"I've lived here my whole life. It (the parade) is what you do for the Fourth."

- Mandan resident Christy Ames on the city's annual Fourth of July parade. She lives close to the parade route and walks to it every year.

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"The sky was so big. There was nothing in the sky but light. I thought, my, I'm at the top of the world."

- Selma Carlson, remembering her arrival in Minot in March 1944. She had met her husband in Kentucky and came to North Dakota when he went overseas.

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"There are some pretty poor golfers out there in their brand new shoes and gloves, and they're hitting balls over in my front yard. A lot of times they see where they hit it, but they see me sitting on my porch reading, and they think I'm gonna chew butt, so they keep walking."

- Bruce Belk, who has lived on Divide Avenue for more than 30 years. Divide Avenue residents say golfers at the Tom O'Leary Golf Course have damaged homes and vehicles. Some residents have been hit by balls. The city is seeking solutions to the problem.

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"It's difficult, if you've seen the size of a dragline, going around woody draws like that. It took longer to go around it than it would have to mine through that area."

- Jeremy Eckroth, an environmental specialist at Falkirk Mining Co., explaining how the company spared an area of trees and a lake southeast of Underwood.

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"Our goal of the coalition is that we want to prevent, but eventually end, homelessness."

- Tina Grumbo, executive director of the Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People Inc., discussing goals of the coalition. The group meets at 12:15 p.m. Monday at MSA United Way, 1223 S. 12th St., Suite No. 2.

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"We know that as long as tobacco is a few dollars a pack or a can, as long as smoking is allowed in public places and as long as there are barriers to affordable cessation, North Dakota will not significantly reduce its tobacco use."

- Kathy Mangskau, chair of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, on a recommendation to raise tobacco taxes. The committee outlined an aggressive plan last week to reduce tobacco use.

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"I'm not sure that the tax increase is going to have the effect that they hope. I think it may be just another way to punish those who are already being punished by their addiction."

- Rep. Dwight Wrangham, R-Bismarck, reacting to the committee's tobacco plan. He voiced other reservations to the proposals.

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"I felt like I was in the movie 'Wizard of Oz.'"

- David Hunter, describing being airborne when a tornado hit Dickinson on Wednesday night. He only suffered scratches.

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"But that's what North Dakotans do better than anyone else, I think. Help each other."

- Gov. John Hoeven discussing how Dickinson residents were helping each other after Wednesday's storm.