A few stellar headlines from Dale, one of the best headline writers in the business

One of the jobs newspaper editors have is writing headlines for stories.

One of the best of them years ago was Dale Stensgaard, now of Grand Forks, who worked for The Forum in the 1970s, the Grand Forks Herald from 1981 to 2012, and now is retired.

Here are a few of Dale’s headlines.

The story: A comedy “roast” of politicians and journalists in Washington, D.C. The story said the jokes were funny. Dale’s headline: “Jests and guests all well-done at D.C. roast.”

The story: An injured owl was found in Grand Forks and taken to a rehabilitation center, where it recovered. Headline: “Owl’s well that ends well.”

The story: Cigarette taxes were increasing. Headline: “Smokers will have to cough up more in taxes.”

Story: The economic benefits of having trees in the yard. Headline: “Study finds money grows on trees.”

Story: Veterans of the Korean War, which is often called the Forgotten War, have long-lasting painful memories and nightmares of fighting in it. Headline: “Forgotten veterans recall unforgettable war.”

Story: States were scrambling to get their projects funded by a water bill pending in Congress. Headline: “States aim to milk water bill.”

Story: A photo of workers fixing a clock in the tower of a building. Headline: “Hands on their time.”

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Story: Coffee prices were going up. Headline: “Customers beaned by price hikes have grounds to worry.”

Story: Cavalier, N.D., was trying to break the Guinness World Record for making the largest ice cream sundae. Headline: “Cavalier, N.D., shows off its sundae best — on a Saturday.”

Story: One December, there was perfect cold weather to form thick ice, followed by warm weather to make it pleasant for ice fishermen. Headline: “(N)ice fishing weather.”

Story: Many things can go wrong in your house during the winter. Headline: “In winter, a man’s home is his hassle.”

Story: Federal antitrust regulators were concerned about a proposed merger of two companies which made antacids. Headline: “Antacid deal makes feds queasy.”

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Story: A photograph of a small boy participating in a rodeo sheep-riding event: Headline: “Sheep thrills.”

Story: A zoo brought in a male gorilla from another zoo to mate with its female gorilla. But the two didn’t hit it off. Headline: “Gorillas monkeyed around but weren’t ape about each other.”

Story: On a New Year’s Eve, temperatures in the Red River Valley plunged to 30 below and colder. Dale’s headline: “Should cold acquaintance be forgot…”

If you have an item of interest for this column, mail it to Neighbors, The Forum, Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107, fax it to 701-241-5487 or email blind@forumcomm.com.