By Bill Anderson

The 27^th annual Rutland Sportsmen’s Club Fish Fry held here on Friday, March 5, drew another full house to the Rutland Town Hall. Advance tickets totaling 550 had been sold before serving started at 5:00 p.m., and 531 had been redeemed by 9:00 p.m., when the fryers shut down. In the on-going battle between the pan-fryers and the deep-fryers, the evening started out with the deep-fryers pulling out to a narrow lead according to an informal, unscientific survey taken by Club member Bill Anderson. The pan-fryers closed the gap by the middle of the evening, though, according to another informal, unscientific survey taken by Club Secretary/Treasurer Travis Paeper, and, by the end of the night the consensus was that the annual taste test competition had ended in a draw. Both crews will be refining their seasoning recipes throughout the year, and the competition is expected to resume at it’s usual red-hot and sizzling level on the first Friday in March of 2011. Raffle winners were: Diane Nelson of Milnor, a .243 cal. Remington Model 700 Varmint Rifle; Dennis Andrews of Britton SD, a laptop computer; Corey Mahrer of Forman, a digital camera; Sandy Hanson of Forman, a digital trail camera; and, Doug Speicher of West Fargo, Leupold binoculars.  The Rutland-Cayuga Volunteer Fire Department equipment fund was the recipient of the raffle proceeds.

Edith Pherson returned to her temporary Winter home at 415 Anthony Street on Thursday, March 4, after spending a few days at the Oakes Hospital and about a month visiting at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Jeannie & Jerry Johnson at Alberta MN. Edith plans to return to her Tewaukon Township farm home as soon as Spring arrives. She took in the Sportsmen’s Club’s fish fry at the Town Hall on the Evening of Friday, March 5, in the company of her daughter, Marlys Erickson.

Bill & Mary Woytassek departed Rutland on Friday, March 5, headed south. They plan to spend the Easter holiday with their son & daughter-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Rob Woytassek, at their southern California home, before returning home to put in the crop this Spring.

Brian Pherson and Jason Smykowski arrived back in Rutland at 3:30 on Sunday morning, March 7, completing a one-shot drive from Wichita Falls TX where they had attended the annual Custom Cutters Convention during the preceding week. Brian reports an interesting convention that consisted of 80% business and 20% other activities, some of them entertaining. He said that the winter wheat crop in Oklahoma and Kansas looks real good at this time, with the stands appearing lush, green and thick. Brian and Jason also report that the snow cover ends about ¾ of the way across Nebraska, with no significant snow on the ground in Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas. The Pherson Combining crew will be heading for Oklahoma to begin harvesting the 2010 crop in about 10 weeks.

A number of Bald Eagles have been observed around Rutland recently, moving through the area on their annual migration to northern nesting sites. This magnificent bird, nearly extinct only a generation ago, was brought back from the brink of oblivion by the enactment and enforcement of the Endangered Species Act and other common sense environmental regulations. Those who loudly proclaim that, “Government can’t do anything right!”need only to gaze upon the magnificence of the Bald Eagle as it soars across the prairie sky to prove the hollowness of their assertion. The government did not make the Bald Eagle, but the people, acting through their government, did save it, for this and future generations.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once observed that, “Governments do err…”, though.  In evidence, a study funded by the Australian Government recently came to the conclusion that men will perform foolish and dangerous acts to impress a pretty woman. Wow!  What a revelation!  Any Third Grader could have come up with that conclusion, and added stupid and expensive to the list, too. Well, Australia has now given us the scientific documentation to back up what everyone already knew. There was no information about what this study cost the taxpayers of the Land Down Under, but if it was more than the price of a Snicker bar and a bottle of Coca-Cola, it was too much. At least us Americans can get some satisfaction from the fact that this study also proves that we’re not the only ones who occasionally spend our money foolishly.

Rodney Erickson was in town on Friday, March 5, working on his soy oil processing equipment in the old Rutland Elevator Fertilizer Plant. Rodney uses the natural, Cold press method for getting the oil out of the bean, rather than the chemical laden hexane method. He also stated that he plans to resume work on restoring the former Lariat Bar building that he moved to the corner of First and Arthur Streets last Summer, as soon as weather permits this Spring. The structure is the original Prindiville’s Saloon from Rutland’s pioneer past, and is believed to have been built in the Spring of 1887, a few months after the Great Northern Railway’s tracks reached the townsite.

Roger Brekke stopped in at the Rutland General Store on the afternoon of Saturday, March 6, for a cup of coffee and to join in the Round Table discussion. Roger reports that calving at the Brekke-Krause ranch in Shuman Township is in full swing, and that their herd of 60 heifers are about done delivering.

Mary Ann Thornberg, Janet Malstrom and Kathy Brakke were Monday afternoon guests at the farm home of Patty Carlen, the occasion being Patty’s birthday. Patty has long been active in Rutland community activities, and her performances in community plays have been stellar, as well as hilarious. Her many friends in Rutland wish her a very Happy Birthday, and many more.

Rutland native Ed Christensen called from his home in Bismarck on Tuesday, March 9, to report that the March 9 edition of the Bismarck Tribune contained an article on recent nominees to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. The article carried the information that the late Robert “Cowboy Bob” Rindt of Sawyer ND had been nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. Mr. Rindt was Superintendent of Schools at Rutland for three years, from 1958 to 1961, and is well remembered by his former students here. During his tenure in Rutland, in addition to his regular school duties, Mr. Rindt organized an Athletic Club, taught tumbling, gymnastics, trick shooting, trick roping, whip popping and other skills requiring strength, dexterity, coordination and discipline. In addition he performed on the rodeo circuit during the summer months and kept a stable of horses for his trick riding acts, as well as Brahma bulls that served as props for feats of daring. For those who knew and remember him, Cowboy Bob’s nomination to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is long overdue recognition for a lifetime dedicated to education and to the youth of the communities in which he taught. Those students who were occasionally reprimanded for classroom hi-jinks also remember that Mr. Rindt had one eye that wandered, so you never knew for sure if he was looking at you or not, a useful attribute for the person charged with maintaining order in the classroom.

Gulleson Brothers report that calving is in full swing at their farm headquarters 1½ mile east of town. They state that 60% of their herd of 60 heifers have calved, so far, with the cow herd numbering 320 ready to start in about 10 days. They expect to be spending a lot of nights in the maternity ward over the next few weeks. Labor on the Gulleson Farm is supplied by brothers Cameron, Cody and Lance, and by their father, Bill.

The wet, gloomy weather of the current week is just what livestock producers, past and present, have come to expect from the month of March. Temperatures hovering in the low to mid 30’s, accompanied by spurts of drizzly rain have melted a considerable amount of the winter’s snow pack, leaving many Township roads and farm yards a muddy mess. The Wild Rice, which has been running all winter, is rising, sending the snowmelt on its way to the Red River. Well, it has often been said that March is the month that was put on the calendar so that people who don’t drink would know what a hangover feels like, and this year is no exception. The Grand Opening of the newly remodeled and renovated Rutland Café is scheduled for Friday, March 19. The event will feature entertainment, prize drawings and specials throughout the day, according to owner and manager Gretchen Vann. Well known talk show host Joel Heitkamp is scheduled to host KFGO Radio’s “News & Views” show from the Café on Friday morning, reports Deb Liermark, Assistant Manager. The News & Views show can be heard on-line at http://www.kfgo.com. Ms. Vann opened The Rutland General Store on Rutland’s Main Street in 2007. The General Store purchased the Café from Shari Leinen back in October and embarked on an extensive modernization project that included the construction of a 20’x10’ connecting addition between the Café and the General Store building. The Rutland community is fortunate to have such a fine facility, and such progressive entrepreneurs, on its Main Street. Stop by on the 19^th to check it out.

The Rutland Community Club’s annual supper and play will be held on the evening of Saturday, March 20, in the Rutland Town Hall. Advance tickets are now on sale at the Rutland General Store, Rutland Café or Alley Cuts. Tickets can also be obtained by calling Diane Smith at 724-3375. Community play producers will be presenting “The Gong Show” as this year’s entertainment.

Well, that’s it for this week. For more information on what’s going on in “the Little City That Can,” check out Rutland’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com. Later.