By Deborah Banish

Paul Anderson departed Rutland on Thursday, February 28, bound for Fargo to catch a flight out to Seattle WA to pay a visit to his new grandson, Rhys (pronounced Reese) August Elfering. Rhys is the son of Paul’s daughter, Katie, and her husband, Josh Elfering. He was born on Thursday, February 14, and, according to Paul, he is already making noise, sleeping, eating and performing his other duties like a pro. Paul expects to be back in Rutland by Thursday, March 7.

Roger & Sharon Pearson returned to their home here on the evening of Thursday, February 28, following a month-long vacation in the Mesa AZ area. Roger & Sharon were the guests of their daughter and son-in-law, Brenda & Roger Gibbon, from February 1 through the 28th. Father and daughter attended the Sargent County Breakfast at The Golden Corral in Mesa on Monday, February 11, and enjoyed getting together with old friends from home. Roger reports that the weather in Mesa was cooler than normal, but quite a bit warmer than the sub-zero temperatures they left behind in Rutland. Roger states that they were sure happy to find that there was still plenty of Winter to enjoy when they got back home.

Katie McLaen and Marcia Brakke shared their lefse-making expertise at the Sargent Central Mini-Course Day on Friday, March 1. Fourteen students took part in the class and felt lucky as they could eat their product which they declared tasted good. There were three stations and each student had a couple of opportunities to roll and turn the lefse on the hot griddles. They then moved to the last station with their lefse where they applied butter, sugar, and cinnamon to add the final touch before rolling and eating. The students were particularly supportive of each other in the whole process saying, ‘you’ve got this’ and ‘it doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect because it all tastes the same.’ The instructors were impressed with their techniques and supportive language. According to Marcia “It was all great!”

The Rutland Sportsman’s Club held their annual Fish Fry on Friday, March 1, at the Rutland Town Hall. Five-hundred tickets were available for sale in advance but not all had been sold by the evening. The recent weather and heavy snowfall kept a few people from purchasing in advance, so they were happy to find tickets available at the door. Reports on the fish fry indicated that no one left hungry and were happy with the bone-free fish served pan-fried or deep-fried. The Sargent Central Clay Target League members also held a free-will bake sale and had a raffle board to raise funds for their team. Many people left with fresh baked goods to take home after the meal.

Rutland native Claire Brakke headed down to Sioux City IA on Monday, March 4, to take her first job as a professional Occupational Therapist. Claire graduated from The University Of North Dakota in Grand Forks with a degree in Occupational Therapy this past December, passed her licensing exams in January and recently received her Certificate as a Professional Occupational Therapist. To begin with, Claire expects to be working three-month stints at various locations around the country, from Sea to Shining Sea and all points in between. Claire is the daughter of Jesse Brakke of this community and the late Michelle (Garot) Brakke. She is a 2014 graduate of Sargent Central High School. Her many friends in Rutland extend their congratulations to her on her achievements, and best wishes for success in her professional endeavors.

Five Sargent Central students have been invited to join the Northern Ambassadors of Music program in 2019. The students were nominated by their music teachers to be part of the honor group of students from Montana and North Dakota. The tour includes a concert band, a concert choir and a jazz ensemble. They will spend 16 days in seven European countries performing in a variety of cities and villages. The students have been fundraising and have an account set up at Sargent County Bank. Tyler Banish and Thomas Mehrer of Rutland, along with Forman residents Eric and Ethan Bergeman and Kiauna Bergh, are asking for contributions to help defray some of the costs of their educational travel to Europe. An account for the Sargent Central Ambassadors has been set up at the Sargent County Bank. Every little bit helps so please consider donating if you can. [Sargent County Bank – Rutland, Box 182, Rutland, ND 58067]

On Sunday, March 10, the Sargent Central Ambassadors will be working with the Forman Community Club hosting a free-will brunch from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Forman City Hall. Half of the proceeds from the brunch will go to the SC Ambassadors so be sure to get over to Forman for a good breakfast. MARCH 10 DATE POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST.

Contractor John Buskohl reports that the renovation work on The Old Parsonage at 217 First Street, that’s Main Street for most of us, has been making steady progress. The insulation, wiring, drywall, heating & air-conditioning system and much of the plumbing has been completed in the new addition on the east side, and work will proceed at a rapid pace once the spray foam insulation has been applied to the inside of the exterior walls on the first floor of the original dwelling. Workers from Buskohl Construction, Nelson Electric Solutions and Jacobson Plumbing, Heating & Excavating were performing their duties on site this past week, Mr. Buskohl reports. John states that he is still positive that the entire project will be completed before Christmas. No guarantee on the year, though. Owners Kathy Brakke and Bill Anderson state that they are very pleased with the progress to date, and with the quality of the workmanship of all concerned.

Sunday, March 10, is also Rutland Fun Night at Rutland Hall from 4–6 p.m. if the weather cooperates this weekend. The Rutland Community Club (RCC) has several activities planned that include a good old fashioned cake walk, duck pond, bean bag toss, plinko, bingo and more. Families attending are asked to bring one (or more!) baked good(s) for the cake walk. A spaghetti supper will be served by the RCC. There will be prizes, popcorn, and cotton candy too so come for a true fun night in Rutland!

The Rutland City Council will hold a public hearing on the Emergency Lagoon Repair project on Monday, March 11, starting at 5 p.m. in City Hall. The City’s lagoon bank is eroding, and the discharge and transfer pipes are not functioning as needed. The City is requesting CDBG funding through the Governor’s Set-Aside fund in the amount of $116,400.00 to assist with the repair of the sanitary sewer force main and the transfer and discharge pipes that are eroding the lagoon bank. A public hearing is required in order to begin the application process for those funds. The total project cost is estimated at $220,000.00. Be sure to attend the meeting to learn about the project and provide your comments and get answers to questions on this project. The regular monthly City Council meeting will convene following the public hearing.

The Rutland Community Club is accepting design entries for the 2019 Uffda Day T-shirts. The design should be simple and include the words “Uffda Day 2019“; it should be unique with a Scandinavian influence; and, it should depict the event’s purpose to celebrate our Scandinavian heritage. Applicants may submit more than one entry. Deadline for entries is Sunday, March 31. Entries can be submitted in in person to Rutland City Hall, 115 Gay Street, by mail to Rutland City Hall, PO Box 181, Rutland, ND 58067-0181, or, by email to rutlandnd@drtel.net. T-shirts will be printed with a goal of having them available for sale starting Memorial Day 2019. The winner will receive $50.00 and have their name and design printed in the Sargent County Teller in April and will be announced on the Rutland City website and Facebook page. The Community Club is anticipating your wonderful designs!