Always Improving – Page 9 – TheMinotVoice.com

The most forward-thinking, future-proof college in America teaches every student the exact same stuff

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

There are few debates raging more loudly in North Dakota and nationally than the one over higher education, its value, and its future. But one college has maintained it’s role and is now emerging as a leader in producing capable students, and they’ve done so by through strict adhearance to an old-fashioned idea, the classical,

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

What to Expect From the Future of Server Farm Design

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

As we sit here in North Dakota trying to imagine how to reinvent and diversify our economy, the amount of information stored on computers quietly doubles. As that happens, the server farms that store that data become an ever more important cog in the world’s machinery. And what do server farms need? They need electricity,

Read & Share sourced from: Motherboard

Minnesota State Fair announces 31 new foods, 4 new vendors

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

“Breakfast Buddy Bowl: Waffle bowl filled with hash browns, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon, and topped with a biscuit, country sausage gravy and green onions. LuLu’s Public House, West End Market, south of the Schilling Amphitheater.” This is just one example. The Minnesota State Fair’s food culture is driving a lot of

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

How do we retain talent? We can start by supporting it!

by: Josh Wolsky | May 31, 2017

I hope you caught the Minot Daily’s editorial a couple days ago on retaining talent. If you didn’t, go back and read it. In my mind, this is one of the bigger must-solve challenges facing Minot. North Dakota ingenuity, common sense, and our remarkable work ethic are BY FAR the most valuable commodities we produce,

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New digital citizenship curriculum is an idea worth copying

by: Josh Wolsky | May 30, 2017

Here in North Dakota, we occasionally dismiss outside ideas — particularly those from more liberal-leaning parts of the country — because those places don’t identify as closely with our values. Sometimes that’s good; sometimes that’s bad. The story below comes from the Washington state, and it’s absolutely an outside idea that we should be appropriating. Technology

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Initiative to Fix First Ave Getting Underway

by: Josh Wolsky | May 4, 2017

If you’ve ever negotiated the potholes along the road that connects the Amtrak Station and the areas to the East including downtown, you know that the road — while difficult to travel – is often worth the effort because it’s such a valuable shortcut. The road’s condition has been the topic of reader-contributed content here on

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Tech leaders, others launch $14M ‘News Integrity’ nonprofit

by: Josh Wolsky | April 3, 2017

Trust in journalism and the news is a problem we are just coming to grips with. And leaders in the tech industry are searching for solutions. Facebook and Mozilla are among the organizations contributing to a non-profit with a goal of increasing news literacy and increasing trust in journalism.

Read & Share sourced from: Star Tribune

The Opportunity for Rural Breweries, Distilleries, & Wineries is Big

by: Josh Wolsky | March 28, 2017

Up here on the Northern Plains, we drink a lot of beer. It’s a fact we all acknowledge. And the question they’re starting to ask in Minnesota is what would happen if more of the beer that we consume was brewed locally? What if the corner bar was actually a corner brewery with a taproom?

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To build an amazing team, look for people who challenge you

by: Josh Wolsky | March 8, 2017

It’s relevant commentary as the citizens of Minot take up the conversation of choosing the team that will lead the City this June. It turns out there is a roadmap to choosing a management make-up that consistently delivers results, and though the correlation with civic government isn’t perfect, but there are some concepts to worth

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

There’s a good reason why Nordic people look so damn healthy

by: Josh Wolsky | March 3, 2017

The data shows that our Scandinavian relatives get the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise per week, and more often than not, the get it outside. Perhaps coincidentally, Scandinavians also rate high on measures of happiness and well-being.

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

Winnipeg Councillors hire integrity boss to police their ethical behaviour

by: Josh Wolsky | March 1, 2017

Elected officials for the City of Winnipeg have taken an unprecedented step in hiring an in-house ethics officer who will operate under the title of ‘integrity commissioner’. The first task of the newly appointed office — writing a new code of conduct including penalties for breach of conduct.

Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press

Fargo Citizens Discuss Main Avenue Reconstruction

by: Josh Wolsky | March 1, 2017

It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but in Fargo, citizens are discussing a new approach to economic development via infrastructure. And it’s not about bigger, wider roads. It’s actually focused on slower speeds, more on-street parking, and larger sidewalks. It turns out that is the recipe that attracts pedestrians and businesses.

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

What if they’re wrong?

by: Josh Wolsky | December 14, 2016

Minot’s a small town in a slow economic time, and the City’s contracts for roads and sewers and flood protection are the fattest ones around. And the two most powerful people in town when comes to delivering those professional services contracts to engineering firms and paving the way for contractors and developers? It’s our Public

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When are we going to start to listening to citizens?

by: Josh Wolsky | December 4, 2016

Bias at the top. I’m a regular user of the Ann Street Bridge. I support the opening proposed by Alderman Straight. And the bridge has been a recent topic here on The Minot Voice. If you want to catch up on the story, here’s everything that’s been published. Approximately a year ago, when the Phase

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City Council should have to approve flood protection designs

by: Josh Wolsky | December 4, 2016

Bias at the top. I’m a regular user of the Ann Street Bridge. I support the opening proposed by Alderman Straight. And the bridge has been a recent topic here on The Minot Voice. If you want to catch up on the story, here’s everything that’s been published. If you didn’t know, designs for flood

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Better Government? Why citizen input is crucial to the government design process

by: Josh Wolsky | December 3, 2016

GovLab’s mission is to improve people’s lives by changing the way we govern. And in one of there recent articles, they key on the critical need for citizen input in developing the design of applications and solutions. The quote below was in direct reference to the design of a digital time-saving application, but it rings

Read & Share sourced from: GovLab