Hens Do Crow! – May 3, 2019

On May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish (and Bill Anderson)

Orvis & Alphie Pearson returned home after a winter in Arizona on Saturday, April 27. Orvis & Alphie have decided that they will spend next Winter with their friends and family in North Dakota. They are now in residence at Four Seasons Villa, the assisted living center in Forman, where they intend to make their home for the foreseeable future. Their grandson, Chris Pearson, is now residing on the Pearson family farm southeast of Rutland. Orvis & Alphie’s many friends here extend a hearty “Welcome Home!” to them.

Joanne Harris, Diana Anderson, Janet Kiefer, Bev Kulzer, and Janice Christensen attended the Sargent Central State Bound Music Concert on Monday, April 29, in Forman. They were among the many family and friends of the 35 extremely talented students who will compete in the State Music Region B Contest on Saturday, May 4^th, in Bismarck. The music and songs were beautifully performed by the talented youth. Everyone wishes them congratulations at starring at the Regional contest and wishes them luck as they compete at the State Level.

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Hens Do Crow! April 26, 2019

On April 26, 2019April 24, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish

The 18th Annual Rutland Community Easter Egg Hunt was organized, produced and presented by the family of Jerry & Jeanne Leinen on the morning of Saturday, April 20, 2019, in the Rutland Town Hall. Leinen family matriarch and primary organizer of the event, Jeanne Leinen, reports that 1,015 Easter Eggs, one dozen more than last year, each one containing a prize or a prize certificate, were hidden throughout the Hall, waiting to be discovered by the 87 youngsters who enthusiastically participated in the event. After the eggs had been found, the boys and girls were admitted to “Grandma’s Garden,” where they were allowed to choose gifts from a vast selection compiled by Jeanne since Easter of 2018. In a new event for this year, the “Willy Wonka Contest,” youngsters who Found the Golden Tootsie Pop Stick were entered into a drawing for age appropriate gifts. Willy Wonka winners were: 0-2 years old, Vagda Schuster, Starbuck MN – Water Park Set; 3-4 years old, Corbin Carlson, Rutland – Race Game; 5-11 years old, 3 Winners: Eli Olson, Rutland – Blue Tooth Boom Box with Speaker; Brooklyn Pherson, Rutland – Frogger Video Game; Julia Mahrer, Rutland – Drone Flyer; The “Grand Prize Winners were: 0-1 year old, Bronson Heting, Napoleon ND – Stuffed Bunny Rabit; Dylan Gulleson, Rutland – Elephant Parade; Vagda Schuster, Starbuck MN – Little Girl’s Kitchen; 2 year old: Raegan Roney, Rutland – Little Girl’s Kitchen; Lincoln Mahrer, Rutland – T-Ball set; 3 year olds (3): Mia Leno, Wahpeton ND – Pony Land; Ruth McLaen, Rutland – Pony Land; Reece Halmrast, Rutland – Adventure Force Robot; 4 year olds (4) Keegan Dockter, Hugo MN – Gorilla; Marckus Gray Hawk, Fairmount ND – Superman Tower Garage; Natalie Hanson, Forman – Keyboard; Adalyn Mahrer, Rutland – Princess Kingdom; 5-7 year olds (5) Kyler Pherson, Rutland – Road Racing Set; Cohen Jensen, Wyndmere ND – Folding Spiderman Scooter; Brooklyn Pherson, Rutland – Nail Polish Maker; Chino Gray Hawk, Fairmount – Bee-ol-ogy learning Kit; Paislee Pherson, Rutland – 2 Little Treasure Dig Boxes; 8-11 year olds (2) William Kromschroader, Fisher SD – Camera Drone Flyer; and, Camden Bidle, Medina MN – 9” electronic Tablet. A special Grand Prize, a “Talking Rocking Horse,” was won by Mia Leno of Wahpeton. Debbie Banish of Rutland won the only adult prize, a pair of ceramic Easter Bunnies. Deb’s age bracket was not disclosed. About 100 parents, grandparents and other onlookers were on hand to observe all of the activity while enjoying a cup of coffee and a cupcake. A large, pink Easter Bunny who bore a striking resemblance to Jim Brown was also Making the rounds, visiting with kids and posing for pictures. The happy event ended on a down note, though, and with a challenge to the Rutland community. Jeanne Leinen announced that the 2019 Easter Egg Hunt would be her last as Chairperson, although she is willing to assist anyone who steps up to take over organizing the event. Jeanne states that the Easter Egg Hunt is several times larger than it was back in 2002, and she is now 18 years older than she was back then, too. The Rutland Community extends its thanks and appreciation to Jerry & Jeanne Leinen and their family for organizing and producing this event that has become an Easter tradition in Rutland. Thanks to Jeanne Leinen for the names of prize winners and the other information in this article.

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Hens Do Crow! April 19, 2019

On April 19, 2019April 22, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish

On Thursday, April 11, Mother Nature decided to remind us that she is in control, dropping another twelve to fifteen inches of snow on the area. Schools closed for another two days due to the snow and winds that blew for the two days. On Friday afternoon many people started clearing away the snow which was wet and heavy and muddied yards even more.

Early on Saturday, April 13, several Sargent Central Students made their way to Hankinson for the Regional Music Contest for vocal and instrumental. The Regional Contest was moved from Thursday, April 11, in Wahpeton to Saturday in Hankinson due to Mother Nature’s interference. Despite the delay all the youth attending from Sargent Central, North Sargent, Milnor, Hankinson and Lidgerwood provided a wonderful display of talent to the judges. Sargent Central had fifteen total starring – seven choir and eight band. The Sargent Central students who starred and will go to the State Contest will perform at the State Bound Fine Arts Concert on Monday, April 29^th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Sargent Central Activity Center. Seats can be reserved for $5.00 in advance (includes a dessert and beverage) by contacting Kaia Mahrer at Sargent Central High School, 724-3205. Bleacher seating is available at no charge. Funds raised go to the High School Music Department. Reservation deadline is Friday, April 26^th.

Milnor and Sargent Central High Schools held a combined Prom this year on the evening of Saturday, April 13. “The Golden Gala” was held at Milnor High School and 34 finely-dressed young couples participated in the Grand March. The school auditorium was filled with family and friends cheering on the students and taking a myriad of photographs. Once the crowd left, the Prom was held followed by the Post Prom celebration that started at midnight and ended around 4 a.m. Sunday morning. Needless to say, there were many teens with sleep deprivation moving slowly, if at all, on Sunday.

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Hens Do Crow! April 12, 2019

On April 12, 2019May 2, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish

The 48th Annual Meeting of Rutland Housing, Inc., the non-profit corporation that owns and manages three apartment houses in Rutland, was held at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in the Rutland Town Hall. Manager-Treasurer Bert Siemieniewski delivered the annual report of corporate activities for the past year as well as a financial report that showed a positive balance in the corporation’s books. Ms. Siemieniewski reported that, as of April 3, there were 9 apartments occupied and 5 apartments available for occupancy. She also reported that there are a number of prospective tenants who are expected to move into some of the available apartments in the near future. All three of the company’s apartment houses have undergone major renovations and improvements in the past few years, and work continues on updating and upgrading apartment units as funds are available. Rutland Housing was established in 1971 to provide housing for low income elderly persons in the community utilizing a long-term low interest financing program from the USDA’s Farmers Home Administration. The first apartment house, the four-plex at 207 First Street, was occupied on January 1, 1972. Two more apartment houses, another four-plex at 316 Ross Street and a six-plex at 204 Dakota Street, were built between 1972 and 1975. Rutland Housing’s first Board of Directors included: Earl Anderson; Rudy Anderson; Norbert Kulzer; Aldon Donaldson; and, Skip Sjothun. Kenny Briese was the manager of the Farmers Home Administration program in Sargent County in the early 70’s, and his knowledge of FmHA’s rules, regulations and procedures was instrumental in obtaining the financing to build the apartment houses. Current Directors and Officers of Rutland Housing, Inc., are: Delores Lysne, President; Bill Anderson, Vice-President; Carolyn Christensen, Secretary; and, Bert Siemieniewski, Treasurer/Manager. For information about renting one of Rutland Housing’s apartments, contact Manager Bert Siemieniewski at 724-3553. The next annual meeting of Rutland Housing, Inc., is scheduled for the first week in April, 2020.

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Hens Do Crow – April 5, 2019

On April 5, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish

On Friday, March 29, representatives from the Main Street Initiative visited Rutland to meet with community leaders. The Main Street Initiative seeks to create healthy, vibrant communities to attract the talent needed to support growing businesses. The Initiative is built on three pillars: (1) healthy, vibrant communities; (2) a 21^st Century workforce; and, (3) smart, efficient infrastructure. The goal is to give local leaders a direct access point to a variety of resources, helping capitalize on strengths and make sound planning decisions. Two representatives from the Department of Commerce toured Rutland to see first-hand the existing businesses, homes and infrastructure in the City before meeting with the community leaders. Representatives from the ND Game & Fish Department, USDA Rural Development, Lake Agassiz Regional Council and the Sargent County Teller attended the hour-long discussion. The turnout was small but that led to a robust and honest conversation that focused on Rutland’s strong sense of community, involvement of City and rural residents to help Rutland provide events and activities that draw people to town. Tim Phelan, ND Game and Fish, noted that the change in agriculture has impacted many communities. Farmers now have semis to haul grain, so they do not make as many trips into town and schools have consolidated in many communities so not every town has a school and café or a grain elevator. This is a challenge. Hunting only provides seasonal support and that also depends on the area wildlife. The group discussed the need in Rutland for more single-family homes, a café and child care. Katie McLaen, Rutland Community Club President, noted that there are many families with young children who may be able to support a childcare facility if one was in Rutland. She noted that Rutland has lower-cost homes that are more economical to purchase than to build a new home. Emily Brown, Dept. of Commerce, said there are funding possibilities including grants and loan programs for childcare centers. Shawn Kessel, Deputy Commissioner, Dept. of Commerce, informed the group that the State collects a 5% tax on Amazon sales. He suggested the City, as a Home Rule City, implement a sales tax to capture similar sales. The City could also implement a lodging and hospitality tax as another revenue-generating source. Rutland would be eligible for the Renaissance Zone program and funding; that requires Zoning Ordinances and a Comprehensive Plan as a start. City Auditor Deborah Banish stated that the City updated both of those documents in 2018; the next step is to prepare the Renaissance Zone paperwork and submit that to the State. Amber Metz, Lake Agassiz, suggested a community-owned café to start meals. Residents would need to commit to eating at a café twice weekly to sustain the business. Discussion focused on funding opportunities and community needs and it was a very informative exchange of information and ideas. The Main Street Initiative representatives will return later this year to help put together a Main Street Initiative plan for Rutland.

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Hens Do Crow! March 29, 2019

On March 29, 2019April 22, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Deborah Banish

Agriculture was the focus on Thursday, March 21, with a salute to Farmers, Ranchers and Ag Businesses. The Ag Day event, organized by the NDSU Sargent County Extension Office, had been postponed due to the weather (what else!). It was held at the North Sargent School Activity Center and students from the three area schools attended as well as area farmers and ranchers and other residents. This event provided an opportunity for people in the community to become more aware and appreciative of ND agriculture. There were educational displays and talks about ND agricultural commodities, food samples made with ND grown commodities, and ag business representatives at the event to show and tell how they support farmers and ranchers to produce the food to feed the world. The County Extension Office extended a big thanks to North Sargent ag education and family and consumer science students and their teachers, Tanner Zetocha and Kylie Christianson; volunteers Phyllis Wyum and Kathy Marquette, ag businesses and their reps including CHS Dakota Plains, AW Diesel, Green Iron Implement, Full Circle Ag, Joe’s Fertilizer, Wild Rice SCD, and USDA NRCS; sponsors and donors including Arrowhead Transport, KT Cattle Company, Sargent County Farmers Union, Sargent County Farm Bureau, Four Star Ag, Bryan Johnson, District 7 Cattlewomen, ND Beef Commission, ND Wheat Commission, ND Corn Council, Midwest Dairy, ND Soybean Council, and ND Livestock Alliance, the North Sargent School, and all who attended the National Ag Day Salute to Farmers, Ranchers and Ag Businesses event! You all contributed to make it successful and fun! The Extension Office hopes to make this an annual event.

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