When it comes to describing the weather for the past week, hot and dry are the only words needed. The weather has been ideal for threshing wheat, however, and many local producers are reporting that they have been pleasantly surprised by the yields and quality they are finding. No one is quite sure where the water came from to produce yields in the 50 to 60 bushel range, while the hot dry conditions above the roots produced high protein and an uninterrupted harvest. Test weights of 62 to 63 pounds to the bushel are also being reported. The biggest complaint that most around here seem to have is that they either didn’t plant enough wheat, or that they didn’t plant any at all. Well, a good yield with good quality and a good price are always welcome, especially when a disastrously low yield, shrunken kernels and a low price were expected. Well, it’s still not too late for the corn and soybean crops to disappoint everyone.

There will be no disappointments in Rutland this Saturday, August 7, as a half dozen, or more, rib chefs compete for the title of “Best Ribs In Rutland. This will be the 12th Annual Rib Fest. It would have been the 13th, but the event was not held in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. Pete & Michelle Denault, owners & operators of The Lariat Bar and sponsors of Rib Fest 2021 Have arranged for vendors of ribs, sweet corn and other good food to be on hand for the main event, and a Junk-Fest with bargains of all kinds will also be held. A car show with classic, antique and restored automobiles of every description will also be presented. The evening will be capped off with live music and a street dance for the young at heart. Don’t miss it! Rib Fest in Rutland on Saturday, August 7.

Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson were at Buffalo Lake MN, near Richmont MN, for a family reunion of the descendants of the late Roy & Helen (Hermanson) Anderson of this community, from Friday through Sunday, July 23-25. Chuck, the youngest of Roy & Helen’s 6 children, reports that children, grandchildren and great grandchildren representing all 6 branches of the family tree: the late Richard Anderson; Beverly (Anderson) Brezicka; Janice (Anderson) Lee; the late Larry Anderson; Diane (Anderson) Baker; and, Charles Anderson; were present at the reunion. According to Chuck, a good time was had by all.

Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson were at Buffalo Lake MN, near Richmont MN, for a family reunion of the descendants of the late Roy & Helen (Hermanson) Anderson of this community, from Friday through Sunday, July 23-25. Chuck, the youngest of Roy & Helen’s 6 children, reports that children, grandchildren and great grandchildren representing all 6 branches of the family tree: the late Richard Anderson; Beverly (Anderson) Brezicka; Janice (Anderson) Lee; the late Larry Anderson; Diane (Anderson) Baker; and, Charles Anderson; were present at the reunion. According to Chuck, a good time was had by all.

Dianna Anderson returned to her apartment in Rutland on Thursday, July 22, after 2 months of recovery and therapy as the result of injuries sustained in a fall at a high school graduation party back in May. She reports that hospitals and nursing homes are OK places, when you need them, but, for a real feeling of recovery, there’s no place like home. Dianna’s many friends here extend a hearty “Welcome home!”

A message recently arrived from Montana carried the information that Rutland native Glenn Kulzer, eldest son of Dave & Pat Kulzer, set 4 world records in long distance shooting in competition at the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) Match #8 at Deep Creek MT on Sunday, June 13, 2021. Glenn captured the 4 records in the heavy gun class: Best 10 Shot Group; Best 10 Shot Match; Best Group Score; and Best Match Score; by shooting a 2.695” ten shot group at 1,000 yards. The old record of 2.871” was set back in 2016. Glenn was shooting a custom made, heavy barreled 6 mm rifle when he set the records. When he’s not engaged in competition shooting, or hunting & fishing in the mountains of southwestern Montana, Glenn is employed as a pharmacist in the city of Dillon MT. The Rutland community extends congratulations to Glenn on his achievement. As one of his cousins, the late Arden Anderson, used to say, “The cream always rises to the top.” You bet it does!

The regular monthly meeting of the Rutland City Council was convened in the Rutland City Hall by Mayor Mike Mahrer at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, August 2, with City Auditor Deb Banish; and, Council members Lori McLaen and Delores Lysne present. Council members Rodney Erickson and Colton Corry were absent. Also present was Rutland resident Bill Anderson. During the Public Comment section of the meeting, Mr. Anderson urged the Council to take action to replace the badly deteriorated sidewalk on the east side of Main Street and to make provisions in the 2022 City Budget for a street and sidewalk repair fund. The Council considered the Petition to vacate the platted alley through the north half of Block #3 of Green’s Addition of 1907, and, there being no objections, approved vacating said platted alley. Although platted as an alley back in 1907, the property had never been improved, maintained or used as an alley. The Resolution to Vacate will take effect after it has been published in the City’s official newspaper and has been recorded in the County Recorder’s Office at the County Courthouse in Forman. Mayor Mahrer reported that Maguire Iron of Sioux Falls SD had repaired the leaks in the Rutland Municipal water tower on Sunday, July 25, by welding a patch on the outside of the tank and by welding the leaks shut on the inside of the tank. The workmen also cleaned the inside of the tank and performed other maintenance work on the tower and the tank. The Mayor also reported that he had arranged to have Dale Peplinski mow the grass and weeds on the dikes at the Municipal Sewage Lagoon west of town. He had also met with TEAM Labs about the condition of the water in the lagoon, and had been advised to plant microbes in the lagoon to take care of problems with sludge and other solids in the water. The microbes have been ordered and will be put to work as soon as they arrive. Some advantages to using microbes for this purpose are that they never complain about working conditions, and don’t mind working for less than the minimum wage. City Auditor Banish presented a Preliminary Budget for 2022 that provides for levying just under the City’s 105 mill limit for the coming year. The Preliminary Budget does include a designated sidewalk repair fund. After a brief discussion, the Council approved the Preliminary Budget as presented. Final passage of the 2022 Budget will be voted on at the Monday, October 4, Council meeting following a public hearing. Council members approved changing the date of the September meeting from Monday, September 13, to Tuesday, September 7. After reviewing the City’s bills, and authorizing payment, the Council adjourned. The next meeting of the Rutland City Council is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 7, in the Rutland Town Hall. All meetings of the Rutland City Council are open to the public, and Rutland residents are invited to stop in to observe their City Government in action.

Rutland natives Art Fust (RHS Class of ’63) and Pete Fust (SCHS Class of ’73) stopped in their old home town on the afternoon of Sunday, August 1, for a visit with Art’s boyhood friend and RHS classmate, Bill Anderson. Both Art and Pete grew up on the Fust farm 1½ mile north of Rutland. The farm is now operated by their brother, Earl. Art has made his home at Billings MT for the past several decades, and Pete says that he migrates between New Mexico and California, still practicing his vocation as an arborist. On Monday morning, Art & Pete were joined by their brother, James, for a conference with the Assembled Wise Men during morning coffee at the Rutland Seniors Center. James makes his home at Park City MT, near Billings. The Fust brothers had all attended a reunion of the extended Fust family in Fargo on Saturday, July 31, except for James, who came to Rutland on Saturday to attend the memorial service for his old friend and high school classmate, Steve Preble. On Tuesday, August 3, they headed for the lakes country of Minnesota for a get-together of their immediate family: Kathleen (Fust) Mehus of Fargo; Arthur Fust of Billings MT; Earl Fust of Milnor & Rutland; James Fust of Park City MT; Linda (Fust) Young of Minneapolis; and, Norman Peter “Pete” Fust, on the road between NM and CA. Only sister Rosemary, who makes her home in England, is expected to be absent from the gathering.

Among those who travelled to Rutland to pay their respects to the memory of the late Steven Preble last week was the Rev. Liesebet Gravley of Newport KY. Rev. Gravley served as an intern pastor at Nordland Lutheran Church in Rutland and Trinity Lutheran Church in Havana during 2013 & 2014. She and Steve shared an interest in sports and developed a friendship that continued after her internship here had ended. She delivered a eulogy at the memorial service that stressed the importance of friendship and communication in our lives. Rev. Gravley currently serves as Pastor to a small, originally rural, congregation, about the same size as Nordland, in the community of Cold Spring KY, just across the Ohio River from the city of Cincinnati OH. She extends greetings to all of the friends here that she didn’t get a chance to greet during her visit. Her parents, who frequently visited in Rutland during Liesebet’s internship here, have recently moved from their longtime home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Oklahoma in order to be closer to grandchildren, she said.

This community was saddened once again when word was received here that Rutland native Perry Donaldson had passed away at his home in Moorhead MN on Friday, July 30, at the age of 62 years 5 months and 17 days. Perry Allen Donaldson was born on February 13, 1959 at Britton SD to Aldon & Lorraine (Askerooth) Donaldson, the 4th of their 5 sons. Perry attended elementary school in Rutland, and graduated from Sargent Central High School in 1977. Following high school, he enlisted in the U. S. Army for 2 years. He received his Honorable Discharge from the Army in 1979, and returned to Rutland where he was employed at a variety of jobs, including several years at the Bobcat factory in Gwinner. He later moved to the Fargo-Moorhead area where he was again employed at a variety of jobs, including a stint in the maintenance department of the Fargo VA Medical Center. Perry is survived by 2 brothers: Greg Donaldson of Rutland; and, James Donaldson of Fargo. He was preceded in death by his parents and by 2 brothers: Donald Donaldson; and, Scott Donaldson. Interment will be in the Rutland Cemetery at a date in the future to be determined by the family. Price Funeral Chapel of Britton and Forman is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be sent to Greg Donaldson, PO Box 184, Rutland ND 58067. The Rutland community extends its condolences to the family and friends of Perry Donaldson, a man who struggled with life, and tried to do the right thing.

Dave Young of this community reports that he spent the last week of July at the home of his parents in Rochester MN. Dave’s father, John Young, passed away on Friday, July 30, 2 days short of his 88th birthday, after a long struggle with complications of diabetes. The Rutland community extends condolences to Dave on the death of his father.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, areas of the redneck South are aflame with the Delta variant of the covid-19 virus. The rising infection rate is primarily, 99%, among those who have not yet received a vaccination that would have protected them against the worst effects of the virus. So, if you are among those who have not yet obtained a vaccination against covid-19, what are you waiting for? The handwriting is on the wall. Pull your head out of wherever you have it stuck and get your vaccination. The vaccination costs nothing. Failing to get it could cost you your health, and possibly your life. To make arrangements to obtain a vaccination, call: Sargent County Public Health at 724-3725; Forman Drug at 724-6222; or, Sanford clinic at 742-3267. Do yourself, your family, your friends and your community a favor and a great service. . Get your covid-19 vaccination today!

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 http://www.rutlandnd.com, and take a look at 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.