Moorhead, Minn.,–
While Pangea—Cultivate Our Cultures has become a mainstay in celebrating local cultural diversity over the eight years it has been held at the Hjemkomst Center, this year’s free, family-friendly festival will have something quite different – a look back at a unique culture that began in the Red River Valley and now survives only in small pockets of northern ND and MN and, of course, north to Winnipeg – the voyageur culture.
For more information, call 218-299-5511 or visit www.hcscconline.org. The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is located in the Hjemkomst Center at 202 First Avenue North in Moorhead.
Reminder to Remove Stormwater Devices
Fargo, N.D. (November, 2012) – Contractors are reminded to remove all street-side inlet protection devices starting Thursday, November 1, 2012.
The Fargo Street Department will remove any devices that could potentially interfere with snow removal operations after this date. Contractors remain responsible for sediment leaving their work sites. Street-side inlet protection devices are generally mesh bags inside or over inlet grates which filter out sediment so it doesn’t enter the storm sewer with stormwater.
Hjemkomst Museum Welcomes Veterans
Moorhead, Minn.–
The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, the organization that runs the museum at the Hjemkomst Center, invites all veterans to visit the museum for free on Sunday, Nov. 11, 12-5pm.
Besides the striking Viking ship Hjemkomst that sailed to Norway in 1982 and the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica built in 1998, the museum is currently displaying two large exhibits, one on the voyage and one on the years 1945-1960 in our region.
Regular museum admission for non-veterans is $8 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and college students, $6 for youths 5-17, and free for those under 5.
Two-way Radios Improving Efficiency
Farmers and others who use two-way radios will be impacted by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule change effective Jan. 1, 2013, according to John Nowatzki, North Dakota State University Extension Service ag machine systems specialist.
The rule change, originally proposed in 1992, is intended to increase the capacity and efficiency for business band and public safety radios. The rule change is referred to as “narrowbanding” and requires program changes to two-way radios.
The rule change requires people operating wideband (25 kilohertz bandwidth) voice or data systems to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz bandwidth or equivalent) systems. Users who do not make the switch by Jan. 1, 2013, face the loss of radio communication capabilities.
The narrowbanding change is part of an effort to promote more efficient use of the radio spectrum. All VHF and UHF industrial/business licenses using 25 kHz land mobile radio will have to migrate to narrowband 12.5 kHz efficiency technology. UHF and VHF bands are overcrowded causing existing systems to operate poorly and there is not enough bandwidth to implement new systems.
“Farmers who use two-way radios will be affected by this rule change,” Nowatzki says. “The rule change requires users to change the frequency on their old radios and apply for a license change to operate on the narrowband frequency. Manufacturers no longer can certify, produce or import equipment capable of operating at the broader 25 kHz after Jan. 1.”
Most radios used by farmers can be programed to function at 25 kHz or the new narrowband 12.5 kHz. Most two-way radios purchased after 1998 already have the ability to operate in wide and narrowband modes. The only cost to those users will be reprogramming and relicensing.
Radios purchased more recently already may be operating on the narrowband frequency. Radios purchased before 1998 may not be capable of reprogramming to the new frequency. Check with your dealer if you are uncertain about the frequency of your radios.
Users should contact their two-way radio dealers to have older radios reprogrammed. The cost involved for the reprogramming is set by the dealer. The dealer also can assist with applying for the license change.
Users can go directly to the FCC website to apply for the license change at
http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home.
Moorhead Library Events
*Enjoy popcorn and a movie in the Moorhead Library event room the second Saturday (November 10) of each month at 2 p.m.
* Fargo-Moorhead Trivia Night
Wednesday, November 21 at 7 p.m. Test your knowledge about the Fargo-Moorhead area!
*Saturday, November 17 at 3 p.m. Enjoy Wii Zumba with the entire family!
For more information, please call 218-233-7594 or visit your library at 118 5th St. S. Information is also available online at www.larl.org. Moorhead Library is a branch of Lake Agassiz Regional Library.