Several members of the Rutland Community Club met on Monday, May 11, for an update on events and projects. The Missoula Theater Group still plans to be in Rutland June 22-26 for a community play unless cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Sargent County Fair has not been cancelled as of this writing and the Sargent County Queen pageant will be held even if it is cancelled. The ‘passing of the crown’ event for the new Miss Rutland has been done in the past at the Rutland Block Party. However, the Block Party may not be held so the new Miss Rutland, Cora McKinney, may be crowned at a smaller event. The Rutland Community Club has purchased flowers to be placed in the flowerpots that popped up around town and those will be planted on Friday afternoon to beautify the community. Planter boxes will be placed in Rutland this week with two planters by City Hall and two by the Rutland Senior Center. The Sargent County Garden Committee has been working with the NDSU Sargent County
Extension office, Sargent County Ambassadors, and the Master Gardener program. The group obtained donated wood to make the boxes and seeds for planting. Several boxes have already been delivered and planted in Forman and four will be placed in Rutland. The planter boxes by the Senior Center will provide vegetables for use at the Senior Center for meals. Two Sargent County Ambassadors, Tony Banish and Emily Hamilton, will help maintain the Senior planters. The planters by City Hall will be community gardens to be watered, weeded, and harvested by volunteers from the community. Katie McLaen will get a schedule for volunteers to help water and weed the boxes. The Community Club will provide additional funding for plants and tools needed for the project.

Rutland’s Post #215 of the American Legion will conduct Memorial Day military rites at the Nordland Cemetery and at the Rutland Cemetery on the morning of Monday, May 25, according to Post Commander Larry Christensen. The ceremonial detail will be at the Nordland Cemetery, two miles east and a half-mile south of Rutland at 10:15 a.m. on Memorial Day, and will be at the Rutland Cemetery, on the east edge of town, at 10:30 on Memorial Day morning. Commander Christensen requests that all Post members, and all members of the public attending the services, observe social distancing guidelines and wear face masks or other appropriate face coverings to prevent the spread of the corona virus. We will honor the memory of those honored dead who have served our country in times of war, and in times of peace, virus or no virus, stated Commander Christensen. The program and potluck at City Hall will not be held this year due to the current restrictions. The American Legion Boys State and Girls State programs and Softball have also been cancelled for the summer. Post #215 was sponsoring Anthony Banish to attend the week-long program. The State is exploring the possibility of a digital program but nothing definite has yet been determined.

On Thursday, May 14, the SC Birthday Parade caravan made its way into Rutland to wish birthday greetings to Kaitlyn Mahrer and then headed south to the Banish Farm to deliver birthday greetings to Anthony “Tony” Banish and then headed north to the Anderson farm to help Audrey Anderson also celebrate her birthday. The caravans have been making their way around Rutland, Forman, and other towns to wish greetings to the kids stuck at home the past couple of months.

Things are quiet around Rutland and it looks like it will be staying that way as the country gets through the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember to check on your neighbors and give them a phone call. Get outside and get some fresh air after this cold and rainy weather passes through.

That is it from Rutland this week. Check out on what is and is not happening on the Rutland website and Facebook page. Remember to get that Census done as soon as possible!