By Bill Anderson

Three inches of new snow on Tuesday, December 6. Three degrees below Zero on the morning of Wednesday, December 7, the 81^st anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Was this a repeat of that dastardly sneak attack, this time pulled off by Mother Nature? Predictions for next week, 13 inches of new snow, will have us looking back at this week with nostalgia. Well, we’ve survived sneak attacks and tough winters before this one, and we’ll still be around when Spring arrives, too. 

Ms. Maggie Ness, representing the Alzheimer’s Association’s Fargo office, accompanied Morgan Biss of Ransom-Sargent Senior Services, Lisbon, to the Rutland Seniors’ Center on Wednesday, November 30, where she spoke to the Rutland Seniors about The Basics of Dementia & Alzheimer’s. Her presentation included a discussion of risk factors that make the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s more likely. One week later the members of the Rutland Senior Citizens group still remembered Ms. Ness’s name and the topic of her presentation, so, things are looking good at the Rutland Seniors’ Center. Anyone who has questions for Ms. Ness may contact her at 701-356-2085, Extension 8639.

The members of the Board of Managers of Rutland Improvement d/b/a The Lariat Bar LLC met at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, at The Lariat Bar in Rutland. Members Present were: Paul Anderson; Michael Wyum; Patty Woytassek; Rob Wyum; and, Katie McLaen; Also present was Manager Sue Kaehler. It was reported that all liquor and sales tax licenses have been obtained and are ready to be displayed as required by law. The Tobacco license has been applied for but has not yet been received.  Insurance policies covering the structure, furniture, equipment, and premises business operations has been obtained. The liquor liability insurance application has been submitted & is awaiting approval. All inventory has been ordered, and most items have been delivered. The Board decided to replace the refrigerator in the kitchen. It was reported that the new dishwasher has been delivered and is ready for installation. Installation of the Point Of Sale (POS) equipment and programming is proceeding slower than anticipated. This has been holding up getting the bar opened for business. All staff members: bartenders; waitresses; and cooks; have been hired and must be trained in the operation of the POS system before opening, otherwise the old-fashioned system known as “CASH” may have to be used. The menu and pricing have been completed and have been sent to the designer for layout & printing. Payroll will be done using QuickBooks and has been set up. Rutland Improvement has retained the services of a CPA, and the company’s Treasurer, Mike Wyum, will be working closely with Manager Sue Kaehler and the CPA to make sure that the train stays on track. Painting, except for the west wall, has been completed. A wallpaper border remains to be added in the hallway. Lights in the kitchen and hallway will be switched to new LED fixtures. The Brenco Company of Fargo has power scrubbed the floors, but they have not yet been resealed. The Aramark Co. has been contacted to get a quote for rugs with Rutland logos imprinted on them. The price quoted was $17.50 per rug every 2 weeks. A quote for rugs without logos is also being obtained. Security cameras for the exterior and interior of the Bar have been ordered and are expected to be installed by the opening date. The tentative opening date is December 10^th depending on when the Point Of Sale System is fully installed & operational. Check Rutland’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com or the Rutland Facebook page for definite information on Opening Day for The Lariat Bar.

CORRECTION! In a recent column, the name of The Lariat Bar’s Manager was misspelled. The correct spelling is Kaehler, not Kaeler. Also, Sue Kaehler’s parents were identified as James & Laverne Peplinski. Her parents are actually James & Marian Peplinski. Laverne Peplinski is Sue’s uncle. Apologies to Sue, James, Marian & Laverne for the errors. Thanks to Deb Banish for the corrections.

The Rutland City Council met at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 5, in the Rutland Town Hall, with Mayor Mike Mahrer; City Auditor Deb Banish; and Council Members Bill Anderson; Delores Lysne; and Lori McLaen present. Council member Rodney Erickson was absent, associating with birds of a feather at the Aerial Applicator’s national gathering in Knoxville TN. Also present was City Engineer Mike Basingthwaite of Interstate Engineering, Wahpeton. The Council approved the beer and liquor license for The Lariat Bar and Grill for January 1 through December 31, 2023, subject to receipt of the required license fee. The Council approved the Gaming Site Authorization for the Rutland Sportsman’s Club to conduct pull tab and electronic gaming devices at The Lariat Bar and Grill for the period December 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. The Council nominated Rutland Mayor, Michael Mahrer, for reappointment to the Sargent County Job Development Authority (SCJDA) to represent organized cities of the county with populations of less than 500. The Council approved the 2023 Council Meeting calendar as presented, with most regular monthly meetings to be held on the first Monday during each month, except for holidays when the meeting will be held on the second Monday of the month.  The Council authorized the transfer of 20% of the current year’s receipts from the water Enterprise fund to the Streets and Sidewalks general fund account, as allowed by law. City Engineer Mike Bassingthwaite, Interstate Engineering, discussed recent changes from the Department of Emergency Services (DES) for hazard mitigation project funding. Water towers no longer qualify. He also mentioned that the city may want to postpone the sidewalk project originally contemplated for next year, as concrete prices have increased substantially. There is also a shortage of concrete culverts due to a lack of manufacturing capacity in this region. Engineer Basingthwaite and Mayor Mahrer will meet soon to review the potential replacement of water mains in the city. The City Auditor reported that there are currently 6 delinquent water, sewer and garbage pickup accounts for which service will be terminated on December 15 if payment has not been received by then. Mayor Mahrer reported that the large, dead tree on the corner of Cooper & Dakota Streets needs to be removed. The tree is on private property, but it is causing the electric power line to be broken repeatedly, and Otter Tail Power will not reconnect the line to provide service to the streetlight at that corner until the tree has been taken down. The City Attorney will be requested to send a letter to the owners, advising them to have the tree removed, or the city will proceed to have it removed and charge the owners for the cost of removal. Council Member Lori McLaen informed the Council that the Fire Department plans to hold a New Year’s Eve dance at the Rutland Town Hall, and that a special liquor permit may be needed for the event. The Auditor will issue the permit if alcoholic beverages will be sold on premises during the event. After reviewing the City’s finances, and authorizing payment of the City’s bills, The Council adjourned at 6 p.m. The next meeting of the Rutland City Council is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9, at 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’s governing board in action.

Mr. Brian Pappas, Esq., is the new dean of the University of North Dakota School of Law, and has now been on the job for 6 months. Coming into this new role, Dean Pappas decided to tour every county in North Dakota and visit with their lawyers, judges, clerks, and elected officials. So far he has visited 41 of our 53 counties and is hoping to visit them all by the end of the year. He is very interested in how we can do more to support our rural/small town law practices across the state. On Wednesday, December 6, the dean stopped in at the Sargent County Courthouse in Forman at 12:30 p.m. He had previously visited the courthouses at Lamoure and Ellendale and planned to visit Lisbon later in the day. While at the Sargent County Courthouse, he visited with Lyle Bopp, a practicing attorney in Forman and a member of the County Commission; County Auditor Pam Maloney; County Treasurer, Recorder & Clerk of Court Alison Toepke; Sargent County States Attorney Jayne Pfau; and retired attorney and former County Commissioner Bill Anderson. They discussed their experiences dealing with the court system and practicing law in small town North Dakota, as well as ideas for encouraging new attorneys to locate in rural communities and providing mentoring assistance for them. This is the first time in the memory of any of those present that a Dean of the UND School of Law had ever reached out to members of the Bar in rural communities or visited the Sargent County Courthouse to meet with local officials and attorneys. Attorney LeeAnn Even of Cogswell was unable to meet with Dean Pappas on Wednesday because she was dealing with a complex real estate transaction that could not be delayed. Well, maybe next time.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, the Election of 2022 is finally over. We know that it’s over because the supply of hot air seems to have been completely exhausted. There’s no reason for concern, though. When the U.S. Congress reconvenes and State Legislatures assemble during the first week of January 2023, the hot air supply will be restocked with more than enough to make it through to January of 2025. Although no new laws have yet been made, and no old laws have yet been repealed or modified, the Election of 2022 has already had one tremendous success, the complete deflation of the Donald Trump balloon. Don’t start celebrating yet, though, as Mr. Trump has proven himself capable of generating more than enough hot air at several times in the past to resurrect himself from the political tomb. Has Mr. Trump finally desecrated the American body politic with his last blast of self-pitying flatulence? Has the Republican Right finally recognized him for the self-centered con man that he has always been. Well, that all remains to be seen, but, for now, he has been considerably reduced, and that’s a blessing for America and the world.

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 take a look at the Rutland Facebook page while you’re looking around in cyberspace, too. Remember to patronize your local Post Office, and don’t forget to keep the pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.