By Deborah Banish

The Rutland Raiders 4-H Club had another strong showing at the 96th Annual Sargent County Fair and 4-H Achievement Days held July 25-28. Club members participated in the Fair starting at 8 a.m. Thursday morning with the horse show and were kept busy right all through the weekend. Several received purple and reserved champion ribbons in both the static and livestock categories and even a couple from the open class competition. Congratulations to all the 4-H Clubs and Members who participated in the Fair and keep up the good work. See you next year at the Fair!

Miss Rutland Jordan Peplinski participated in the Sargent County Fair Queen Pageant on Sunday evening. Jordan, daughter of Dale Peplinski and Ranae Sorenson, was selected as Miss Rutland at the Rutland Fun Night in July. Miss Rutland, and other Queen Candidates, performed several functions at the Fair including awarding the 4-H ribbons to the youth at the pet judging and other competitions during the Fair. Rutland extends its thanks to Miss Jordan Peplinski for representing Rutland so proudly at the Sargent County Fair.

The annual “Christensen Classic” was held in Forman on Saturday and Carolyn Christensen submitted the following information on the event:

At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27, the descendants of Harry and Martha Christensen and Fred and Laura Christensen gathered at the Forman Golf Course for their annual “Christensen Classic”. The Classic always begins by everyone gathering in a circle with Larry Christensen at center stage. After informing golfers where they were to tee off and letting them know the schedule of the day, Larry asked Sonja Christensen to lead the group in prayer. Twenty-one Christensens were then shotgunned across the Forman Golf Course for the annual “Christensen Classic”. The oldest golfer was over 80 and the youngest was 15. Those not golfing enjoyed visiting in the club house.

By 12:30, over 50 Christensens were at the Rutland Senior Center enjoying a scrumptious pot luck dinner consisting of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and a wide variety of side dishes.  Florida, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Colorado, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota were the states represented by those attending.

At 2:00, everyone gathered at the Rutland Cemetery for the burial of John Christensen, youngest son of Fred and Laura. Leo Christensen read scripture and everyone recited the Lord’s Prayer to end the brief ceremony. John passed away on May 20, 2019, in Milbank, South Dakota. After the burial, we gathered once again at the Rutland Senior Center for more coffee and visiting. The last good byes were said and the last hugs were given late in the afternoon. We hope to meet again next year on our usual date of the last Saturday in July.

Thanks, Carolyn, for the information.

Local carpenter Jerry Sapa was installing a new sign on the front of the building at 102 First Street on Monday, July 22. The sign reads “M & V Chemical & Seed” and advertises the business owned and operated by Mark & Vicki Weber, with the assistance of their son, Adam. The Webers are affiliated with Titan Pro, an agricultural chemical and seed supplier based in Clear Lake IA. Mark states that Titan Pro has been primarily operating in Iowa, southern Minnesota and South Dakota, but has recently expanded its operation into North Dakota. Mark has more than 35 years of experience in the ag supply business, and is well known in this region for his expertise on matters agronomic and agricultural. For information about the services, products and prices available at M & V Chemical & Seed in Rutland, give Mark a call at 701-710-1596.

Shawn Klein, Manager of the Sargent County Bank’s Rutland Station, has been proudly pointing out the new look on the front of the Bank’s building here. Lori McLaen applied a fresh coat of paint to the west facing panels, between the front windows and doors, on the morning of Sunday, July 21, while the front of the building was in the shade. The panels are now a red brick, nearly terra cotta color, states Lori, complementing the bricks that have been a prominent feature of the structure’s façade since its construction in 1976. Congratulations and thanks to the Sargent County Bank for this attractive update on Rutland’s Main Street. According to Lori, the new look is “rich,” which is the way a bank building should look.

Progress is also being made on The Old Parsonage renovation/remodeling project at 217 First Street, with Dan Heitkamp at work installing drywall on the attached double garage on the east end of the new addition, Calvin & Zach Jacobson getting the air-conditioning and heating systems up and running, and Kurt Breker at work removing the huge tree stump, all that remains of the giant cottonwood tree that stood in the front yard for 117 years, from the premises. Kurt reports that he has not yet found a bottom to the large hole that was in the middle of the tree stump. It is rumored that C. E. Johnson, the pioneer businessman who built the house and planted the cottonwood back in 1902, may have buried some of the profits from his general store business in the front yard, and planted the cottonwood to mark the spot. Kurt states that he will let us know if he strikes gold…maybe.

Ann Erickson, President of the Nordland Lutheran Church Council, informed the congregation on Sunday, July 28, that the Lutheran Parsonage at 204 Gay Street has been sold to Zachary Jacobson, a native of this community. Mr. Jacobson is employed in the family business, Jacobson Plumbing, Heating & Excavating of Rutland, and has been residing in Havana for the past few years. The house he is purchasing was originally constructed by Ted & Tina Helberg back in 1915. The house was ordered, with all materials pre-cut, from the Sears & Roebuck mail order catalog, and arrived by rail, complete with an instruction book that directed the purchaser to throw away their saw. “If a piece seems to be too long or too short,” the instructions said, “you have the wrong piece.” The late Maynard Helberg, who was born in Rutland in 1910, recalled that he was moved down the street, to his Grandmother’s house at 128 Dakota Street, while the new house was being built. Ted Helberg was employed as a locomotive engineer by the Great Northern Railway, and was also an entrepreneur involved in several Rutland businesses, including a Ford automobile dealership with a partner, Paul Keuster, and the Rutland electric company, predecessor to Otter Tail Power Company. Railroad workers and school teachers frequently rented one or more of the upstairs rooms in the Helberg residence. The Helberg family sold the home to the Nordland Lutheran Congregation of Rutland in 1964, and it has served as the residence for the congregation’s pastors since then. A double garage was added to the south side of the house in the early 1980’s, and the kitchen was extensively remodeled at that time, as well. In 2018, the Lutheran congregations in Rutland, Forman and Havana agreed to affiliate for the purpose of calling a minister to serve all 3 congregations, utilizing the parsonage in Forman as the pastor’s residence. The parsonage here was put on the market this past Spring, with Lacey Ferderer of Milnor serving as realtor. The Nordland Church Council accepted Zach’s offer at the July meeting. Congratulations to Zach on the acquisition of a fine home, and welcome back to Rutland to a native son.

This weekend, Saturday, August 3, is the Rutland JunkFest and Ribfest. JunkFest (and Farmers Market) will be held on Gay Street with some vendors inside the Hall from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m. The Rutland American Legion Auxiliary will have the Pie and Ice Cream social in the Rutland Senior Center from 5- 7p.m. (correct time!) and Ribfest kicks off at 3:00 p.m. with judging at 5 p.m. followed by a fun evening of music. It’s time to get to Rutland.

On Monday, August 5, the Rutland City Council will meet and on the agenda is the discussion and adoption of the 2020 preliminary budget. At all meetings, there is time for the public to address the Council on matters on the agenda or to present public comment. The City Council will schedule the official public hearing date on the 2020 budget, most likely in September. The final adoption of the 2020 budget will be held October 7, 2019.

The City Office recently got an email from an individual from Minnesota who is trying to find a lot to purchase in Rutland. If you have a vacant lot you are willing to sell, call Eric Olson at Berscheid Builders in Minnesota at 320-255-1412 0r 320-282-0401.

That’s it this week from Rutland.