As You’re Reading This I Should Be Down in the Black…

As you’re reading this I should be down in the Black Hills of South Dakota participating in the 67th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

There likely won’t be a column next week, but the following Saturday, hopefully, I’ll have some tales to regale you with.

Last year, there were the shootings between rival gangs and the dangers of riding on the interstate. The year before, it was experiencing the overwhelming crowds and the biker who lost his life dodging a Port-o-Potty that fell from a transport.

They’re again expecting over a half-million people to crowd into the sleepy town of Sturgis, which will nearly double the state’s population.

I’ll spend most of my time watching people; it’s one of the things I like to do best. And believe you me, this rally provides some of the strangest and most entertaining people-watching venue. A lot of the participants are there in an attempt to simply stand out from the crowd, and when the crowd is that big, you have to go a ways to stand out.

Not counting the miles put on going down and coming back, I expect to put on well over 1,000 miles touring the hills. Warnings are being issued about the triple-digit heat the area has been experiencing and the effects the heat has on the asphalt … remember to drink plenty of water.

The rally doesn’t officially start until Monday and runs through Sunday, Aug. 12. But people have been showing up well in advance of the starting date and will likely hang around long after it’s over.

Reclamation Act

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. This federal law set standards for reclamation of coal mines.

According to a press release from the North Dakota Public Service Commission, the federal law "reshaped coal mine land reclamation in North Dakota and continues to benefit the state."

Most North Dakotans recognize the amount of coal surface mining done today, but at one time it was through underground mines. Once abandoned, dangerous sinkholes would often develop. The act provided some funding to reclaim abandoned mine lands and regulate active mines through the PSC’s Reclamation and Abandoned Mine Lands divisions.

North Dakota lawmakers enacted state reclamation laws as far back as 1969 to remain in compliance with the federal act.

Christensen honored

On Tuesday, the Southwest Water Pipeline Project will dedicate its high service pump station to Ray Christensen.

A water tour of southwest North Dakota and a dedication ceremony are being held. For those interested in the tour or the dedication, contact the Southwest Water Authority at 701-225-0241. The ceremony is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. MDT at the High Service Pump Station in Dickinson.

Christensen served as Southwest Water Authority Manager/CEO. He served the state’s water industry for 45 years, 21 of those for the Southwest Water Pipeline Project.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)

(c) 2007 Bismarck Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.