The Rooster Crows – June 23, 2023

On June 23, 2023June 21, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

THE ROOSTER CROWS

06/23/23

“hotter than the hinges of Hades,” the old-timers used to say about summer time temperatures that neared the triple digit mark, and on Monday & Tuesday, June 19 & 20, those hinges were smokin’! On Monday, June 19, the temperature hit a blistering+92 degrees, and on Tuesday, June 20, the high temperature in Rutland hit 97 above, just 1 degree shy of the 98 degree record for that date that was set back in 1910. Less than 2 months ago most of North Dakota, including Rutland, was still covered with ice and snow, and nighttime temperatures were still dropping below the freezing mark. The old timers also used to say, “If you don’t like the weather here, just wait a minute…it’ll change.” It has changed, and, if you don’t like this weather, just wait another minute and it will change, again.

Dick Johnson of Hot Sulphur Springs CO stopped in Rutland on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 14, for a brief visit with one of his cousins, Bill Anderson of this community. Dick’s paternal grandmother, Emma (Peterson) Johnson, and Bill’s paternal grandmother, Julia (Peterson) Anderson, were sisters who had accompanied their parents, Jon & Maria Peterson, from Sweden to a homestead in Rutland Township back in 1887. Dick grew up in Drayton ND where his Dad, Chad Johnson, served the community as President of the local bank. Back in the 1950’s, Dick was a member of the Drayton American Legion Baseball team that won the North Dakota State Championship, won the Midwest Regional Championship and went on to be one of 12 teams that competed for the National Title. Dick usually makes an annual trip to Drayton for a reunion with his old friends there, and usually includes a stop in Rutland and Forman to visit friends and family here. When he stopped last week, Dick was on his way back to Colorado after a visit in Drayton and a fishing trip up in Ontario. The fishing was good, he reported, as was the reminiscing with companions from the good old days.

Members of Bergman-Evenson Post #215 of The American Legion conducted a Flag Retirement Ceremony at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, at Lou Sanderson Field. Post Commander Larry Christensen; Acting Sergeant At Arms Tom Manley; and, Post Adjutant/Acting Chaplain Doug Olstad presided over the ceremony at which approximately 50 soiled or damaged American Flags were honorably retired from service and properly destroyed by fire. Other Post members and guests present included: Roger Pearson; Doug Spieker; Calvin Jacobson; Andy Harris; Bill Anderson; Carolyn Christensen; Pam Maloney; Joanne Harris; and, Kelly Hawkinson. Prior to 2022, the local Legion Post conducted the Flag Retirement Ceremony on Veterans’ Day, November 11, but the combination of cold, wind & snow that tends to prevail on Veterans Day convinced Post members to change the date to June 14, Flag Day, instead. It was hot in 2022, and hotter in 2023, but for the Post members who are, for the most part, in their 70’s & 80’s, heat is better tolerated than is cold. The 2024 Flag Retirement Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, June 14, 2024 at Lou Sanderson Field, weather permitting.

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The Rooster Crows – June 2, 2023

On June 2, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows1 Comment

By Bill Anderson

The weather started out hot and windy on Monday, May 22, and stayed that way throughout the Memorial Day weekend. The conditions allowed field work to proceed at a rapid pace, and some local producers are getting close to the Spring Planting Finish Line. Hot weather conditions usually drum up a thunderstorm, and Memorial Day on Monday, May 29, was no exception to that old and honorable tradition. There were several episodes of thunder, followed by what Norbert Kulzer described as, “a 5 inch rain,” that is, a rainfall in which the raindrops were at least 5 inches apart. Roger Pearson reported .1 of an inch in his rain gauge on the morning of Tuesday, May 30, and Norbert Kulzer reported that his gauge, only a few feet east of Roger’s, registered less than a tenth on Tuesday morning. There is hope, though. At least there is hope, the drug that gives every farmer, and every banker, a high with every drop of rain.

Nine of the 12 surviving second generation descendants of Rutland area pioneers, the late Ole C. & Julia C. (Peterson) Anderson, enjoyed a reunion of first cousins on Thursday, May 25. The group included: Bill Anderson of Rutland; Paul Anderson of Rutland; Joanne (Anderson) Harris of Rutland; Andrew Harris of Rutland; Sonja (Anderson) Christensen of Wahpeton; Judie (Anderson-Seavert) Grohs of Rosholt SD; Jodie (Anderson) Bogenreif of Gilbert AZ; Beverly (Bartunek) Schons of Fargo; and Vicki (Bartunek) Renner of DesMoines IA. Also attending were Judie Grohs’ spouse, Steve Grohs of Rosholt SD; and Marilyn (Mrs. Arden) Anderson of Wahpeton. Unable to attend the reunion this year were: Marilyn (Bartunek) Sabe of DeFuniak Springs FL; Patricia (Anderson) Kulzer of Condon MT; and Jeffrey Anderson of Plymouth MN. First cousins who are deceased are: Richard M. Anderson; Harvey O. Anderson; Arden C. Anderson; and Nancy (Bartunek) Lee. Those attending gathered at the Rutland Cemetery in the morning to decorate the graves of parents, spouses, and grandparents for Memorial Day, and to discuss family history before having lunch at The Lariat Bar in Rutland. Main courses and beverages were ordered off the menu, and the group was treated with a rhubarb dessert made by Sonja Christensen from a recipe provided for one of the Rutland cookbooks by the late Helen (Hermanson) Anderson of this community. Terry Lee, surviving spouse of the Late Nancy Lee, also sent a generous supply of rosettes for all to enjoy. The cousins are descendants of the late Melvin & Ila Anderson; the late Rudolph & Edna Anderson; the late William & Norma (Anderson) Bartunek; and the late Earl & Irene Anderson. They were all impressed by the excellent cuisine furnished by The Lariat Bar, as well as with the prompt & efficient service provided by a member of the Lariat’s staff, Tyler Weatherby.

Larry Christensen, Commander of Bergman-Evenson Post #215 of the American Legion; and, Roger Pearson, a member of the Post; installed new crosses on the graves of veterans in the Rutland and Nordland Cemeteries on the morning of Friday, May 26. The new crosses are made of steel and have a durable white powder coat finish. Post members extend their thanks to the RayMac Company of Gwinner & Forman for manufacturing and donating the crosses.

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The Rooster Crows – May 26, 2023

On May 26, 2023May 25, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Life In GeneralLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

We can always talk, and write, about the weather. We don’t, and can’t, do anything about it, but we sure can comment on it. At times we are so proud and boastful of the pleasant weather conditions in our home communities that an outside observer might think that we actually had something to do with creating it, while at other times our mournful wails against the injustice of harsh weather conditions might lead that same outside observer to conclude that some malevolent being is sending foul weather to torture us poor innocents who have chosen to make our homes here. The weather, though, is neither good nor bad. It is only our reaction to it that makes us perceive it as being one way or the other. As The Bard once wrote, “…There is nothing that is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so…” Well, that being said, after some mighty pleasant weather at the beginning of last week, a mean spirited old cold front moved through this area on Thursday and Friday, May 18 & 19, dropping temperatures down to the low 40’s, and drawing some cold weather clothing back out of the closet. The cold front brought the smoke from Canadian wildfires down to ground level, too, making breathing a hazardous practice for anyone with asthma, allergies, COPD or other respiratory ailments. The cold front also brought trace rainfall amounts to the Rutland area, further delaying Spring planting for a few more days. By Sunday, May 21, though, nearly everyone with crops to plant was in the field, some raising dust and some getting stuck in the mud, but all experiencing the feeling of action, if not the fact. By Wednesday, May 24, the temperature had hit the 90’s, a substantial percentage of the acres intended for wheat, corn and soybeans had been planted and the rocks had been rolled flat in preparation for the combine harvesters that will begin gathering in the golden harvest in a few short months, depending on the weather, of course.

The Rutland Community Club held its regular May meeting on Monday, May 15, at the Rutland Town Hall. Community Club President Katie McLaen supplied the following report: “We made a big purchase at our May meeting, 12 new plastic picnic tables and 2 new aluminum bleachers for the ball diamond at Lou Sanderson Field. Both purchases will be used through the Spring & Summer, as well as at Uff-Da Day in early October! The Annual Community Block Party is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, in the City Park adjacent to the Rutland Town Hall. The Volunteer Fireman will be grilling burgers, bratwursts & hot dogs, and Miss Whitney Mahrer will be crowned Miss Rutland 2023. Everyone in the Rutland Community is invited to participate in the Block Party. It’s a great opportunity to greet your neighbors, renew old friendships and make some new ones. There is no charge, and it’s a lot of fun!

So, what the “H” is going on with the U.S. Postal Service now? For many years, the rural routes were classified as either category “J” or category “K”, and the compensation paid to rural mail carriers was based on several criteria, including mileage of the route; number of deliveries on the route; time it took to complete the route; etc. Now, however, the Postal Service has put forward a plan to classify all rural routes as category “H”, a category no one has ever heard of prior to May of 2023. Compensation on all routes will be the same, regardless of miles, deliveries and other criteria. According to at least one carrier who delivers mail to some addresses in Sargent County, the new compensation schedule will result in a reduction of approximately $1,000.00 per month for the carrier serving that route. No one is expected to get a raise under the new system. Additionally, although the Postal Service is advertising for applicants to serve as substitute carriers, the rule will be changed to require regular carriers to work 6 days a week, rather than 5, leaving no days for the substitute carriers to work. Since 2006, the Postal Service has been working hard to make itself unprofitable and to put itself out of business. It has gotten rid of postmasters, clerks and post offices. Now it’s taking aim at the rural mail carriers. It has discouraged customers by raising fees while decreasing service to its patrons. The Postal Service is subject to rules and regulations instituted by the Congress and is under the supervision of the Congress. It is about time that our Congressmen and Senators step up, take responsibility for the disaster they have created, and do something to correct it. The duty of the Postal Service is to deliver the mail in a timely and economical manner. That’s it! Pretty simple. Even a member of Congress should be able to understand it.

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The Rooster Crows – May 19, 2023

On May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Last week’s thunder, lightning and rain knocked out most of the remaining frost pockets and settled the soil for Spring planting. Here in Rutland, the combined rainfall total from the Friday afternoon downpour and Saturday’s day long drizzle amounted to .7 of an inch but other areas of Sargent County were drenched with considerably more precipitation. Mark Bopp, who farms northeast of Cogswell, reports 2.5” of total precipitation from the Friday-Saturday double whammy. Sunshine, temperatures in the 70’s & 80’s, and light winds from Sunday through Wednesday, May 14-17, helped to get fields in shape to hold machinery, but more rain is being predicted for Thursday & Friday of this week.

Despite the gray, hazy appearance of the sky, and the reddish-orange appearance of the Sun at daybreak, local weather experts have been telling us that there are no clouds and that the sky is perfectly clear. So, what’s going on. Is this the new, “artificial intelligence,” technology at work, telling us to believe what they say, not what we see? Well, not exactly. The gray, hazy appearance of the sky is actually the result of an old-fashioned natural process, wildfires burning in the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, producing smoke that is carried across North America by upper-level air currents. The smoke is so high, the experts say, that we can’t smell it right now, but an approaching cold front is expected to bring the smoke down to Earth to torment creatures, including us, here below. So, that’s the weather story for North Dakota. Always something to look forward to.

Mark Wyum, who is helping his son, Rob, get the 2023 crop planted, reports that the hilltops are in good shape, but the slough edges and low spots are marginal, at best. Rob is planting some spring wheat this year, the first wheat in the Wyum Farm’s crop rotation in 30 years, just to see how it goes. He expects to have his planned total of 600 acres planted to wheat before day’s end on “Syttende Mai,” May 17. Other crews were just getting started on corn and beans, and hope to be hitting it hard by next week.

It is finally Spring, and that means that it’s also time for the Rutland Cemetery Association’s annual meeting. Association President Roger Pearson had scheduled the meeting to be held at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, in the Community Room of Stock Growers Bank’s Rutland Station. The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Paul Anderson. The big items of business were: approval of a budget for normal 2023 operating expenses; approval of the appropriation of approximately $7,000 from the Perpetual Care Fund for straightening and repairing a number of larger tombstones in the cemetery; and, election of a new Director to replace Norbert Kulzer on the Cemetery Association’s Board. Norbert said that, by his estimate, he had been a member of the board for at least the past 152 years, but Secretary Casee Carlson said that she could only find records to indicate that Norbert had been serving as a board member since the early 1980’s. Jerry Woytassek was elected to the board for a 4-year term. Members of the Rutland Cemetery Association Board are now: Roger Pearson; Paul Anderson; Casee Carlson; Chuck Sundlie; and Jerry Woytassek. Greg Donaldson serves as the Cemetery’s Sexton. The next meeting of the Rutland Cemetery Association’s membership is tentatively scheduled for the 2^nd Wednesday in May 2024. The members of the Association expressed their congratulations and thanks to Norbert Kulzer for his 4, or 15 decades of faithful service on the Cemetery Board.

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The Rooster Crows – May 12, 2023

On May 12, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Bergman-Evenson Post #215 of The American Legion provided the honor guard, and Mother Nature provided the tears, in the form of a day long drizzle & rain, for the funeral of Virgil Hoistad Sr. on Saturday, May 6. As had been reported here, earlier, Virgil’s funeral would be held at his home church, Nordland Lutheran Church, in Rutland, with burial at the home church of his late wife, Donetta (Gulsvig) Hoistad, at Pleasant Valley Lutheran Church near Kidder SD. All in all, the service, the ceremony, and the weather combined to provide a fitting tribute for our late friend and neighbor, Virgil Hoistad Sr.

Roger Pearson reported that, as of Monday, May 8, he had measured 1.2 inch of rain in his gauge at 409 Gay Street since the 1^st of May, including 1 full inch on Saturday, May 6. Roger’s next door neighbor, Norbert Kulzer, whose rain gauge at 415 Gay Street is only a few feet east of Roger’s gauge, reported 1.1 inch of precipitation from the May 6 rain event. Jesse Brakke said that the electronic gauge at his farm in Section 15 of Ransom Township indicated that he had received 1 full inch of rain on Saturday, May 6, although he is unsure of the effect that the dehydrated spider he found in the gauge would have on the reading. Ione Lunneborg reported 1.7 inch of rain at the Jim & Ione Lunneborg farm in Shuman Township, and Rick Bosse stated that the Brampton area had received somewhere between 2 and 3 inches of rain during the May 6 event.

Raccoons can be cute little fellows, in the right place and at the right time, but one place in which they are not cute is in a commercial building on Rutland’s Main Street. Many have seen the Facebook photo of 2 raccoons posing in the window of the former Rutland Post Office at 113 First Street. They looked cute, posing as if they were the new Postmaster and Clerk at the Rutland Post Office. Unfortunately, they are also extremely destructive, going through walls, floors and ceilings to get where they want to go. They do not restrict themselves to their original place of abode, either. Like a band of drunken hooligans, raccoons are perfectly willing to trash any location to which they have access. The City of Rutland had previously notified the absentee owner of the building, Dr. Hamilton that the raccoons, and other vermin, were to be removed as soon as possible. A response from Dr. Hamilton was due by Tuesday, May 2. Rutland’s City Attorney, LeeAnn Even, reports that the demand letter sent to the registered agent of Hamilton Enterprises, LLC and to Hamilton Enterprises, LLC required removal of the raccoons within 7 days of receipt of the letter, or, at least, steps such as contracting with a pest removal company for dealing with the raccoons and notifying the city of the estimated timeframe to deal with the raccoons must have been taken. The letter also informed Hamilton Enterprises that failure to deal with the issue would result in the City having the raccoons removed and billing Hamilton for the costs, including attorney’s fees. Well, we suppose that the raccoons, once apprehended, could be charged with impersonating officials of the U.S. Postal Service and sentenced to 10 or 20 years in the Federal Penitentiary. That would keep them off the street, and out of our attics, for a while.

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The Rooster Crows – Apr. 28, 2023

On April 28, 2023April 27, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Fifty-one degrees above Zero on Tuesday, April25, and we’re not done, yet. The weather gurus are predicting highs of 59 for both Wednesday & Thursday, April 26 & 27, this week. It will only take a little push to get into the 60’s, where the reality of spring can finally sink in. The possibility of snow is still in the forecast, though, but maybe, just maybe, we are done with that nonsense until November.

Local farmers are beginning to get a little tense, as potential planting dates are crossed off the calendar without a wheel having turned anywhere in the County. If the cool damp weather persists, it has been suggested that ice plant may become 2023’s primary cash crop.

Speaking of cash crops, Chuck Anderson reports that he has been hauling corn from the Anderson Farm in Weber Township to the Cargill Company’s storage and loading facility at Fairmount this week. The corn was harvested last fall, and was contracted for delivery to Cargill this spring. Road conditions have required Chuck to take a roundabout route to Fairmount, though. He has had to drive west from the farm on a Township road, then north on the next Township road to County Road #5, and then west on County #5 over to ND Highway #32, then north on #32 up to ND #11 and then east to Fairmount. Chuck says that he’s just happy to have a route that enables him to get the corn to where it’s supposed to go by the time it’s supposed to get there.

Chuck Anderson also reported that word was received on Tuesday, April 25, that an old neighbor, Virgil Hoistad, had passed away that day. Virgil was residing at a nursing home in Moorhead MN at the time of his death. Obituary and funeral information was not available as of this writing.

The Lariat Bar is becoming an increasingly popular venue for meetings of all kinds: professional; personal; and, partying. On Wednesday, April 19, three old friends: Steve Wyum of Rutland; Dr. Jerry Waswick of Gwinner; and, Bill Anderson of Rutland; gathered at The Lariat Bar to enjoy the Noon Special, a hot roast beef combo, and to catch up on where life has been taking them. The three men had become friends while serving together on the Sargent County Commission from 2004 to 2020. On the evening of Wednesday, April 19, Ambulance crews, Fire Departments & members of the Sargent County Sheriff’s Department met to discuss the new Statewide Interactive Radio Network (SIRN) that will allow emergency responders to communicate with each other during emergency response situations, when clear and unambiguous communication is needed. On Tuesday, April 18, the Sargent County Chapter of Pheasants Forever held its meeting in the Lariat’s dining room. Among those attending the Pheasants Forever meeting was Sargent County’s rhubarb King, Terry Dusek of Milnor. On Saturday, April 15, descendants of Dianna Anderson and the late Larry Anderson met in the Lariat’s dining room. Earlier that week, on Wednesday, April 12, the Wild Rice Antique Tractor & Plowing Association met at The Lariat in the afternoon, and the Sargent County Farmers’ Union executive committee held its organizational meeting in the dining room of The Lariat that evening. On Tuesday, April 25, members of Bergman-Evenson Post #215 of The American Legion met in The Lariat’s Dining Room to review the “Poppy Posters” created by members of the 1^st, 2nd & 3^rd Grade Classes at Sargent Central’s Elementary School. Twenty-five posters had been submitted, and all were well done. The Poppy Poster Contest is sponsored by the Rutland Unit of The American Legion Auxiliary, and was coordinated by Auxiliary member Diane Smith.

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