Tag: Board of Equalization

The Rooster Crows – Mar. 25, 2022

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By Bill Anderson

“Follow me,” cry the wild geese, as northward they fly; Follow me to the Arctic’s cold and the midnight sun, our journey’s end for centuries gone by. Their cries move on, and soon they’re gone, ‘til Autumn’s migrants fly, and once more their calls of “follow me” echo through the sky. This Fall, I just might heed the call, to see what I might find, and keep company with the wild geese, I’m sure that they won’t mind.

The joyous Spring song of the wild geese is one of our rewards for enduring Winter on the prairie. The annual migration of snow & blue geese began moving into Sargent County last week, with the first large flocks flying over town on Monday, March 14. The Spring conservation hunting season is underway, too, so the birds have run a gauntlet all the way from Texas to North Dakota.  Despite the liberal rules of the hunt, the population of these prolific birds seems to be holding its own. Perhaps that means that the management plan is working.

Scott Haan of this community joined a cousin, Rick Kuhn of Grand Forks, to make a 4-wheel flight to Sun City West AZ a few days back. The 2 men departed Rutland at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 10, and arrived at the home of Rick’s father, Bob Kuhn, in Sun City West on the morning of Friday, March 11. The occasion for the trip was to help the elder Mr. Kuhn celebrate his birthday, as well as to soak up some Arizona sunshine and warm weather. Scott & Rick reversed course on Monday, March 14, and were back in Rutland on Tuesday, March 15, the Ides of March. Scott brought back a big box of tree ripened Arizona lemons that he shared with friends here. Arizona sunshine juice, wrapped in a lemon peel.

A follow-up to the story about the wild palomino stallion, Golden Sovereign, that was in last week’s column. According to Gary Thornberg, his friend, Neil Herman, had told him that his Dad, Meredith Herman, had taught his favorite riding horse to jump fences in an attempt to keep up with the rampaging Golden Sovereign when the wild stallion was running free across the prairie and through the hills south of Rutland. Meredith taught the horse so well that, even after Golden Sovereign was caught, his horse still remembered how to jump a fence, and kept practicing the skill on his own. Finally, Meredith had to sell his horse to someone with taller fences, and more time to chase a fence jumping horse. As the Old Timers used to say, “Be careful what you want. You just might get it.” 

The sun has been shining, the wind has been blowing, the snow has been melting and the water has been flowing. Finally, the One who put it there is taking it away. Rutland’s maintenance man, Scott Haan, was opening culverts on Monday, March 21, helping the water find its way to Hudson’s Bay. The 6-foot snowbanks are down to 2 feet now, and some lawns are bare. The transition from Winter to Spring is moving fast. Winter may yet attempt a comeback, but the handwriting is on the wall as far as Winter’s future is concerned. Local farmers are beginning to move equipment around, so it won’t be long until reports of the first outfit stuck in the mud are received. Then, Spring will really be here.

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The Rooster Crows – April 9, 2021

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By Bill Anderson

Good things come to those who wait,” the old timers used to say, and once again, they were proved right on the evening of Tuesday, April 6, and the morning of Wednesday , April 7. The drought was not broken, but the edge was taken off of it as a steady drizzle deposited .4 of an inch of rain on Rutland and vicinity as of 9:15 on Wednesday morning, according to Norbert Kulzer’s rain gauge at 415 Gay Street. Roger Pearson, whose rain gauge issituated only a few feet away from Norbert’s, and generally measures less rain than Norbert’s, hadn’t checked his gauge yet, so, at least for now, Norbert’s rain gauge is right. Large amounts of precipitation are not in the near term forecast, but the weather gurus are predicting that showers and damp weather will persist until the weekend. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “This rain may not be the end of the drought; it may not even be the beginning of the end; but, it may be the end of the beginning.”

The Rutland community is beginning to move to the “New Normal” of the post covid-19 world. On Saturday, April 3, The Rutland Community Club resurrected the community’s traditional Easter Egg Hunt for children in the community.  The event was held in the Rutland Town Hall and in the adjacent City park & playground. The following reportwas received from Community Club President Katie McLaen: “There were over 3,000 eggs hidden and over 50 kids hunting. In addition to the usual prizes, the Rutland Volunteer Firemen donated 6 bicycles as Grand Prizes. Nate Peterson; Raegan Roney; Ruth McLaen; Axel Hanson; Corbin Carlson; and, Jemma Schuster; won them. The Lariat Bar served rolls, juice, bloody Mary’s and mimosas. Hiding the eggs took almost an hour, with 7 people. Finding the eggs only took about 10 minutes.” Thanks to the members of the Rutland Community Club for starting the community revitalization process, and thanks to the Firemen for donating the bicycles.

Despite rapid progress being made on the vaccination front, the covid-19 battle is not yet won, according to Sargent County Public Health District Administrator Brenda Peterson. Ms. Peterson reports that adequate supplies of vaccine are now being received, and that all County residents 18 and older are now eligible to be vaccinated against the virus.  Sargent County now has all three of the vaccines approved for use in the U. S.: Pfizer; Moderna; and Johnson & Johnson; available.  She also said that the County’s nurses will be administering vaccinations at each shift at the Bobcat factory in Gwinner this coming week. Additionally, they will be in the three public schools in Sargent County: Sargent Central; North Sargent; and, Milnor; administering vaccinations to students who are age 16 or older, with parental permission, beginning next week. Sargent County’s covid-19 case count has been at or near 10 for a while, but 10 new cases were reported as of Tuesday, April 6, so the virus is still a threat to public health and the fight is not yet over. Sargent County Public Health has worked through its waiting list, said Ms. Peterson, so those who want a vaccination can now obtain it very quickly. To make an appointment for a covid-19 vaccination call: Sargent County Public Health at 724-3725; Forman Drug at 724-6222; or Sanford Clinic at 742-3267.

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The Rooster Crows – April 2, 2021

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By Bill Anderson

The only people who get hurt on a roller coaster are those who try to get off while the ride is still in motion. Well, there’s no getting off the 2021 weather roller coaster, and it’s still in motion. From an extremely windy high of 76 above on Monday, March 29, to an extremely windy low of 20 degrees on the morning of Tuesday, March 30, Mother Nature showed that she is quite capable of changing her mind without notice. Monday’s wind was from the south, moving soil from worked fields, and even from some no-till fields, to Canada, and Tuesday’s wind was from the north, bringing an equal amount of dirt back with it. The soil in motion never gets put back where it came from, though, and ends up clogging road ditches, culverts, and air filters. The extremely dry and windy conditions of Spring, 2021, are reminiscent of the Spring of 1988. Fortunately, history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. The weatherman is predicting a steady warm up beginning on Thursday, April 1, and we’re hoping that he’s not foolin’, cause he’s predicting sunny and mid-70’s for Easter Sunday. Bring it on!

Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson hitched their 5th wheel travel trailer to their pickup on Monday, March 22, and headed southwest, bound for Sedona, Arizona, and a sight-seeing tour of the Grand Canyon. On the morning of Wednesday, March 24, Chuck called a friend, Mark Wyum, to report that they were snowed in at a campground in the mountains of New Mexico. Chuck reported that at least 6 inches of snow had fallen, and it was still coming down.  A later call to friends here carried the information that the New Mexico Highway Department had opened the roads, enabling the Andersons to resume their journey. Last year, Chuck retired from the North Dakota Highway Department after 24 years, including many hours in a snowplow, and it is assumed that New Mexico’s promptness in getting the road opened for Chuck & Mary Beth was an example of professional courtesy between Knights of the Road.

Dale McLaen of this community has been hospitalized at Hennepin County Medical Center in the Twin Cities for the past week. Dale underwent surgery last Thursday, March 25, and reports are that he came through the procedure quite well. It is expected that he will be recuperating in St. Paul, under the supervision of his wife, Lisa, for the foreseeable future. Cards & letters may be sent to Dale at the following address: Mr. Dale McLaen, 720 Arlington Avenue West, St. Paul MN 55117. His many friends here wish him a speedy recovery and return to his usual good health.

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Hens Do Crow! April 3, 2020

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The weather looked promising with some sunlight this past week, but it quickly changed to cloudy and gloomy. That certainly doesn’t help the mood of everyone who is staying close to home and social distancing themselves. More events have been cancelled and it doesn’t look like there will be much going on during Easter this year. Watch out summer when the coast is clear!

Students at Sargent Central School began their online classes on Wednesday, April 1, and they will be continuing them for the next several weeks. As ordered by the Governor, in-person classes were suspended on March 16th and all 175 school districts were required to submit an online learning plan to the State Department of Public Instruction. Sargent Central’s plan was approved and students and parents received specific details on the process earlier this week. The online classes will continue during the COVID-19 restrictions. College students have been home since spring break and will not be returning to in-person classes for the remainder of the school year.

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Hens Do Crow! March 27, 2020

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Rutland has been a bit quieter and less busy the past two weeks or so. Meetings and events have been cancelled and restaurants and bars have cut back hours or closed — and school is out. Yes, the Sargent Central students had a nearly a two-week ‘spring break’ but are not returning to the classroom for now. Classes are expected to resume, online, on April 1 and will continue until the end of the school year. The busyness has slowed down but that doesn’t mean that this rural area is closed. It has been fun heading to Forman to window peak at the Four Seasons Manor and Villas to wave and visit with the elderly through the open window. Then, ordering food to be delivered to your car to take home for a family sit-down meal. We can keep in touch with people and family in other states and countries so much easier than was possible during the flu pandemic of 1918 which infected over a third of the world’s population and ending the lives of 20-50 million people. The community has stepped up with making grocery runs and dropping off necessities for families. The Sargent County Courthouse may be closed but families are still able to get supplies from the Food Shelf. Where there is a will, there is a way.

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Hens Do Crow – April 5, 2019

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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 21st 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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