By Bill Anderson

It was a million-dollar rain that fell on the evening of Thursday, May13 & the morning of Friday, May 14, less adjustments for interest, inflation, carrying costs and additional charges. The grumble of thunder and the angry flashes of lightning that preceded the rain belied its gentle nature. Greg Donaldson reported .6” of precipitation in his rain gauge on the east side of town, while Andrew & Katie Woytassek gauge situated a quarter of a mile further east showed .5” on Friday morning. Other readings included: .75” in Mahrer Construction’s gauge on the north side of town; .6 at Jesse Brakke’s farmstead between Rutland & Cayuga; .6” at the Joe & Patty Breker farm in Tewaukon Township; and 1 full inch at Rick Bosse’s farm near Brampton. The rain was enthusiastically welcomed by local farmers in the process of getting the 2021 crop planted. “We had about 3 days of planting left to do,” said Jerry Woytassek on Friday evening, “but I’ll take the rain when it comes, and be happy about it, too!” Obviously, this rain will not make the 2021 crop, but it will help give it a good start. There are many travails to endure and worries to bear before the grain is in the bin, the cash is in the sock and the checks are in the bank. Until then, let it rain!

Rutland native Dan Narum stopped in at The Lariat Bar on the evening of Wednesday, May 12 for a meeting with his cousin, Trent Nelson, and to get together with old friends for some visiting in the old hometown. Dan currently serves as the Presiding Judge of North Dakota’s Southeast Judicial District. Dan said that the covid-19 pandemic made it difficult to maintain court schedules during the past year, but with remote hearings made possible by electronic technology, court services were able to be kept up throughout the North Dakota Judicial System. Dan also reports that he has once again been sharpening a skill he learned from his Dad, the Late Dennis Narum, back when he was growing up in Rutland. He has acquired 3 registered quarter-horse colts and has been training them on the acreage at his home in Lamoure ND. The colts are registered descendants of the famous Doc Bar bloodline, Dan said, and the American Quarter Horse Association exhibited its sense of humor by assigning the name “Hanging Judge Bar” to one of his colts, the one that Dan calls “Little Tex.” Dan said that he, Caroline and their 2 children, Asher, and Ellery, are all doing well, and he extended greetings to all of his old friends from Rutland.

May birthdays honored at the Rutland Seniors Center on Monday, May 10, included: Janice Christensen; Roger Pearson; Rick Bosse; and Mike Kulzer. All are over 21 years of age. Those present were treated to a big slice of birthday cake baked and decorated by Ione Pherson, and to a rousing chorus of “the Happy Birthday,” song. So, Happy Birthday to all, and many more!

The Rutland Cemetery Association held its annual meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12, in the Community Room of the Stockgrowers’ Bank’s Rutland Station. According to Board member Paul Anderson, the Association’s financial report showed approximately $20,000.00 in the Perpetual Care Trust Fund. The Association retained the services of Brad, Tyson & Braeden Siemieniewski to perform mowing and maintenance duties at the cemetery during 2021; approved delegating pocket gopher control duties to Ione Pherson for the season; and re-elected Roger Pearson and Casie Carlson to 3-year terms on the Board of Directors. Current officers are: President, Roger Pearson; Vice-President, Paul Anderson; Secretary/Treasurer, Casie Carlson; Director, Norbert Kulzer; Director, Charles Sundlie; and Sexton Greg Donaldson.

Rutland native Bonnie Anderson, now of Brookings SD, was in Rutland from Friday, May 14, through Sunday, May 16, visiting with family and old friends here. Bonnie was the guest of her sister-in-law, Dianna Anderson, at 316 Ross Street during her Rutland visit. She reports that her daughter, Nicole, son Todd, and their families are all doing well.

Mike & Joy Harris of San Diego CA celebrated their 1^st wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 15, with prime rib at the Lariat Bar in Rutland. Mike, a Captain in the US Navy, is the eldest son of Joanne Harris and the late John Harris of this community. Mike and Joy, accompanied by Mike’s brother, Andy, had started out for North Dakota back on May 5, intending to be here in time to spend Mothers’ Day with Joanne, but, that plan, as with many well-intentioned plans, was not to be. They were driving Mike’s 2001 Dodge ¾ ton 4X4 pickup truck powered by a Cummins diesel engine and towing a trailer. As they were driving across Arizona on the 2^nd day of their trip, they noticed an intermittent growling sound that gradually increased in frequency and became more menacing in tone. As they neared the city of Payson AZ, in the northeastern corner of the State, sparks began flying past the windows on the right side of their truck. Mike pulled over, got out and opened the hood, to be greeted by an ominous puff of smoke. He then saw that the right front brake pad was on fire. Now in full damage control mode, Mike extinguished the flames with a bottle of water and surveyed the situation. It was obvious that a wheel bearing was out, and the transmission was also in distress. They got their rigged towed into Payson and located a mechanic who could do the necessary repair work. The wheel bearing repair wouldn’t take long, but a replacement transmission would have to be shipped in and repairs would not be completed for at least a week. So, they rented a car, drove back to San Diego, and Mike reported back in for duty with the Navy. A week later word was received that repairs had been completed, and that the Dodge was ready to go. They drove back to Payson, picked up their rig and resumed their journey on Tuesday, May 11. The new transmission has the heavy-duty towing package, and no further problems were experienced. On their way to Rutland, they took a side trip over to Des Moines IA, where a new 39’ travel trailer was picked up., and they arrived in Rutland on Friday, May 14. They deserved prime rib after a trip like that. On Monday, Mike, Joy, Andy and their cousin, Bill Anderson, drove out to the Rutland Sportsmen’s Club’s facilities north of Silver Lake. Mike & Andy practiced pistol shooting until the Sargent Central Trap League team showed up to shoot their final rounds for the season. Mike was impressed by the quality of the shooting displayed by the students, and remembered learning to use a shotgun on the trap range there back in the 1970’s. The Harrises departed Rutland on Tuesday, May 18, bound for San Diego, with their first stop at Billings MT. Andy will fly back to North Dakota from San Diego and expects to be back in Rutland before Memorial Day. Mike said that he has been regularly maintaining his Dodge, which now has about 230,000 miles on it, and that he had recently had the body and the cab interior redone, leaving the immortal Cummins diesel and the radiator cap as the only items of original equipment remaining on the vehicle.

The annual meeting of Rutland Housing Inc. was held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, in the Rutland Town Hall. The financial report showed a little over $7,000 in the operating fund, and approximately $90,000 in the reserve fund. Manager Bert Siemieniewski reported that 13 of the corporation’s 14 apartments are now occupied, and that the one vacant apartment is in the course of being updated and renovated for future occupancy. Manager Siemieniewski reviewed work that had been completed over the past several years, and the improvement work that is scheduled to be done during the coming year. 2021 is the 50^th anniversary of the formation of Rutland Housing, and of the construction of its first apartment house, situated on Main Street. The building was completed, and the tenants moved in on January 1, 1972. The first Board of Directors consisted of: Earl Anderson; Rudy Anderson; Aldon Donaldson; Norbert Kulzer; and Lowell “Skip” Sjothun Jr. The first tenants were: Bella Peterson & Palmer Thompson; Arthur & Nora Spande; Esther Erickson; and Tina Kuester. Current officers and directors are: Delores Lysne, President; Bill Anderson, Vice President; Carolyn Christensen, Secretary; and Bert Siemieniewski, Treasurer/Manager. There is one vacancy on the Board. Interested persons may contact Carolyn or Delores for information. All officers were re-elected for another term in their respective offices. The Rutland Housing Board of Directors meets quarterly, with meeting notices on the Rutland website and Facebook page, as well as in The Sargent County Teller.

Some upcoming events in Rutland include: Sargent Central High School Graduation for Tony Banish, Emily Hamilton & Cora McKinney of Rutland at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, in the Sargent Central Activities Center in Forman; Memorial Day observances, commencing with Military Rites at the Nordland Cemetery at 10: 15 a.m. on Monday, May 31; United Blood Services June Blood Drive commencing at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1, in the Rutland Town Hall; Rutland City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 7, in the Rutland Town Hall; Rutland Community Block Party at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, in the City Park adjacent to the Rutland Town Hall, with burgers, brats and water games with the Rutland Volunteer Firemen; and, the first Farmers Market of 2021 commencing at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday June 13, in the City Park adjacent to the Rutland Town Hall and on Gay Street in front of the Hall. The Rutland Community extends congratulations to Tony Banish, Emily Hamilton, Cora McKinney, and their families, on the occasion of their graduation from high school and the commencement of a new phase of their lives. Wherever they go and whatever they do, they will always take something of this community with them, and a little bit of them will always be a part of this community, as well. We are confident that we will be hearing good things about them in the days, and years, ahead.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, things are looking up in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic. Last week, on Thursday, May 13, the CDC announced that the wearing of facemasks would no longer be recommended for Americans who have been fully vaccinated against covid-19 in most instances. The wearing of facemasks is still recommended for those who have not been fully vaccinated. Statistics released on Tuesday, May 18, showed that 44% of GOP members of the U.S. House of Representatives had been fully vaccinated; that 92% of Republican members of the U.S. Senate had been fully vaccinated; and, that 100% of the Democratic members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate had been fully vaccinated. Good for the Democrats, and for the old geezer Republicans in the Senate who at least have the common sense to protect themselves and others by getting vaccinated. As for the Republicans in the U.S. House, who will neither be vaccinated nor wear a mask, well, what can be said. They show us who they are, and what they are, every day. Some of them are even nice folks, just not too bright. Well, as President Harry Truman once observed, “The American people get the government they deserve.” Just makes you wonder what we did to deserve those folks.

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 website 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.