"I never thought I would be cleaning and arranging a potluck for a president's wife." - Donna Johnson of Almont was preparing for first lady Laura Bush's visit to the Sims Church, which is being restored with a grant from Save America's Treasure for which Bush is the honorary chairwoman.

"Do we dare to dream? We did dare." - Former Bismarck State College President Donna Thigpen, under whose tenure the National Energy Centers of Excellence building took shape. She was speaking at the building's dedication.

"The events are limited. It's more of a recreation facility. The park district can deal with recreation. The city should not be dealing with recreation." - Mandan Mayor Tim Helbling addressing a proposal to shift responsibility for the Mandan Community Center to the Mandan Park Board.

"People can take the truth, and it isn't pretty. Without equivocation, this must be done." - U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, speaking Wednesday on the Senate vote to approve the bailout of Wall Street.

"The failure to include reform and regulatory measures along with the money is a fatal flaw that I believe will end up hurting our economy." - U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, speaking Wednesday on the Senate vote to approve the bailout of Wall Street.

"It reminds me of when my mother-in-law comes to visit." - Rev. VanVechen Crane said at the Sims Lutheran Church waiting for first lady Laura Bush to arrive. He admitted to a case of nerves that left him sleepless the night before.

"History is more than just a list of names and dates. It's an ongoing story." - First lady Laura Bush told students at Riverside Elementary School in Bismarck on Thursday.

"In Bismarck you can still achieve the American dream. You can own your own home, have a safe community, you can have a great schools, you can have a safe school, you can have a good job and have quality of life. You can see we are bucking the national trends in Bismarck." - Bismarck Mayor John Warford delivering his State of the Cities talk.