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8 12 JULY 2017 United Voices is the official publication of North Dakota United, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501. Contact Us 701.223.0450 comments@ndunited.org Postmaster, send address changes to: North Dakota United 301 N 4th Street Bismarck, ND 58501
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Kelly Hagen Director of Communications Tom Gerhardt Director of Public Affairs Image Printing Design/Publisher
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Today, our state and nation are facing turning points of their own. On the state level, the economic prosperity that we have enjoyed over the course of the past several years has slowed considerably. This economic downturn has put a terrible strain on the resources that the state has to fund K-12 and higher education, as well as the vital public services that North Dakotans deserve and have come to expect.
This is no ordinary hair salon, you see. This is Mrs. Medalen’s classroom at Sunnyside Elementary School in Minot. Medalen is a Title I Reading and Math teacher at Sunnyside, and a member of North Dakota United. Also, she is the “shop owner” of Books & Braids.
2017 FINAL LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Complete wrap-up of all the bills that passed and failed during the 2017 Legislative Assembly, which most affected the interests of public education and public services in the state of North Dakota.
COMBINING NDU WITH CCF
Dickinson State University professor Debora Dragseth was elected President of the statewide faculty organization, the Council of College Faculties in May by the current members of CCF. She began her duties on June 1, 2017. Dragseth said, “As a member of the Council, I was encouraged to take on a leadership role by the other state-wide members.”
LITTLE FREE PANTRIES
This spring, Jeff Schumacher and his students are hard at work, here, on a community project called Little Free Pantries. The pantries look a lot like the Little Free Libraries you may have seen around town the past few years. In this case, Schumacher’s students are building six pantries to spread throughout Bismarck to provide food for those in need.
SHARING HISTORY
It’s interesting how some of the same arguments keep coming up, year after year after year,” said Mark Halvorson, the curator of collections research in the Museum Division of the State Historical Society and a North Dakota United member. Halvorson regularly speaks with legislators and other state leaders about the role of historical collections in state government, and the value of knowing where we have been in determining where we are going.
WILL U SERVE?
Elections will be held for 12 slots on the North Dakota United (NDU) Board of Directors during the NDU Delegate Assembly in April 2018. This is your opportunity to serve as a leader for the state’s foremost champion of public education and public services.
ND United Voices