By Bill Anderson

The 2018 crop is in the ground. Some local growers finished up planting operations this past week, while others have been done for a couple of weeks or more, but the crop is in, and most of it’s up. Being done planting isn’t necessarily all roses, though. Mike Walstead reports that he was going to put his planter into storage last week, but had to move his combine out of the shop in order to get the planter in. As he backed out with the combine, one of the extensions on the combine’s hopper caught the bottom panel of the overhead door on Mike’s shop, so now he has some door repair work to get done, too. A farmer’s work is never done! Weed control will be a primary activity for most producers during the month of June, and Jason Arth, manager of Northern Plains Ag at Cayuga reports that demand for chemicals and spraying services has been brisk. The old cultivators that used to take out a few rows of corn with the weeds once in a while are now rusting in the trees, replaced by huge sprayers that cover more acres in an hour than the old 4-row cultivator could get done in a week. For the next couple of months all eyes will be turned to the sky, wondering when that next rain will come. Well, .2 of an inch of rain, accompanied by thunder, lightning and wind, did arrive late on the evening of Friday, June 1. Readings were uniform throughout the Rutland area, with Paul Anderson and Norbert Kulzer in town, Randy Pearson to the north, Doug Spieker to the south and Mike Walstead to the west all reporting .2 of an inch in their rain gauges on Saturday morning. Roger Pearson reported that someone had turned his rain gauge upside down, so it registered 0, although the outside of the gauge was damp. The agreement among rain gauges ended on the morning of Wednesday, June 6, though, as the thunderstorm that roared through at about 2:00 o’clock that morning put .7 of an inch into Norbert Kulzer’s rain gauge, but only .62 of an inch into Roger Pearson’s gauge located only a few feet from Norbert’s. The Assembled Wise Men averaged out the various reports, though, and have awarded an even .65 of an inch to the entire area, except to Rick Bosse who only received .4 of an inch at his farm near Brampton. Rick plans to put more effort into rainfall production next time.

Rutland native Judie (Anderson-Seavert) Grohs, accompanied by her son, Brady Seavert of Fargo, daughter Stephanie (Seavert) Watson of Rogers MN and Stephanie’s son, Brevan, of Wahpeton, were Rutland visitors on Sunday, May 27, making Memorial Day preparations at the Rutland Cemetery. The 4 stopped in Rutland for a visit at the home of one of their cousins, Bill Anderson of this community. Judie, the youngest daughter of the late Rudy & Edna Anderson of this community, is one of the co-chairpersons of the Sargent Central High School Class of ’68 Reunion Committee, and she reminds all Class of ’68 alumni to get their reservations in for the 50^th Anniversary Reunion that will be held on the weekend of August 3, 4 & 5. Stephanie, a member of SCHS Class of ’87, and a 1991 graduate of the University of North Dakota, is planning a vacation trip to visit cousins in Norway and Sweden later this Summer. Brady and Brevan are planning to just stay home and work, and maybe do a little fishing, too.

The Board of Directors of Rutland Housing, Inc., met at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, in the Rutland Town Hall. A report was received from Manager Bert Siemieniewski that installation of the new “mini-split” units in Rutland Housing’s 6-plex at 204 Dakota Street has been completed. The units will provide air conditioning and supplemental heat to the6 apartments in the building. Each mini-split system has a compressor and 2 individual apartment units to provide the air conditioning and supplemental heat. Additionally, the original electrical service circuit breaker box, installed when the apartment house was constructed back in 1975, has been replaced with a new, state of the art circuit breaker box that meets the requirements of today’s Electrical Code. Materials and labor for the improvement projects were supplied by Jacobson Plumbing, Heating & Excavating of Rutland and by Nelson Electrical Solutions of Rutland. Five of the 6 apartments at 204 Dakota Street are occupied at the present time, and one is available to potential tenants. Currently residing at the 204 Dakota Street 6-plex are: William Galusha; Diane Smith; McKenzie Maly; Lakin Miller; and Zach Boyce. The Board gave Manager Siemieniewski the go-ahead to continue with planned improvements to individual apartments in the corporation’s 3 apartment houses in Rutland, a fourplex at 209 First Street, a fourplex at 316 Ross Street and the six-plex at 204 Dakota Street, as funds are available, pending authorization from USDA’s Rural Housing Agency. Improvements to sidewalks and interior doors are among those on the agenda for 2018. Officers and Board members of Rutland Housing, Inc., are: Delores Lysne, President; Bill Anderson, Vice-President; Carolyn Christensen, Secretary; and, Bertha Siemieniewski, Treasurer/Manager. Interested persons should contact Manager Bert Siemieniewski at 724-3553 for information about the availability of apartment housing from Rutland Housing, Inc.

Gerry & Mary Ann Parker of Casselton ND were in residence at the Rutland RV Park from Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3. Since his retirement from the practice of dentistry, Dr. Parker has been pursuing his interest in local history and his hobby of photography, among others. His latest project combines both history and photography, the preservation of the images on more than 5,000 glass plate negatives in the archives of the late F. W. Gertson of Lidgerwood. Mr. Gertson had studios in several communities in the area, including Rutland, and practiced the art of photography from the 1890’s until his death in the mid-1930’s. The negatives are in the possession of the Lidgerwood Museum, and are a treasure trove of local history. While in Rutland, Mrs. Parker enjoyed a Friday morning Quilting session with a group of local quilters at the Kathy Brakke home.

Family and friends gathered at the Jesse & Marcia Brakke farm in Ransom Township on Saturday, June 2, to celebrate the engagement and pending marriage of James Brakke, son of Jesse Brakke of this community and the late Michelle Brakke, and Miss Sydney Koch, daughter of Randy and Jean Koch of Fargo. James and Sydney currently reside in Stillwater MN. An October wedding is planned.

Vacation Bible School at Nordland Lutheran Church will be conducted from the 7^th through the 9^th of August this year, according to Nordland Sunday School Superintendent Kathy Wyum. Staff members from Red Willow Bible Camp, near Binford ND, will conduct the classes, according to Kathy. For additional information, parents should contact Kathy Wyum at 724-3704. All children, of any denomination, are welcome to attend, states Kathy.

Mr. Eli Olson and Miss Charlize Willprecht have been named as Mr. Lefse 2018 and Miss Lefse 2018 by the Rutland Community Club. The two will receive their titles and accouterments of office during the Rutland Community Block Party in the Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday, June 7. Eli is the son of Jeff Olson and Rachel Olson and Charlize is the daughter of Kevin Willprecht & Wendy Willprecht. They are Third Grade students in Sargent Central Elementary School. Both Eli & Charlize will be in the 2018 Uff-Da Day Parade on Sunday, October 7. Congratulations to Eli and Charlize. Long may you reign!

The Rutland City Council met at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4, in the Rutland Town Hall, with Mayor Ron Narum; Auditor Debbie Banish; and Aldermen Rodney Erickson; Delores Lysne; Mike Mahrer; and, Bertha Siemieniewski; present. Also present were Mary O’Brien of the North Dakota Forestry Department; and, Rutland residents Mac Pherson and Bill Anderson. Mac requested clarification of the notice requirement in the City’s Application for a Zoning Variance, and the Council decided that all adjacent property owners must be notified of the application and of the hearing date. Mary O’Neill of the North Dakota Forestry Department met with the Council to discuss the City’s Tree Inventory Report. According to Ms. O’Neill, Rutland has 227 “public” trees on the city’s boulevards. Of these, 101, approximately 45%, are ash trees. Ash trees are very susceptible to the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species of insect that came into this country in wooden packing crates from Asia. The Emerald Ash Borer has not yet invaded North Dakota, but it has been found in Minnesota, in Winnipeg and in Sioux Falls SD. The insect does not respect international or State borders, so it is coming, and it will devastate Rutland’s ash trees when it gets here. Now is the time to be planning to replace the ash trees on the City’s boulevards, Ms. O’Neill advised the Council. Silver Maples currently have the second highest tree population in Rutland at 10% of the City’s inventory of public trees. The Forestry Department’s recommendation is that no single variety constitute more than 20% of the total, and she provided the Council with a list of recommended tree species for this area. Ms. O’Neill will be working with the City to identify those ash trees that are in poor to fair condition that should be removed immediately and replaced by other species. The Council authorized the Mayor and the Auditor to pay off the Sewer Lagoon fund debt to the Bank of North Dakota and directed that the City maintain the $6.00 monthly fee originally imposed to pay off the debt in order to build up the sewer fund for the next repair, renovation and reconstruction project. Rutland’s Municipal Sewer System was installed in 1961. The first reading of an ordinance requiring the mowing and maintenance of yards and vacant lots in Rutland was held, and the ordinance will come up for the second reading and final adoption at the July Council meeting. The ordinance provides, among other things, that the City may mow the property if the length of grass or weeds exceeds 6 inches, and that the cost will be billed to the owner of the property. Delores Lysne informed the Council that the Sheyenne Valley Veterinary Clinic of Milnor will conduct a vaccination clinic for dogs & cats from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20, in the Rutland Fire Hall at 109 Bagley Street. The City will also have pet license applications available at that time as well. After reviewing the City’s bills and authorizing payment, the Council adjourned. The next meeting of the Rutland City Council is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 2, in the Rutland Town Hall. All meetings of the Rutland City Council are open to the public, and all interested persons are invited to stop by to observe their City government in action.

Rutland’s Mayor, Ron Narum, adjourned the City Council meeting on Monday evening, and then joined family and friends for a celebration of his 84th birthday on June 4 in the dining room of the Lariat Bar. Ron has served as Rutland’s Mayor since 1972 and served as an Alderman on the City Council for 2 years before that. At 84 he’s still taking care of his community. Plowing snow in the winter and mowing grass in the summer are but 2 of the many tasks he performs each day. The ring of keys he carries on his belt would be too heavy for many 84-year olds to lift. Congratulations and Happy Birthday on your 84^th, Mr. Mayor, and may you have many more.

Since 2011 Jim Lunneborg of this community has organized a caravan of antique and classic farm tractors as a fund-raising event for Relay For Life’s fight against cancer. This year is no exception. On Saturday, June 9, participating tractors and drivers will be lined up on Rutland’s Main Street, ready for the 9:00 a.m. starting signal from Jim, who will be leading the column on the WD Allis-Chalmers tractor his Dad purchased, brand new, nearly 70 years ago. Jim & Ione Lunneborg supplied the following information about the 2018 tractor caravan: “The Drive out Cancer Tractor Ride will roll out of Rutland at 9am on Saturday, June 9th for the 8th time. The American Legion Auxiliary will be serving rolls and coffee starting at 7:30, and this year they will also provide our dinner when we return to Rutland about 2pm. They are also sending cookies for the drivers to have a stop along the way. We are anticipating about 20 tractors. We have decided that this will be our last year for hosting the ride. If someone wants to take it over we will help anyway we can. We are forever grateful for the support we’ve had raising money for cancer research.” Thanks to Jim & Ione Lunneborg for the information, and for all of the work they have done to advance the fight against cancer. A decade ago, Jim was battling cancer. Now he is a survivor, and a leader in the fight to eradicate the disease.

Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge manager Kent Sundseth has announced that, on Tuesday, June 26, he and the Refuge staff will be hosting an Open House and 73^rd Birthday Celebration at the new Refuge Headquarters located 5 miles south of Cayuga, or 6 miles east and 3 miles south of Rutland, on Sargent County Road #12, 9754 143½ Avenue SE, Cayuga ND. The schedule for the event is as follows: from 10:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., the Refuge will be open for self-guided auto tours; the new Refuge Headquarters office will be open for tours, and to check out Refuge equipment; and, there will be kids activities ongoing throughout the day. At 11:00 a.m. the Dedication of the new Refuge Headquarters office building will occur; and, at 11:30 pm a lunch, catered by The Black Pelican of Wyndmere, will be served until all of the food, or all of the people, are gone, whichever occurs first. From Noon through 2:00 p.m. a Live animal program will be presented, featuring animals from the Chahinkapa Park Zoo in Wahpeton. Manager Sundseth states that he hopes to see a large crowd at Tewaukon Refuge Headquarters on June 26, 2018, to help celebrate Tewaukon Refuge’s 73^rd Birthday and tour the new Headquarters building.

The Rutland Roosters men’s slowpitch softball team had a premonition of stormy conditions moving in from the west on the evening of Tuesday, June 5, when the team from Oakes rolled through Lou Sanderson Field like a thunderstorm, wrecking the Roosters’ perfect record on their home field by taking both games of a double header. In game #1, the Oakes team won by a score of 17-7, sealing the game with a 10-run margin in the 6th inning. Game #2 was a tighter contest, but the Oakes team outlasted the Roosters by a score of 19-16. We’ll beat ‘em next time, though! Keep your eye on the Community’s electronic bulletin board on Main Street for information about the Roosters’ next home contests, then come on out to the ballpark! Thanks to Hal Nelson for covering the sports beat for The Rooster Crows.

Tewaukon Refuge Manager Kent Sundseth reports that Canadian Geese nesting on the Refuge have been hatching out new broods of goslings for the past couple of weeks, and that newly hatched flotillas of Bluewing Teal have also been spotted in the past few days. Dave Jacobson of Forman, who resides on the shore of Lake Lythia, reports that, as of Tuesday, June 5, a new batch of mallard ducklings are occupying his back yard. The discharge of firearms within the City Limits is prohibited, so Dave’s mallards have a good chance. So far, there have been no reports of new pheasant chicks, but they should be showing up within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, the President claims to have absolute authority over the law, and the absolute authority to pardon himself for any criminal act which he may have committed in the past, or which he may commit in the future. The last time anyone claiming such power ruled in this Country his name was George III. A basic principle upon which the United States of America was founded is that no person, even the President, is above the law. The current President is prone to many delusions, and delusions of grandeur are more than likely neither the last, nor the least, of them. As of Friday, June 8, there will be 72 weeks down and 136 weeks to go until January 20, 2021, and that’s not a delusion. In the meantime, let’s not let anyone turn pro football into a political football. Oh, that’s right! The President did that earlier this week. Might as well kick that one down the road.

Well, that’s the news from Rutland for this week. For additional information about what’s going on in the little city that can, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and stop by the Rutland Facebook page while you’re at it, too. Try it, you’ll like it! Remember to patronize your local Post Office, and don’t forget to keep the pressure on the U. S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.