The Rutland City Council held its last meeting of 2019 on Monday, December 2, with Mayor Narum and Council Members Lysne and Siemieniewski present, along with the City Auditor. There were also several residents present including Bill Anderson, David Young, Gretchen Vann and Shawna Bergh, each of whom had an issue or two to bring up with the Council. The Council considered the request for a liquor license for the General Store and Café which Ms. Bergh plans to purchase. The Council noted that the City has one on/off-sale liquor license but there is the option for special event liquor licenses as needed. In other business the Council renewed the liquor license for The Lariat Bar for the first six months of 2020, recommended Ron Narum for another three-year term on the Sargent County Job Development Authority representing Rutland, Havana, Cogswell and Cayuga, and approved the financials as presented. The City Auditor reported that the Tree City USA renewal application is due by the end of the year; it is necessary so that the City is eligible for grants to help with removal and/or replacement of trees on City property. The Council discussed the matter of snow removal along Main Street noting damage to the Post Office mailbox and snow removal at the Rutland Oil lot which is not the City’s responsibility to clear. The City Council meets again in the next decade on Monday, January 6, 2020 – or does the next decade actually begin in 2021? That’s a whole other topic to explore.

“The 2019 Christmas Season has officially started!”, proclaimed Joe Breker on Tuesday, December 3, as he and several helpers including Jameson Biel, Emerae Boyce, Jesse Wyum, and Paul Anderson moved a 20′ tall evergreen tree into The Great Room at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge to begin decorating for the holiday season. It was a little tricky, getting a Christmas tree with an 8′ spread of branches at its base through the 4′ wide front door of the Lodge, but some farmer ingenuity coupled with strong backs and willing hands got the job done. The Christmas tree for the Lodge, along with another one of approximately the same size, were cut from a grove on the Breker farm that required some thinning to protect the health of the remaining trees. The second tree was brought into Rutland on Tuesday evening and will be erected at the corner of First and Arthur Streets to serve as this year’s Community Christmas tree. Some of Santa’s helpers are expected to have the tree standing upright in its stand by Wednesday evening, and to have it fully decorated in time for Santa Claus Day in Rutland on Saturday, December 14. The Rutland community extends its thanks to the Breker Family for the generous gift of a beautiful tree that will be the centerpiece of the community’s Christmas celebration.

The Rutland Community Club will meet on Monday, December 9^th at 5 p.m. in the Rutland Town Hall. The Club will finalize plans for Santa Claus Day and discuss other upcoming events including Kids in the Kitchen in January, the Anderson Pinochle Tournament on Saturday, February 1, 2020 and the Easter Egg Hunt and other annual events for the first half of the coming year. Mark your calendar and get into town for the meeting and plan to attend the events.

That’s it for news from Rutland this week. Be sure to check out other upcoming activities on the Rutland website at www.rutlandnd.com and follow us on Facebook!