SEND IN THE CLOWNS You can't go wrong with clowns. As has become a tradition, clowns who were part of last week's annual Shrine Circus in Minot took time to visit and entertain residents of Trinity Homes of Minot. Dizzy, Bubbles, Dirty, Silly Goose and others mingled with the residents of the nursing home, twisting balloons into requested shapes and providing an afternoon of general silliness and fun. Dizzy, also known as Ken Gillespie of Minot, said he and the other clowns are proud to be part of the Shrine Circus, which serves as a fundraiser for the 22 Shrine Hospitals in the United States. And they should be proud. The clowns' annual visit to the nursing home elicits laughter and smiles from everyone who attends, which in itself makes the event worthwhile. The fact that it raises awareness for the Shrine Circus and the work that Shrine Hospitals do makes all the more rewarding. Keep up the good work.
GOOD NEWS FOR RAMSTAD News that the Minot Public School District will receive $3.5 million from the State Land Trust to help cover expenses related to building a new Erik?Ramstad Middle School was good to hear last week. The district is in the final stages of purchasing land in north Minot, where a new Ramstad will be constructed, with work scheduled to begin this summer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had earlier concluded that Ramstad, which FEMA?itself declared a total loss because of severe flood damage in 2011, could be rebuilt in its current location near the Souris River, a finding that makes little sense. The district rightly decided to build a new school on higher ground, but that meant FEMA would contribute less money toward the project. The $3.5 million grant from the state will help keep the process of building the new Ramstad on track.