S erving the R egion S ince 1907
Herald Dunn County
VOL. 104 NO. 38 www.dunncountyextra.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
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Will it be 11-man or 9-Man? Killdeer High School defensive players Kacen Gartner, 83, and Riley Reiss, 27, close in Des LACSBurlington’s Seth Hanenberg during a recent game. The Cowboys defeated their Class A rival. School officials, however, have a decision to make regarding games over the next two years. They have until Sept. 30 to decide if they want to remain in Class A and play against larger schools or move to Class B and oompete against similar-sized schools. (Photo by Bryan Gallegos)
School officials still seeking input on decision to opt to Class A By Bryan Gallegos The Dunn County Herald
The clock is ticking for Killdeer Public School officials to decide whether the football team will to stay in Class A and play 11-man or drop to Class B and play 9-man division next year. They have until Sept. 30 to report to the North Dakota High School Activities Association their decision to option up into Class A and play 11-man football against larger schools or to play 9-man football in Class B against schools similar to Killdeer’s enrollment. Killdeer has an enrollment that would place the team in Class B. However, Killdeer has never played 9-man, said Andrew DesRosier, the school’s director of athletics. And the Cowboys have been very successful in Class A, having won a state championship
and a dozen regional titles. They played in the state finals the past two seasons. School officials sought input from the community with a forum explaining the situation on Sept. 14. Roughly 40 people attended the meetings, sharing their thoughts, ideas and concerns regarding the two choices. “We certainly invite the public to share an opinion,” said Andrew DesRosier, Killdeer director of athletics. DesRosier developed a power point that shows where the Cowboys football team would be placed in Class A and Class B situations. The power point can be viewed on the school’s Web site. Student safety, travel constraints and historical rivalries are among the main considerations for school officials, said DesRosier. If Killdeer decides to remain in Class A, it would have the second smallest approx-
imate enrollment in the division, based on a state-developed formula. Based on an adjusted enrollment number calculated using the school’s seventh-through-10thgrade enrollment and the percentage of students in the district utilizing free and reduced lunch, Killdeer has an approximate enrollment of 62.3 By contrast, Beulah, the school with the largest approximate enrollment, has a figure of 105.79. If the Cowboys remain in Region 4. Potentially, it would be made up of Beulah, Southern McLean, Dickinson Trinity, Hazen, Bowman County and either New Town, Standing Rock or Garrison Max. All the schools have a larger enrollment, and Beulah and Dickinson Trinity would be dropping down from Class AA. In Class B, the Cowboys would be placed in Region 7, which would be made of Trenton/Trinity Christian, Tioga,
Ray/Powers Lake, Divide County and Parshall/White S. Killdeer’s enrollment would be in the middle of the pack. These regions would be in place for the next two years before a new plan would be put into place. The NDSAA reviews, and if necessary, modifies those plans every two years. While many are staunch about remaining in Class A, citing tradition and past successes. Others are looking at participation numbers that could become safety issues. An informal survey by the Dunn County Herald of 20 Dunn County residents indicated an even split. “It’s not an easy choice You can’t look past tradition,” said Lance Larsen, who had a son play varsity last year and another coming up from junior high school next See 11-man, Page 3
Thought leaders: Tell your story in your own words By Bryan Gallegos The Dunn County Herald
Little Phoebe Casarez sipped on some water Saturday afternoon during an event at the High Plains Cultural Center. There was plenty of water for the 3-year-old from Fort Berthold. That’s what protesters are fighting for at Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance Camp on the shores of the Cannon Ball River, said a guest speaker at the “Native
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Americans & The Media: Bridging Cultures & Creative Journeys” event. The resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline Project, said Dr. Twyla BakerDemaray; is a water issue, an issue of life. Baker-Demaray was part of a panel of five nationally known Native American thought leaders that discussed issues related to Native Americans and how they are perceived in society. “We are not fighting this fight to be obstructionists. We are fighting this fight
American culture. The event, sponsored and organized by the non-profit Dunn County Writers, featured people sharing generations-old stories regarding the land and water, survival, and one’s right to be heard. There was lots of food, plenty to drink, music and time to reflect. Panelists shared their own thoughts, See Story, Page 3
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Index DC Bullets...............2 Opinion .................. 5 Religion ..................8
because this little one needs clean water to drink,” Baker-Demaray said, as she pointed to Casarez but was referring to all people. Baker-Demaray, the president of Fort Berthold Community College in New Town, was joined by documentarian Juan Carlos Peinado, award-winning author Susan Power and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Mark Trahan. Nearly 50 people listened intently and asked pertinent questions regarding the history and future of Native
Sports ..................10 The Back Page.....12
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer
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