Category: Rooster Crows

The Rooster Crows – March 12, 2010

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

The 27th annual Rutland Sportsmen’s Club Fish Fry held here on Friday, March 5, drew another full house to the Rutland Town Hall. Advance tickets totaling 550 had been sold before serving started at 5:00 p.m., and 531 had been redeemed by 9:00 p.m., when the fryers shut down. In the on-going battle between the pan-fryers and the deep-fryers, the evening started out with the deep-fryers pulling out to a narrow lead according to an informal, unscientific survey taken by Club member Bill Anderson. The pan-fryers closed the gap by the middle of the evening, though, according to another informal, unscientific survey taken by Club Secretary/Treasurer Travis Paeper, and, by the end of the night the consensus was that the annual taste test competition had ended in a draw. Both crews will be refining their seasoning recipes throughout the year, and the competition is expected to resume at it’s usual red-hot and sizzling level on the first Friday in March of 2011. Raffle winners were: Diane Nelson of Milnor, a .243 cal. Remington Model 700 Varmint Rifle; Dennis Andrews of Britton SD, a laptop computer; Corey Mahrer of Forman, a digital camera; Sandy Hanson of Forman, a digital trail camera; and, Doug Speicher of West Fargo, Leupold binoculars.  The Rutland-Cayuga Volunteer Fire Department equipment fund was the recipient of the raffle proceeds.

Edith Pherson returned to her temporary Winter home at 415 Anthony Street on Thursday, March 4, after spending a few days at the Oakes Hospital and about a month visiting at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Jeannie & Jerry Johnson at Alberta MN. Edith plans to return to her Tewaukon Township farm home as soon as Spring arrives. She took in the Sportsmen’s Club’s fish fry at the Town Hall on the Evening of Friday, March 5, in the company of her daughter, Marlys Erickson.

Bill & Mary Woytassek departed Rutland on Friday, March 5, headed south. They plan to spend the Easter holiday with their son & daughter-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Rob Woytassek, at their southern California home, before returning home to put in the crop this Spring.

Brian Pherson and Jason Smykowski arrived back in Rutland at 3:30 on Sunday morning, March 7, completing a one-shot drive from Wichita Falls TX where they had attended the annual Custom Cutters Convention during the preceding week. Brian reports an interesting convention that consisted of 80% business and 20% other activities, some of them entertaining. He said that the winter wheat crop in Oklahoma and Kansas looks real good at this time, with the stands appearing lush, green and thick. Brian and Jason also report that the snow cover ends about ¾ of the way across Nebraska, with no significant snow on the ground in Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas. The Pherson Combining crew will be heading for Oklahoma to begin harvesting the 2010 crop in about 10 weeks.

A number of Bald Eagles have been observed around Rutland recently, moving through the area on their annual migration to northern nesting sites. This magnificent bird, nearly extinct only a generation ago, was brought back from the brink of oblivion by the enactment and enforcement of the Endangered Species Act and other common sense environmental regulations. Those who loudly proclaim that, “Government can’t do anything right!”need only to gaze upon the magnificence of the Bald Eagle as it soars across the prairie sky to prove the hollowness of their assertion. The government did not make the Bald Eagle, but the people, acting through their government, did save it, for this and future generations.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – March 12, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – March 5, 2010

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

That all roads lead to Rutland has long been well known throughout this region, however, Toni Hajek witnessed an episode last Thursday that indicates the community may be attracting visitors from even more distant vistas. While driving in to work at The Rutland General Store at 6:45 on the morning of Thursday, February 25, Toni reports that she saw a bright flashing light that looked like a huge fireworks display descending over the northeast corner of Rutland. At the time, Toni was in her car on County Highway #10, near the Prindiville farm on the south side of the city.  At the same time, Mike Kulzer was in the kitchen of his farm home, about ½ mile east of town, and reports that he noticed the brilliant light, too, but did not see the actual fireball. No debris or impact craters have been spotted, so the source of the phenomenon is uncertain at this time. One theory on the UFO is that extra-terrestrial star trekkers may have been dropping in for a visit to Rutland, either a couple of days early for the February 28 Sunday Brunch at the Rutland General Store & Cafe, or a little more than a week early for the Rutland Sportsmen’s Club’s annual fish fry on Friday, March 5, in the Rutland Town Hall. After traveling at the speed of light for 10 years or more to get here from the nearest star system possessing a planet with the possibility of supporting life, being off by a few days is still pretty good timing. One can only speculate on what these inter-galactic voyagers might say upon being introduced to the cooks and kitchen crew at this Friday’s fish fry. Possibly, “Golly, Toto!  It looks like we’re not in Alpha-Centauri any more!” Anyway, they would soon find out that everyone’s welcome in Rutland, and would be put to work rehearsing an act for the Community Club’s “Gong Show” entertainment coming up on Saturday, March 20. They would fit right in, as the entertainment is usually out of this world. There’s no guarantee that they’ll be there, but the rest of us will have to be, just to find out.

Some terrestrial travelers did make a landing back on home ground last Thursday, February 25, though, when Joe & Patty Breker and Mark & Kathy Wyum of this community arrived back home after a 10 day winter vacation visit half way around the globe to Australia. Also among the explorers were Joe’s brother & sister-in-law, Eugene & Kathy Breker of West Fargo, Dennis & Jodie Haugen of Hannaford, ND, and Kerry & Linda Swindler of Mott, ND. Cliff & Janet Kiefer of Cayuga had originally intended to fly south of the Equator as part of the group, but a last minute passport glitch kept them home.  The Kiefer’s are considering a trip to the same destination later this Spring. Joe and Mark report a very enjoyable time in “The Land Down Under,” where it is now mid-Summer, even though Mark did sustain a sunburn on his shoulders and the top of his head while swimming in the ocean. The group toured areas in and around Sydney, on the southern continent’s southeastern shore, and attended a farm equipment show at which Eugene demonstrated a no-till planter for his employer, Amity Manufacturing of Wahpeton, ND. The travelers were favorably impressed by the people and country of Australia, but reported that, as much fun as it is to go there, it feels even better to get back home. For additional information on kangaroos, wombats, didgeridoos, boomerangs, dingo dogs, ostriches, emus and other exotic sights, sounds & creatures, as well as the condition of agriculture in Australia, stop by the Round Table at the Rutland General Store at about 3:30 most afternoons.

A couple of long-time Rutland folks have recently taken up residence at Four Seasons Healthcare Center in Forman. Eugene Bergman and Hazel Preble moved to the Center from their apartments here during the month of February. Their new address is: 483 4th Street Southwest, Forman ND 58032.

A report was received here on Saturday morning that Rutland native Olga (Sundlie) Olson had passed away at an Aberdeen, South Dakota, nursing home late on the evening of Friday, February 26, at the age of 82 years. Mrs. Olson had been enduring ill health for the past few years. She was the youngest daughter of the late O. P. and Petra (Klassen) Sundlie of Rutland Township, and was a 1946 graduate of Rutland High School. Her husband, Dean, preceded her in death several years ago. She is survived by: 1 son; 1 daughter; 2 sisters, Hazel Preble of Forman and Phyllis Lee of Oakes; and, 1 brother, Leif Sundlie of Palm Springs CA. The funeral service will be held in Bethel Lutheran Church in Aberdeen at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. Throughout the years, Mrs. Olson has been a frequent visitor in her old home town and maintained ties with friends and family here. The Rutland community extends its sympathy to the family of Olga Olson.

Uncle Ed Erickson drove down to Rutland from his home near Buffalo Lake on Monday morning, March 1, and stopped in at the Rutland Café for some breakfast and conversation. Ed reports that he and Marlys had just returned from a trip through Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana on the previous day, Sunday, February 28. The purpose of the trip was to deliver a number of the “Eagle” ditching machines produced by Erickson Manufacturing to customers and dealers in those States. Ed stated that sales were down and business was slow last Fall, but that sales have been picking up nicely since the first of the year and the business picture is much brighter now. The Eagle is a machine that removes silt and sand from road and drainage ditches, quickly and economically. Ed invented and developed the machine in his farm shop several years ago, then formed Erickson Manufacturing, a family owned corporation, to manufacture and market the machines. If you have ditches that need cleaning, call Erickson Manufacturing. If you have a problem that a ditcher can’t cure, call Uncle Ed, and he’ll invent a machine to take care of it for you.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – March 5, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – February 26, 2010

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

The Calendar said February 24 on Wednesday morning, but the thermometer said it was the 55th day of January, according to the Assembled Wise Men at the Rutland Café. Depending on whose thermometer was checked, the mercury was hovering at somewhere between 21 and 25 degrees below zero. “Is it cold enough for you?” was the question of the day, to which the correct answer was, “Not until the fat lady sings!” The answer was nonsense, but so was the question.

Kevin and Wendy Willprecht returned from a Winter vacation get-away in Jamaica on Friday, February 19. They had flown out of Fargo a week earlier, making stops at Minneapolis and Atlanta before landing at Montego Bay.  The Breezes Beach Resort near the city of Nigrel was their final destination.  Kevin reports that 7 miles of white sand beach and ocean water temperatures hovering around 80 helped make their stay a pleasant one. Coffee beans and sugar cane are the two major crops grown on the mountainous island, says Kevin, with much of the sugar cane becoming the raw material for the production of Jamaican rum, one of the island nation’s major exports, along with bauxite, the ore from which aluminum is made. A former British colony, Jamaica has been an independent nation since 1962. Despite a booming tourism business, much of the island nation’s population appears to struggle with Third World economic status, says Kevin. All in all, he reports a very enjoyable time on the tropical Caribbean paradise. The Wilprecht’s children spent their vacation time in the Grandma and Grandpa Resort at the home of Arlen & Jan Willprecht in Lidgerwood, where the attentive staff catered to their every need.

Rob & Lacey Wyum departed Rutland on Friday, February 19, bound for Minneapolis, where they boarded a flight to Miami on Saturday, Feb. 20, with their destination being a cruise ship headed for the eastern Caribbean. The cruise is a delayed honeymoon trip for Rob and Lacey, who were married in Milnor last October. Rob is employed with his father, Mark, and uncles, Steve and Mike, in the Wyum Brothers Ransom Township farm business. Lacey is employed at the Sargent County Abstract Co. in Rutland and in the Clerk of Court’s office at the Sargent County Courthouse in Forman.

Here’s some urgently needed information! The Spring Conservation Snow and Blue Goose hunting season opened in North Dakota on Saturday, February 20.  Although we have plenty of snow, right now we have no geese. According to Jack Lalor, Assistant Project Manager at the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, the geese are still down in Texas, Louisiana and Mexico with the rest of the snowbirds, waiting for the snow between here and there to melt. As conditions appear now, Mr. Lalor stated, it is unlikely that many geese will be seen here before late March or early April. The purpose of the Spring conservation season is to reduce the numbers of snow and blue geese so they do not over populate, over graze and destroy their summer nesting range in northern Canada. Resident hunters need a valid 2009 North Dakota hunting license and a shotgun in order to participate in the hunt, according to Mr. Lalor. There is no daily limit or possession limit during the conservation season, and hunters may remove the plugs from shotgun magazines, as well. Non-resident hunters may also participate in the hunt without the usual limitation on the number of days that restricts their hunting opportunities during the Fall season. Non-residents may purchase a license to participate in the Spring snow and blue goose season from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for a fee of $50.00. The season ends on the first Sunday in May.  Even though the season is open right now, though, an expedition afield will probably not be very productive for several more weeks, in Mr. Lalor’s opinion.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – February 26, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – February 19, 2010

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Well, it’s still winter out here on the prairie. Highs in the teens and low 20’s accompanied by snow and 25 to 30 mph winds were replaced by clear skies and below zero readings by Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Although it appears that winter has settled in for the long haul, there are glimmers of hope that this, too, shall pass. The seed catalogs, with their tantalizing pictures of rich golden ears of sweet corn, luscious red tomatoes and sinfully sensuous strawberries are out, bringing with them the promise of warm Summer days ahead. It has often been said that, “There are only two things that money can’t buy, true love and home grown tomatoes,” but at least you can purchase the hope of home grown tomatoes from a seed catalog. When it’s 10 below zero on a mid-February morning, it’s hope that keeps us going. A recent national survey revealed that North Dakotans are the happiest people, believe it or not, in the 50 United States. Well, after three months of winter, several blizzards and winter storms, more than four feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures, North Dakotans are happy because they know that it has to get better – it can’t get much worse. It’s only when conditions have been good for a while that hardy North Dakotans become unhappy, because they know that good times can’t last forever, either.

Members of the Rutland Sportsmen’s Club held their February meeting in the dining room of the Lariat Bar on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 11. The first order of business was the election of officers for the coming year, with Wyatt Nelson, Vaughan Rohrbach and Travis Paeper being re-elected as president, vice-president and secretary/treasurer, respectively.  Plans for the Club’s annual Fish Fry to be held on Friday, March 5, at the Rutland Town Hall were discussed and tickets for the event were distributed.  Only 550 tickets for the event are available. They may be obtained from Club members. Get ‘em while they’re hot! Club officers also delivered a report on the Club’s Charitable gaming revenues. After 6 months of operation, the Sportsmen’s Club’s pull-tab machine at the Lariat Bar had generated more than $57,000.00 in gross revenues, approximately $50,000.00 of which had been paid out in cash prizes. A portion of the remainder may be used to defray operating expenses and the rest is available to be distributed for charitable purposes. The Sportsmen’s Club’s Charitable Gaming Board consists of the 3 officers plus Jerry Sapa and Trent Nelson. Rebecca Christensen and Polly Rohrbach run the day-to-day operations of the gaming project for the club.

Bill Walters of West Bend, Wisconsin, and a band of hardy Wisconsinites have been at work making improvements to the house at 222 Bagley Street which Bill purchased last Fall from Shawna McKinney. Working through a period of extremely cold and inclement weather, Bill and crew have torn the old porch off the east side of the dwelling; commenced the construction of a new, slightly larger, front porch; torn off the old shingles and installed new metal roofing on the residence; commenced construction of an addition to the porch on the northwest corner of the house; and, installed several new windows. The improvements will improve both the appearance and utility of the structure. The community congratulates Mr. Walters for his investment in Rutland, and commends him and his crew for their hardy industry and endurance. This dwelling, located on the northwest corner of Anthony and Bagley Streets, was formerly owned by: Eddie & Ida McLaen; Edith & Otto Malpert; Rudy & Gladyce Malpert; Bryon Malpert; Tommy & Rosalie Jones; and, Shawna McKinney.  Mr. Walters and his family own and operate construction, property management, commercial fishing and sport fishing businesses in Wisconsin.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – February 19, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – April 1, 2009

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

“Tough times don’t last.  Tough people do,” says the Rev. Robert Shuler. A brutal winter, the worst since 1996-’97, ended on March 20 and has been followed by a Spring that has turned into a cruel April Fool’s joke. Temperatures into the 50’s for a few days turned the 6 feet of snow that fell during the Winter into rapidly moving floodwaters, sweeping away approaches and culverts, as well as County and Township roads. Two miles south of Rutland, the rampaging Wild Rice River undermined County Road #10 and then swept it away on Wednesday, March 25, leaving a yawning chasm, through which the foaming, frigid waters of the normally placid stream roared, in their headlong rush to reach the Red River, Lake Winnipeg and Hudson’s Bay. Damage to Township roads has been even more extensive, and caution is advised when traveling throughout the area, especially when crossing water covered roads, as the road may have been washed away. In Rutland, Mayor Narum spent several days pumping water backed up by frozen culverts away from residential areas.  Other than the normal spring seepage into a few basements, no serious water damage has been reported in town. To the north, our neighbors in Milnor spent most of the week of March 21-27 sandbagging and diking to protect their community from the rising waters of Storm Lake. An exhaustive, round the clock effort saved Milnor and the City officials, employees and volunteers who accomplished the feat deserve a pat on the back and a hearty, “Job well done!” from their fellow Sargent County citizens. A number of volunteers from Rutland went up to Milnor to assist with the flood fight there. Further to the north, the City of Fargo made national news headlines with its fight to save North Dakota’s largest city from the floodwaters of the overflowing Red River of the North. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” the old-timers used to say, and Fargo proved to be tougher than whalebone, as thousands of volunteers from the city, from throughout the tri-state region and from across the nation poured in to fill sandbags, build dikes and evacuate threatened homes. Rutland native and current Fargo resident Gary Narum (RHS Class of ’60) reports that he spoke with volunteers from Chicago, Minneapolis, Manitoba and even Rutland while he was working on sandbag dikes on Fargo’s south side. Gary said that he saw several volunteers wearing the distinctive Rutland-Cayuga Fire Department shirts working on the dikes. Among the volunteers from Rutland who participated in the Fargo flood fight were: Cameron Gulleson; Jim Fust; Peder Gulleson; Trent Mahler; Paul Anderson; Mitch Mahrer; Mike Mahrer; Kyle Mahrer; Rob Wyum; Mike Kulzer; Diane Kulzer; and, a number of others whose names are not known by this reporter. As a punctuation mark to the flood disaster, Mother Nature gifted the area with a snowstorm that deposited anywhere from a foot to 26 inches of wet, heavy snow on the 30 & 31 of March, the ultimate April Fool’s joke for shovelers on the morning of Wednesday, April 1. Certainly, when compared to some other natural disasters that have occurred in this nation in recent years, North Dakotans can be proud of the way they have conducted themselves in facing this crisis. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” it has been said, and there is no doubt that those who have endured and survived the Winter and Spring of ’08-’09 are the stronger for it. They have earned the titles of Tough, Hardy and, in some cases, even Heroic. For the vast majority of the volunteers who fought the flood, their only reward will be the satisfaction of knowing that, in a time of crisis and need, they came to the aid of their neighbors, and prevailed. When this crisis ends, as it soon will, North Dakotans will pick up the pieces, clean up the mess, repair the damage, go back about their normal lives and start preparing for the next test.  That next tough time won’t last, either, but the tough people will.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – April 1, 2009” →

The Rooster Crows – December 26, 2008

On By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dark of night may stay this faithful courier from the swift completion of his appointed rounds.  Attaining age 63 and 30 years of service allows the courier to turn his rounds over to another and retire, however. Louis Siemieniewski pulled his Jeep off his U.S. Postal Service rural route on Wednesday, November 26, the day before Thanksgiving, and hung up the mail bag for good. Louis started delivering mail back in 1980, as temporary substitute for Ray Murray on the Cayuga and Rutland routes. When Ray retired a few years later, Louis moved up to the full-time position. He turned 63 in October, and his 2 years of service in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam era were added to his years with the Postal Service to give him the 30 years of Federal service needed for retirement. A 1963 graduate of RHS, Louis has also been an avid outdoorsman since youth, and has been a Hunter Safety Instructor for over 30 years. He said that, from now on, whenever the snow starts to fall and the wind starts to blow, he is just going to open his drapes, sit in his recliner, look out the window and smile. The Rutland community extends congratulations and best wishes to a native son on his well deserved retirement. Jim Lunneborg of rural Rutland has taken over Louis’s old route, which now includes addresses with the Forman, Rutland, Havana and Cayuga ZIP codes.

Attorney Trent Mahler has been practicing his profession in Rutland since Monday, December 8, co-officing with Bill Anderson at 316 First Street, here. Trent is a native of Milnor, having graduated from High School there in 1985. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Moorhead State University in 1989. Following several years as program director with WDAY TV News in Fargo, Trent enrolled in Law School at the University of North Dakota and obtained his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1999. One of his classmates was Rutland native Daniel Narum, now a District Court Judge. Prior to returning to his home territory, Attorney Mahler served as a prosecutor in the Cass County States Attorney’s Office, as a partner with Kessel, Splitt & Mahler in Lamoure, and as an Assistant Attorney General in the office of North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. He and Attorney Anderson are not partners, but will be sharing office space as he establishes his practice here. Trent’s parents are Curt & Vi Mahler of rural Milnor. Welcome to Rutland, Trent.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – December 26, 2008” →