by Janelle Von Pinnon
For those of you readers who have been with us since the beginning, it will come as no surprise our very own Newsleaders’ editor Dennis Dalman recently won the prestigious Herman Roe editorial award from the Minnesota Newspaper Association this year, one of the highest honors a writer can receive from his peerage.
Though many of you probably feel you know Dalman through his writings, as a lot of followers think they know various celebrities well based on their bodies of work, it may surprise you Dalman comes from humble beginnings. The fourth of six siblings who grew up near Barden Park in south St. Cloud, he is the son of an auto mechanic and ballroom musician (violin, clarinet, accordion) and a grade-school teacher turned homemaker who both instilled music and humor into their everyday lives.
“Music was the background of our lives,” Dalman said, during an interview Jan. 30, the day after his 77th birthday. “My siblings and I could sing in four-part harmony without any training; we just had it in us.”
Dalman is not only a music enthusiast (folk, rock, Irish, classical, modern), but he also loves literary works (especially the classics), as well as history, oil-painting, cooking and movies.
“I loved movies so much I practically lived downtown at the Paramount, Eastman and Hayes theaters while growing up,” Dalman said. “Nothing would stop me from seeing a good movie, even if I had to walk to the theaters in 40-below weather. I just love a good movie.”
Also while growing up, he and his younger brother delivered the Minneapolis Star Tribune in their neighborhood for a few years. While in his teens and later, Dalman wrote many letters-to-editor to the St. Cloud Times. During high school, he took a journalism course and wrote for the school newspaper for three years. He had a column in which he reviewed movies, art works and other topics.
In 1966, Dalman graduated from St. Cloud Tech High School, then worked a series of factory jobs and did house-painting now and then. He was also actively involved in opposing the Vietnam War. In between jobs, he traveled with friends in the Western United States. In 1975, friends and family members convinced him to go to college, at which time he enrolled in St. Cloud State University. In 1980-81, he spent nine months studying in London (literature, art, history political science) as a member of the British Studies Program. That year, he said, was “a dream come true.” After his London studies, he toured European countries for a month.
While attending college, he wrote for the The Chronicle, the college newspaper, most often about movies and art, but also a few feature stories, including one about Iranian students on campus during the long Iran American hostage ordeal. He then graduated in 1982 with an English/mass communications degree.
And he’s been writing ever since.
He spent the next 16 years honing his craft with the twice-weekly Echo Press newspaper in Alexandria before joining the Newsleaders in 1999 as editor-in-chief for both Sartell-St. Stephen and St. Joseph areas.
“So if my math is correct,” he said, “I’ve worked in newspaper-related work for 50-52 years. And I do not regret one day of it!”
That enthusiasm, along with his extensive knowledge of literature and history, is the fuel that keeps him going.
“I’ve read almost all the greatest books,” he said. “I love the smell and feel of books. To me a book is a miracle. My walls are lined with books. They’re my wallpaper.”
Surrounded by his vast library of literature, Dalman spends hours in his home office pounding out articles he said he feels help keep our communities in the know and sheds light on topics he particularly feels strongly about such as equitable, affordable healthcare for all (he’s a strong advocate of a one-payer system); the homelessness problem and affordable housing; insurance companies not paying out; people being attached to too much technology; the plight of caregivers; and animal rights; among many other topics.
“Back in the day, I was against the Vietnam War and whenever I see things I feel are wrong, I stand up and say something,” he said, “especially Injustices and cruelty to animals and children. I love animals and children even more the older I get. They are all so innocent. I believe in treating animals and children with decency, kindness and love.”
Whether or not you agree with his politics, Dalman writes with a no-nonsense approach, taking a stand on both moral and ethical issues and is unapologetically outspoken – a quintessential value in any Herman Roe recipient.
“If I see something wrong in my country, I will speak out,” Dalman said. “Especially this new administration, which is out of control. Trump is dangerous and I’ve got to speak up when I can, where I can. I’ve always done that.
“I just got done reading ‘A Fever in the Heartland: (The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them).’ It’s uncanny the similarities to what’s happening today and how history repeats itself. I strongly believe politics has the power to boost or destroy our country.”
Even though Dalman is no stranger to journalistic awards, the achievement of winning the Herman Roe editorial award is especially gratifying because, he said, it’s nice to be recognized by fellow journalists.
“I worry about smaller newspapers across America fading or disappearing altogether,” Dalman said. “It’s already been happening, partly because of the preponderance of online news offerings. As the Founding Fathers knew, a steady flow of accurate information is vital to an informed electorate, to a representative democracy free of corrupt or sinister influences. And that is true of small towns, big cities, states and the entire nation.”
Dennis Dalman, editor of the Newsleaders, works on writing a story Jan. 25 from his home office just south of Rice.
