sullivan

In a number of the columns I've written for the Wadena Pioneer Journal, I feel as though I've mentioned my appreciation for a good story - especially one involving how two people met. Call me an old romantic, but hey, the stories usually make me chuckle or crack a smile. Some of...

Our town's ability to overcome disaster was recognized during the Minnesota Newspaper Association's (MNA) annual convention in Bloomington last week. The Wadena Pioneer Journal was among the newspapers present at the two-day event, and we walked home with an overwhelming sense of...

At any given time, it seems like our nation is facing multiple serious issues, so it's fun when you get a chance to see the lighter, human side of our government leaders. For me, it's fun to see the president cut loose from time to time. It reminds me that he is a person, too, capable...

As "American Idol" kicked off its 12th season Wednesday night, I kicked back on the couch, not really expecting to see anything too extraordinary from the show, which I've followed off and on since it was first aired in 2002. After a while, you kind of get used to the bad voices,...

In the weeks following the Newtown, Conn., shootings, there has been a lot of talk about firearms - more specifically, what purposes they serve in society. I'll admit, I'm not a gun enthusiast. Like many other outdoorsmen in our area, I enjoy pheasant hunting with friends and family....

If you ask me, the phrase "forgive and forget" is harder to utter these days. For many of us, it seems as though our world has taken a dark turn, and it's not easy to keep our chins up. After the Dec. 14 shootings in Newtown, Conn., I admit that my initial reaction was one of anger...

I've been in Wadena for seven months now, but I delight in the fact that I'm still learning about the traditions of our tight-knit community. Wednesday night's 86th Empty Stocking Talent Show is a prime example. The Empty Stocking program was among the first subjects presented to...

All was quiet around Verndale's Family Life Church building Tuesday. The only movement in the area came from an American flag perched near the building's front door. It swayed slowly in the calm afternoon breeze. On a normal day at the church, there might have been a number of youth...

When I was a teenager, I worked the counter of the NAPA Auto Parts store in Oakes, N.D. I'll never forget one quiet mid-summer afternoon, when I was focusing my energies on cleaning up around the store and some interesting tunes came flowing out of the radio speakers perched on the...

Melvin Smith doesn't dwell much on the fact he nearly died from malaria in a tent hospital bed during World War II. He also doesn't seem to mind the partial deafness he suffers from because of his days spent feeding heavy ammunition into screaming guns used to take down war planes....

One of the best Thanksgiving memories I have was when my family traveled from North Dakota to my grandparents' home in Bella Vista, Ark. when I was a kid. We arrived at grandma and grandpa's house after the long car ride and flooded through their door with a heavy collection of overnight...

It's a sight that isn't easily forgotten. You're at a baseball game, high school sporting event or concert band performance, when an announcer asks if all the veterans in the crowd could kindly stand and be recognized. It's powerful to see the number of "red, white and blue"-clad...

Some might argue that the first order of business when establishing a musical group is coming up with a band name. A few Wadena performers would beg to differ. "There's no name," said Len Kalakian, as he fiddled with his custom-made acoustic guitar in a tiny southwest Wadena kitchen....