Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Dec. 22, 2017, Front Page
WEST FARGO — Donors who stop at Christine Schmidt's red Salvation Army kettle often like to share a friendly word or two, she said as she rang bells with her mother Lorie at the Cash Wise grocery store here Thursday, Dec. 21.
She'll chat, she said, but she also likes to sneak a peek to see what they're putting in the kettle, aware that sometimes people donate unusual things, such as gold coins. "It's kind of exciting. It's pretty cool that someone would give that up."
It's not easy to spot these donors who have been spreading their generosity anonymously for 18 years in Fargo-Moorhead. The most recent donor managed to sneak a gold Krugerrand worth about $1,300 in the kettle here at this grocery store more than a week ago, on Dec. 12.
Still, the Salvation Army does have a small clue who some donors might be because they sometimes call to let the charity know to search a certain kettle, said Maj. Elaine Medlock, who runs the organization here.
FARGO — As flood waters approached Rose Creek Golf Course in the spring of 2011, city workers were unrolling what was, in effect, a very long water balloon across a low-lying area near the creek.
Nathan Boerboom, a city engineer overseeing flood control efforts, said the city wanted to test the water-filled dam to see how it would work in a real flood. The golf course was expected to flood anyway and it wouldn't have mattered if the dam failed, he said.
As flood risks rise with climate change, many products are getting tested under realistic conditions. For example, during a 2011 flood along the Mississippi River in Memphis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed and tested a cell phone app that allowed flood fighters to respond faster to failing levees. During a 2016 flood along the Winooski River in Vermont, the University of Vermont used unmanned aircraft to produce 3D maps that helped state officials understand how they might make roads more resistant to flooding in the future.
Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, March 26, 2017, Front Page
FARGO — Providing more space for Sears was a big reason the developers behind West Acres built the mall, which opened in 1972. It was the centerpiece tenant, the Fargo outpost of the world's largest retailer.
Nearly 45 years later, the walls are empty and the floor mostly bare, where only picked-over clothes and dozens of empty racks remain. Sunday, March 26, is the store's last day in Fargo.
It's a scene happening in cities across the country. Sears Holdings said it would close 150 Sears and Kmart stores this year. As traditional department stores continue their long decline, thousands of retail jobs are lost nationwide and certainly dozens here. But retail and employment experts aren't especially concerned about the fate of the retail workforce, though even more dramatic changes in the industry are likely on the horizon.
Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Jan. 12, 2016, Front Page
FARGO, N.D. – Life on the streets is hard on anyone’s health and homeless people tend to have more medical problems. That life also makes it hard to get effective treatment when medical problems inevitably occur, not just because there isn’t a place to heal but also because follow-up visits with doctors aren’t simple.
The consequence is a life expectancy that’s about 25 percent shorter for the homeless and, because they’re in and out of emergency rooms often, higher costs to the health care system. The aim of the medical respite program, funded by the Sanford Health Foundation, is to reverse the cycle.
Story, sidebar and data visualization by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Aug. 21, 2016, Front Page
FARGO, N.D. – The two charts that the Diversion Authority presented to city and county officials are pretty much all the information that’s public right now about the financial plan.
The Forum requested the numbers behind those charts for analysis and to combine them into one chart for a better sense of scale, but the authority’s consultants denied the request. Using graphic-design software, The Forum measured the heights of the bars and lines in the charts to 1/10,000 of an inch.
Graphic by Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald, May 20, 2010, Front Page
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The last time the Thunderbirds came to Grand Forks Air Force Base, the air show drew about 40,000. That’s about three-quarters of the population of Grand Forks.
At the time, many reported being awed by the thunderous turbofans of the F-16 Fighting Falcons with the Air Force’s air demonstration team at the controls.
Well, the team is back this Saturday for another show, again called “Thunder Over the Red River,” and there’s going to be a lot to hear and see.
My portfolio
Story by Tu-Uyen Tran, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Feb. 17, 2017, Front Page
SOUTHWEST CLAY COUNTY – The high-hazard dam the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer plans to build through here will be about 18 feet high measured from low ground near the river, which includes 6 feet of freeboard. If the dam were to suddenly breach at maximum capacity, a wall of water 12 feet high would come rushing out.
The potential deadliness of the dam portion of Fargo-Moorhead’s $2.2 billion flood control plan is one of the reasons Minnesota regulators oppose the project. The corps says the dam is needed to reduce flood impact on communities downstream of the diversion and is much safer than emergency levees erected during flood fights.
Photos by Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald, July 17, 2013, Page C1
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The ingredients on the table looked like they came from three different meals: corn tortillas, beef stir-fried in a teriyaki-like sauce, cilantro, fried tofu in soy sauce, red peppers and fermented cabbage.
But, as I learned a few years ago, they were made for each other, the intense savory sweetness of the beef balanced by the citrusy aroma of cilantro, the spicy cabbages balanced by the fruity peppers.
At a recent dinner party, I introduced my guests to Korean tacos, and, to my delight, I heard a lot of happy chomping around the table.
Flow chart, graphic design and story by Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald, Oct. 31, 2009, Front Page
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Despite a contract that states the firm managing the city-owned Alerus Center would suffer a penalty for financial losses, the firm and some city leaders insisted it wouldn't be penalized for losses from several major concerts.
To explain the convoluted contract the city and the firm signed, I developed a flow chart to explain the contract and how it requires the firm, VenuWorks, to repay management fees if the events center lost money. City leaders said they didn't mean to penalize the firm for risking major concerts that could have a big economic impact and made retroactive changes to the contract to exempt these concerts.