By Bill Anderson

Good things come to those who wait,” the old timers used to say, and once again, they were proved right on the evening of Tuesday, April 6, and the morning of Wednesday , April 7. The drought was not broken, but the edge was taken off of it as a steady drizzle deposited .4 of an inch of rain on Rutland and vicinity as of 9:15 on Wednesday morning, according to Norbert Kulzer’s rain gauge at 415 Gay Street. Roger Pearson, whose rain gauge issituated only a few feet away from Norbert’s, and generally measures less rain than Norbert’s, hadn’t checked his gauge yet, so, at least for now, Norbert’s rain gauge is right. Large amounts of precipitation are not in the near term forecast, but the weather gurus are predicting that showers and damp weather will persist until the weekend. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “This rain may not be the end of the drought; it may not even be the beginning of the end; but, it may be the end of the beginning.”

The Rutland community is beginning to move to the “New Normal” of the post covid-19 world. On Saturday, April 3, The Rutland Community Club resurrected the community’s traditional Easter Egg Hunt for children in the community.  The event was held in the Rutland Town Hall and in the adjacent City park & playground. The following reportwas received from Community Club President Katie McLaen: “There were over 3,000 eggs hidden and over 50 kids hunting. In addition to the usual prizes, the Rutland Volunteer Firemen donated 6 bicycles as Grand Prizes. Nate Peterson; Raegan Roney; Ruth McLaen; Axel Hanson; Corbin Carlson; and, Jemma Schuster; won them. The Lariat Bar served rolls, juice, bloody Mary’s and mimosas. Hiding the eggs took almost an hour, with 7 people. Finding the eggs only took about 10 minutes.” Thanks to the members of the Rutland Community Club for starting the community revitalization process, and thanks to the Firemen for donating the bicycles.

Despite rapid progress being made on the vaccination front, the covid-19 battle is not yet won, according to Sargent County Public Health District Administrator Brenda Peterson. Ms. Peterson reports that adequate supplies of vaccine are now being received, and that all County residents 18 and older are now eligible to be vaccinated against the virus.  Sargent County now has all three of the vaccines approved for use in the U. S.: Pfizer; Moderna; and Johnson & Johnson; available.  She also said that the County’s nurses will be administering vaccinations at each shift at the Bobcat factory in Gwinner this coming week. Additionally, they will be in the three public schools in Sargent County: Sargent Central; North Sargent; and, Milnor; administering vaccinations to students who are age 16 or older, with parental permission, beginning next week. Sargent County’s covid-19 case count has been at or near 10 for a while, but 10 new cases were reported as of Tuesday, April 6, so the virus is still a threat to public health and the fight is not yet over. Sargent County Public Health has worked through its waiting list, said Ms. Peterson, so those who want a vaccination can now obtain it very quickly. To make an appointment for a covid-19 vaccination call: Sargent County Public Health at 724-3725; Forman Drug at 724-6222; or Sanford Clinic at 742-3267.

Randy & Cheri Pearson returned to their Shuman Township farm home on Thursday, April 1, after 3 months at their winter roost in Mesa AZ. They bypassed the traffic and flew home. Randy reports that he was in the field on Friday, April 2, getting ready to plant the crop that will be the golden harvest this coming Fall. Hope springs eternal…

Norbert & Beverly Kulzer of this community drove to Sioux Falls SD on Saturday, April 3, to spend the Easter holiday with their son & daughter-in-law, Stephen & Ann Kulzer, and their 3 grandchildren: Lauren Kulzer of Kansas City MO; Brooke Kulzer of Brookings SD; and Will Kulzer of Brookings SD. Norbert reports that road and weather conditions were excellent throughout the entire trip, even going over the Coteau des Prairie hills at Summit SD, and that there appeared to have been very little field work done between Rutland and Sioux Falls. Field conditions appeared to be quite dry, all the way from here to there, according to Norbert.

The Rutland City Council met as the City’s Board of Equalization at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 5, in the Rutland Town Hall. Mayor Mike Mahrer; Auditor Deb Banish; and, Council members Colton Corry; Rodney Erickson; Delores Lysne; and, Lori McLaen; were present. Also attending the meeting were Sargent County Director of Tax Equalization Denise Ferderer, and Rutland resident Bill Anderson. Ms. Ferderer reviewed valuations of property within the City with the Council members, and explained any adjustments in valuations that had been made since 2020. She also reviewed Homestead and Veterans tax exemptions affecting residential property within the City. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Council approved the valuations and exemptions before adjourning the Board of Equalization meeting and reconvening as the regular monthly meeting of the Rutland City Council. The financial report showed that all funds are in the black. Mayor Mahrer reported that there have been no applicants for the Public Works position that has been advertised, so far, and that an individual has expressed interest in performing some of the duties of the public works position during the summer months. The Council held the second reading of an ordinance regulating the parking of recreational vehicles on residential lots, and approved the ordinance by a unanimous vote. The Council took no action on a proposed encroachment agreement involving a storage/garden shed that is encroaching on a platted, unmaintained, alley that is adjacent to 318 Anthony Street, and will discuss the matter further at the May Council meeting with the City’s attorney present. The Council scheduled the community’s Annual Clean Up Day for Saturday, May 15, with the City’s inert landfill to be open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. that day. Public notices concerning Clean Up Day will be posted.  Council member Rodney Erickson reported that the 3 plugs he has installed to stop leaks in the City’s water tank are still holding, and that two companies had been contacted to submit bids for permanent repairs to the tank.  The Council then proceeded to review and authorize payment of the City’s bills, as presented, and adjourned the meeting at 6:15 p.m.. The next regular meeting of the Rutland City Council is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 3, 2021, at the Rutland Town Hall.  All meetings of the Rutland City Council are open to the public, and interested citizens are invited to attend.

Kyle Mahrer and Bryce Carlson of this community hit the walleye jackpot while fishing at an undisclosed location within a 10 mile radius of Rutland on the evening of Monday, April 5. Reports of fishing success at other local water holes have also been received. After a year of social distancing, even the walleyes and northern pike are eager for human contact.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, no lies, no mean-spirited attacks, no insults, no drama and no chaos. Ain’t it nice?

Well, that’s the news from Rutland for this week. For additional information about what’s going on in the little city that can, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and stop by the Rutland Facebook page while you’re at it, too. Don’t forget to patronize your local Post Office, and remember to keep the pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE!  Later.