Brad Dokken: Guarded optimism — and yes, a bit of pessimism — greet the new year I’m approaching 2021 with lowered expectations and a realistic, though also somewhat pessimistic, outlook. I’m not counting on anything and will work to make the best of the cards I’m dealt. That's all any of us can do. Written By: Brad Dokken | × Whether in the U.S. or on a remote lake in northwestern Ontario, the setting for this photo, time outdoors will continue to be time well-spent in 2021. (Brad Dokken / Grand Forks Herald) GRAND FORKS — In hindsight, I should have seen it as a sign that 2020 was going to be a real dud.