By Deborah Banish

D.L. Barkie Construction of Fargo, ND, moved into town on Friday, August 30, to start the City Emergency Lagoon repair project. The crew set up and started draining one of the cells to lower the level in order to make the repairs. The project is financed through a loan from the North Dakota Department of Health under the Clean Water Act and/or the Safe Drinking Water Act and grant funding through the Governor’s Emergency Community Development Block Grant funding. The loan will be repaid using the City Sewer and Lagoon Fund that is supported by the existing monthly fee on residential and commercial water bills rather than through any additional special assessments. The project is scheduled to be completed by September 16^th and the contractor off-site by September 30.

Claire Brakke of Madison WI was a Labor Day weekend visitor at the home of Jesse & Marcia Brakke. During her visit here, Claire also attended the wedding of a friend from her college days at UND at Aberdeen SD. Claire is currently working as an occupational therapist in the Madison area.

Logan Wyum spent Labor Day weekend in the hospital after sustaining a broken femur at last Friday’s Milnor/North Sargent/Sargent Central Bulldogs football game in Sisseton SD. He underwent surgery on Saturday for his left femur and the outlook is for a long road to recovery. Rutland is rooting for you Logan!

Ms. Sydney Hanna of Columbia SD has rented The Bagley House at 301 First Street and will be making her home in Rutland for the next several months. Ms. Hanna is employed as a Wildlife Biologist by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge. She will also be working at other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service facilities in this region. Rutland welcomes Ms. Hanna to the community and extends best wishes to her for good luck with all her endeavors here.

It’s only thirty days until Uffda Day XXXV on Sunday, October 6! Lefse Lena and her lefse-making crew have already produced several thousand lefse and are preparing for the Home Stretch. Four more lefse production sessions are on the schedule, for the morning and evening of Tuesday, September 10, and Thursday, September 12, at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Anyone interested in getting in on the fun, or learning the art of lefse making, or both, should contact Marcia Brakke at 763-221-7862. Ms. Sydney Hanna has taken advantage of the opportunity and, along with other ‘newbies,’ stated her intention to help when she can. Plans and preparations for Uffda Day XXXV will be on the agenda of the Rutland Community Club when it meets at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 9, in the Rutland Town Hall. An additional date for two more lefse-making sessions may be scheduled so watch the Uffda Day page on Facebook and the Rutland City website at www.rutlandnd.com.

The Rutland City Council will hold a public hearing on the 2020 City Preliminary Budget on Monday, September 9^th, starting at 5:00 p.m. The Council approved a preliminary budget in August with a 2020 general fund levy of $42,261.09, which is slightly above the 2019 levy of $42,255.80. The Emergency Fund levy of $500.00 and the 2010 Streets special assessment levy of $18,088.69 are the same as last year. The total levy for 2020 is $60,849.78. The Council will convene for the regular meeting following the public hearing. The final 2020 budget will be adopted at the October 7 Council meeting.

The Rutland Community Club will meet Monday, September 9^th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rutland Town Hall to finalize plans for Uffda Day on Sunday, October 6^th. Check out details and find more information on Uffda Day on the City website and on the Uffda Day Facebook Page.