued On Page 6
This Thanksgiving, I
giving my family that live at a
distance the best Christmas
gift that I can think of- one
approaching a legacy worth
sharing. Communities, too,
can share the same gift with
its citizens - one of heritage.
As patriarch of my
Norwegian-American
family, with family members
on either coast, in Norway
and in central Europe, I am
launching this Thanksgiving
a way for my family to gather
for a half hour in front of an
online network of computers
wherever they may be. Coffee
and Christmas cookies are
served at each household
during the dedicated 30
minutes.
Families at Thanksgiving
tend to share culture at
the table - food, festivities,
traditions and stories across
generations - more than
likely what will happen at
your house. Christmas takes
on a global reach for families
to communicate wherever
they are living.
Nostalgic images of
idealized family life can be
seen in a popular TV drama
-"Blue Bloods" on CBS
Friday evenings, where a
four-generational family
functions weekly in different
roles with law enforcement.
Each episode ends around
the family table, exchanging
stories with a moral message
about doing the "right
thing" in their diverse role-
experiences. Even though
the words are scripted, the
table scene seems authentic
because real food is served to
the prominent actors during
the filming and it "rings"
naturally with nostalgia.
For most families in a
mobile society, this table
scene may happen once
or twice a year when
generations gather. If you
add siblings to the mix of
family history, such a scene
may only happen at a family
reunion five years or more
apart.
With new social media,
however, families with Web
connectivity or smart phone
access can meet interactively
in clusters and in practice.
Family members today can
assemble at the same time
from wherever they are
globally and see each other
on a screen, participate in
a conversation, and add
text messages with words,
comments or questions.
It is not that much different
from an online class that
I took at UND recently on
"Social Entrepreneurship,"
where part of the class
were in a distant learning
classroom and the other half
of the registered class were
in front of a computer screen
with a Webcam in their
independent homes across
the country.
For start-up this
Thanksgiving, a member of
the family unit registers for a
30-day free trial of the Citrix
product "GoToMeeting.
com." No special software is
necessary, as when an online
meeting is scheduled, and
email is sent automatically
to all participates with a link
to connect to the meeting.
For starters, this opens the
interactive communications.
During the initial meeting
on Thanksgiving, plans are
made for a Christmas get-
together online for those
separated by distance. This
beginning moves our family
into the visual media world
today, where a high school
student in each family
prepares a one-minute
video clip on themselves or
the family unit for showing
during the Christmas
holidays. The enabling
Web-based product, named
www.WeVideo.com, is a
downloadable sottware
platform for making videos
and now is growing rapidly
in the U.S.
A dedicated Website and
blog are developed for the
extended family to better
know with each other and
visually communicate. The
method of using short visual
stories each year builds an
archival family history, as
opposed to the immediacy
and then vaporizing of cell
conversations or Skype.
Then into next year, the
family network can export
these clips into a genealogy
program (many are available)
so that these clips replace the
print-box on most family tree
programs that list only name
with birth date and a dash or
a death date for deceased.
Such a family Web portal
offers a way for family
members to share their
heritage in modern media
ways to develop a gene-
linked e-community. The
method works as well for a
How much do you know c. Church on Easter and senior discounts?
about seniors? We call them Christmas may not cut it a. Society owes them for
seniors because nobody with St. Peter living so long
wants to own up to being d. God may not mark on b. Why should they quit
old. So we don't talk about a curve chiseling just because
old people even if they are. 4. Why do they dress they retire?
Nevertheless, they are a sloppier with every c. They are saving for
unique crowd, passing year? even rainier days
Here is a test that will help a. Nobody manufactures d. They noticed that
you evaluate their quirks. If clothes that shape everything is overpriced
you get less than five correct, b. They can't find their 8. Why do they prefer
you need to visit a local size at the thrift store FOX or MSNBC for their
nursing facility soon. c. They think nobody political analysis?
1. Why do folks eat cares so why should they a. They are
supper earlier and earlierd. They want to fit in with .experiencing brain cell
as they get older? the younger generation deterioration
a. The cost of groceries 5. Why do seniors go to b. They want their
may go up by six o'clock, bed at 8:30? biases confirmed
b. Food is addictive and a. To save on the utilityc. Thinking at any age is
they need a fix- nowI bill dangerous
c. Dr. Oz may demand a b. There's more sex on TVd. They no longer have
reduction in calories on than they can handle time for detailed answers
his next program c. The 10 o'clock news is9. Why do they both
2. Why do seniors the same as the 6 o'clockoppose and support a
feel that the younger news balanced budget?
generation is going to thed. After playing bingo all a. They love Medicare
dogs? afternoon, what else is b. Ambivalence is in style
a. It's envy because they there? these days
are no longer a part of 6. Why do they dash for c. Consistency is the
the younger generation Arizona and Florida in hobgoblin of small
b. They think age and November? minds
wisdom are correlatives a. To get used to the heat 10. Why do seniors
c. They think rock music in case they got religiondislike "contemporary"
belongs in nursing too late music in church?
homes, b. It's cheaper to wear a. This racket is not
3. Why do seniors get the same clothes year- a joyful noise unto the
more serious about around Lord
church as they age? c. Their long underwear b. If God wanted
a. They want to be wore out years ago. contemporary music,
sure that they will get a d. So they can better he would have created
Christian burial appreciate North Dakota people without ears
b. They recall some of 7. Why do older folks c. Seniors can't sing
the things they've done think they are entitled to without melody
in life
Profitability a Factor in Business
Helen Volk Schill NDSU Pembina County Extension Office
For a business to exist for the business
the long term, it must make Pay the owner for the
money. Yet other values also time spent managing the
can influence whether a business
business stays in business. Pay the owner for the risk
"I am surprised sometimes he or sheis taking (orwhether
by the number of business the owner is getting a return
owners who never have taken on his or her investment)
the time to determine if they Create a pool of funds to
are profitable at abasiclevel," help maintain and replace
says Glenn Muske, the North the building and equipment
Dakota State University Build a fund that will pay
Extension Service's rural for growth and expansion if
and agribusiness enterprise that is desired
development specialist. While all of these items
"There is money in the bank, are beyond the basic profit
so the assumption is that he definition, the business
or she must be doing OK."owner must consider
Yet money in the bank them when determining
and making a profit are two profitability.
different things. So how "If your business is not
does a business owner tell even covering your costs,
if he or she has a profitable and you are completely
business? tracking business income
"From my experience, and expenses, it is easy to tell
one time this difference thatyourbusinessmustmake
appears is when it is time to changes to survive," says
pay taxes," says Muske. "The Helen Volk-Schill, Extension
money in the bank may be agent of Pembina County.
inadequate to pay the tax"It is harder, though, without
bill." good records, to determine if
Beyond that, owners must you are covering these other
consider other financial items that may influence
items, such as whether the whether you continue to
business can afford to: operate the business."
Pay the owner for his or But what about the other
her time spent working inreasons abusiness owner has
Continuity
for starting and operating,,
a business? Motivators
can include filling a local
community need, being able
to spend time with family, the
joy of being one's own boss,
the ability to do something
the owner wants or have a
lifestyle he or she desires.
Perhaps the owner wants to
begin bringing other family
members into the business
as an introduction to
entrepreneurship and even
as a means of transitioning
a family business to the next
generation.
"Those are important for
the owner to consider as
well," says Muske. "While
they don't pay the bills, they
are reasons why an owner
might take a slightly smaller
salary or discount his or her
return on the risk/reward
ratio."
Thus profit becomes only
one distinguishing factor
when considering business
continuity. Certainly, other
financial aspects must be
factored in, but the more
subjective aspects also must
be a part of the equation.
As your business looks
toward the future, take a
complete look at the financial
picture and be clear about
what else the business is
providing you and others.
For more information,
contact NDSU's small-
Offer good on all Mahindra
16-series Tractors
Shown: Model 3016 4VVD Shuttle
business support website org/entrepreneurship.
at www.ag.ndsu.edu/ You also can get help
smallbusiness and sign upfrom your local chamber of
for the monthly newsletter, commerce, aswellastheSmall
Or check out Facebook Business Administration and
at www.facebook.com/ its related organizationS,
NDSUextsmallbiz or Twitter such as the Small Business
at @gmuske. Another online Development Centers and
resource is www.eXtension. SCORE.
Hunt Seed Company has many great, quality
early soybean varieties from Peterson Farms
Seed, Contact Hugh Hunt, (218) 843-1139,
TODAY for all your Peterson Farms Seed needs.
Ask Hugh about how our high-yielding, early maturity
corn performs in the Northern Volley/
Hunt Seed Company • Hugh Hunt
PO Box 187 • Halk)ck, MN 56728
218.843.1139 • hhunt0wikteLcom
,Petarsml
0
interest for up to
84 months"
O interest &
O payments
till Hay 2014 .....
up toST@@
cash back"
Save on Model 3016
$259 per month*
Package includes tractor & loader
= With ~pp~oved CtediL Pr o(l~{~m lestric[bor~s may apply See de~k;r f~)~ details
~'N~ ~terest and ~1o payn~n~s unti~ ~ay I or 15, 2014, Inte~st and pa~me~ts begin Hay ~ or ~5 2014 (¸based or~
