Tag: pinochle

The Rooster Crows – Feb. 3, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

Button up that overcoat! Baby, it’s cold outside. Saturday, Sunday & Monday, January 28 through the 30th, showed North Dakota what winter could be like if it wasn’t for global warming. Sub-zero temperatures for daily highs, and sub-sub-zero double digit low temperatures for each morning. Monday morning, January 30, had the lowest thermometer reading at -24. It might have been colder, but the thermometer didn’t go any lower than that. Starting with Tuesday, January 31, the daily high peaked above the Zero mark, even though the morning low stood at 10 below. It’s still going to be cold on Ground Hog’s Day, Thursday, February 2, but by this weekend the weather gurus are predicting a warmup, all the way into the mid-30’s by Saturday, February 4. 

January’s cold didn’t stop local residents from enjoying some arctic fun. More than fifty snowmobiles and approximately 100 riders, passengers and 4-WD pickup drivers stopped at The Lariat Bar in Rutland on the evening of Saturday, January 21. The event was a Poker Run, and Rutland was the last stop. The trip had begun in Wyndmere, then went west, through Delamere, Milnor and Gwinner, then south to Forman, and then east to Rutland. Just for fun, some riders continued east to Cayuga, Geneseo and Lidgerwood, before arriving back at Wyndmere. They had the staff at the Lariat hustling for drinks & food, and a good time was enjoyed by all.

Hal Nelson, a die-hard Minnesota Twins baseball fan, drove to Minneapolis on Friday, January 27, with the intention of attending the Twins’ mid-winter “Meet The Team” event on Saturday, January 28. Unfortunately for Hal, his brother-in-law, Alan Wilke, who had planned to accompany him, fell ill on Saturday morning, and Hal decided to forego exposing the Twins 2023 lineup to whatever illness had felled Alan. Hal must have been immune to the bug that ailed Alan because he didn’t get it.  Despite not getting to meet the Twins’ lineup, Hal said that he still had a good weekend visiting with his sisters, Becky Wilke & Tammy Tipton, and their families. Hal said that the Twins apparently did not miss him, as he did not receive any calls or text messages from the Twin’s Front Office inquiring about his absence. Hal usually purchases an autographed team baseball at the mid-winter event, but so far at least, the spot reserved for the 2023 ball on his display shelf is still vacant.

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The Rooster Crows – Jan. 27, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

January, which has been content to let December claim the credit for most of this Winter’s ferocious weather, has decided to lower the hammer on the final weekend of the month. Predicted highs for this coming weekend, beginning on Saturday, January 28, are all below Zero, and the predicted lows, of course, are even lower. This siege of arctic cold is expected to last until Ground Hog’s Day on Thursday, February 2, maybe longer, depending on the mood of the Ground Hog, Rutland Roscoe, a cousin of Punxsutawney Phil. Anyway, we live in North Dakota, and we cannot expect to escape Winter’s wrath indefinitely. We can consider ourselves fortunate that it has held off as long as it has. We are lucky that we have not had to endure some of the winter weather encountered by our pioneer ancestors back in the 1880’s and 1890’s. John Bloomdale, one of Rutland’s original residents, recounted that in the terrible Winter of 1895-96, or maybe it was 1896-97, he was living in a small, tarpaper covered shack located toward the east end of the rail yard, near the old Great Northern stockyard which stood on the south side of the siding, just north of where Calvin & Wendy Jacobson’s home is now situated. According to Mr. Bloomdale, the cold that winter was intense. He said that on one occasion he had made a kettle of soup and set it just outside the door to cool. The soup froze instantaneously, he said, so fast, in fact, that when he pulled the frozen kettle of soup back into his shack, the ice was still hot to the touch. There was a tremendous amount of snow that Winter, and by Christmas it had completely covered his tiny home, threatening to cover the chimney and cut off the draft for his stove. Bloomdale said that he went to the hardware store and bought another 3 foot length of stovepipe to extend the height of his chimney. The snow kept coming, though, and he had to extend his chimney several more times. When the snow finally melted that Spring, he discovered that he had 18 three foot lengths of stovepipe towering above his shack. Another phenomenon Mr. Bloomdale described was the effect of the extreme cold on the railroad locomotives’ steam whistles. When the locomotives approached the yard limit, on arrival and on departure, they blew their whistles, but the cold was so extreme that the steam froze before it could do anything, even make a squeak, and the frozen lump of steam would fall silently to the ground. When all those frozen steam whistles thawed out simultaneously on the first warm day, Bloomdale stated, the racket was deafening. Some of the steam whistles, he said, were buried under big snowbanks on the shady side of the track, and they kept on thawing out, surprising folks with a whistle blast from a long departed locomotive until early Summer. Well, it was Mr. Bloomdale’s story, and, as the late Ray Erickson often pointed out, he could tell it the way he wanted. If anyone who was around back then wants to dispute his account, let them step forward and be heard. He was there, and we weren’t.

Sonja (Anderson) Christensen, one of the organizers of the 27th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament, recently posted the information that, as of Monday, January 23, 43 teams have now pre-registered for the event. The tournament will be held on Saturday, February 4, in the Rutland Town Hall. The Rutland Community Club will be serving morning and afternoon lunch to tournament participants, as well as a Noon repast featuring Rutland’s scalloped potatoes with ham, made with real potatoes, real ham and real cream. Any pinochle enthusiast interested in signing up to participate in the best run pinochle tournament in the region, or in obtaining more information about the tourney, should contact Sonja at cschristensen@midco.net, or call her at 701-899-1463 or 701-642-6793. 

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The Rooster Crows – Jan. 20, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

The January Thaw, if it was a January thaw, was brief, but welcome. On Sunday, January 15, the mercury clawed its way above the freezing mark for the first time in 2023. Some thermometers even registered temperatures as high as 35 above for a couple of hours. According to Dennis McLaen, a UFO report was about to be made on the bright, shining object that appeared in the sky on Sunday afternoon, before someone figured out that it was the Sun, making its first appearance in several days. Dennis and his grandchildren took advantage of the beautiful sunny day to go sledding in the hills south of Rutland, just west of the Jesse & Bobbi Jo Maly farmstead. The short reprieve from January didn’t last long, though, as the temperature was below freezing all day on Monday, the 16th, and the northwest wind blew in another 4 to 6 inches of new snow. On the bright side, according to the local TV weathermen, there is more snow and cold weather in the forecast for the remainder of January. Just what we wanted.

Chuck Anderson was checking weather reporting web sites on his cell phone during the morning coffee session at the Rutland Seniors’ Center on Wednesday, January 18, and came across the North Dakota Agriculture Weather Network (NDAWN) web site. NDAWN has reporting stations across the upper Great Plains, from Montana to Minnesota. There is a monitoring site at the Kelly Cooper farm, near Brampton. According to NDAWN, the thick snow cover that has blanketed this area since mid-November has insulated the soil, and prevented the frost from going very deep. According to the NDAWN statistics, the frost depth in Sargent County ranges from 0 to 12 inches, not very deep for a winter that has been consistently cold for 2½ months. The good news from this information is that the frost is not likely to prevent the snowmelt from being absorbed by the soil when the snow finally melts in March, April or May. With a little bit of luck there will be enough soil moisture to get a crop started this spring, despite last year’s drought conditions. So, even though shoveling snow is a pain in the neck, in the back, or somewhere else on the anatomy, snow is good for something, once in a while.

The best laid plans of mice, men and fishermen sometimes go awry. That was the experience of Cameron Gulleson and Darren Ptacek when they accompanied two representatives from Peterson Farms Seeds on an ice fishing expedition to Lake Of The Woods during the second weekend in January. Cameron reports that they had no sooner arrived at the resort where their expedition was headquartering than Darren came down with the nasty variety of influenza that has been plaguing this area. Six hours later, Cameron was afflicted with the same ailment, and shortly thereafter the2 seed reps were also laid low. All four were aching, wheezing, sneezing, hacking & coughing in unison. It was not the type of fishing trip they were expecting, Cameron said. After suffering in their cabin for a few days, they finally crawled out and drove home on Tuesday, January 10, still suffering the symptoms of fever, congestion, aches, pains and exhaustion. As of Tuesday, January 17, Cameron reports that he is back in the land of the living, although he still occasionally feels some of the effects of the illness. Once a person has acquired this particular brand of influenza, they can expect that it will take a month, or more, to fully recover from its effects. The Rutland community extends best wishes to Cameron, Darren and their friends for a speedy and complete recovery.

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The Rooster Crows – Jan. 13, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

The Rooster Crows is back, for a while, anyway.  Life throws us a curve ball once in a while, and you never know when the Umpire is going to shout “You’re Out!” as the ball hits the catcher’s mitt. This past Christmas the weather gods blessed Rutland and vicinity with ferocious blizzards, arctic temperatures and multiple feet of snow. The only time that the weather wasn’t atrocious was when it was worse. Additionally, an epidemic of respiratory infections, influenza and, more than likely, some kind of covid-19 variant swept through the community like the Grim Reaper on steroids, bestowing generous supplies of wheezing, sneezing, aches & pains upon the populace. Fortunately, most around here have had their vaccinations & boosters, so the infections were not fatal, although some victims feared that they might die, and others were afraid that they might not. When the door slammed on 2022 it was “good riddance to bad rubbish,” and no one was sorry to see the old year leave.  Its replacement, 2023, has been calm and peaceful by comparison thus far, but that’s a situation likely to change, too. As of Friday, January 13, it is only 66 days until the Vernal Equinox, the First Day of Spring in the northern hemisphere, and we can do that standing on our heads. Until then, keep your overshoes on, your cap pulled down, your collar turned up and your stick on the ice. 

The Rutland City Council met at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9, in the Rutland Town Hall with City Auditor Deb Banish; City Council President Rodney Erickson; and Council members Lori McLaen; Delores Lysne; and, Bill Anderson; present.  Mayor Mike Mahrer was absent. Council President Erickson conducted the meeting until Mayor Mahrer arrived.  The financial report showed all funds to be in the black. The Auditor reported that the City has acquired the tax forfeited property identified as Lots 1 & 2 of Block 5, Original Addition from Sargent County. Some prior owners of this property include: Mr. & Mrs. Charles Weller; Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Weller; Andrew & Esther Sundlie; Jeff & Katy Kulzer; and, Brad & Rebecca Christensen. The property will be put up for sale on bids later this year. The Council approved an increase in the garbage collection fee of $5.00 per container, and an increase in the sewer fee of $1.00 per household. The Auditor mentioned that the City had not increased garbage & sewer fees since 2005, despite the fact that costs of operation had increased by about 53%, due to inflation, since then. Mayor Mahrer arrived at the meeting in time to conduct the vote. The sidewalk replacement project on the east side of Main Street will be discussed with the City Engineer at the March Council meeting. After reviewing the City’s bills, the Council authorized payment and adjourned.  The next meeting of the Rutland City Council is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 6, 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 government in action. 

The Rutland Community Club met at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9, at the Rutland Town Hall, following the Rutland City Council meeting. President Katie McLaen reported that club members reviewed the annual Santa Claus Day event that had been held at the Town Hall on Saturday, December 17, and concluded “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Santa Claus will be invited to make his 78th annual pre-Christmas visit to Rutland in December of 2023, so, he’s coming back, and you had better be good! The next Community Club sponsored event will be the 27th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament on Saturday, February 4, in the Rutland Town Hall. The Community Club is once again planning to serve the scalloped potatoes with ham dinner to tournament participants. Anyone wishing to help out should contact Katie at 701-680-9354. The next Community Club event after the Pinochle Tourney will be the annual Fun Night & Carnival on Sunday, March 26, at the Rutland Town Hall. Club members also discussed a plan to acquire some additional aluminum bleachers for use at Lou Sanderson Field. Uff-Da Day revenues will be used to make  the purchase. The next monthly meeting of the Rutland Community Club is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 13, at the Rutland Town Hall. Everyone is invited.

Rutland native Sonja (Anderson) Christensen, a daughter of the Late Rudy & Edna Anderson of this community, and one of the organizers of the upcoming 27th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament that will be held in the Rutland Town Hall on Saturday, February 4, reports that, as of Sunday, January 8, 24 teams had already pre-registered to participate in the tourney. One of the teams includes a 93 year old Dad who resides in Minnesota, and his son who makes his home in Seattle WA.  Sonja states that 2 locals: Roger McLaen; and, Stella Bell; have participated in all 26 prior tournaments, and she expects to see them at the 27th, too. A couple from Forman, Roger & Bonita Ziegler, have played in all but one of the preceding 26 tournaments.  Sonja says that anyone who wants to register for the tournament should call her at 701-899-1463 or 701-642-6793, or send an e-mail to cschristensen@midco.net.  Sonja states that she is looking forward to greeting many old friends, and making some new ones, at the 27th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament on Saturday, February 4, at the Rutland Town Hall.

Morning coffee hour participants with January birthdays were honored with a chorus of the “Happy Birthday” song and a big slice of birthday cake on the morning of Monday, January 9, at the Rutland Seniors’ Center. Among those with January birthdays were: Ann Erickson; Hal Nelson; and, Bill Anderson. Those not present included: Andy Harris; Pam Maloney; Rick Banish; and, Boyd Jacobson Jr.  Happy Birthday all!

Randy McGinnity of RPM Sound Design of Wheatland ND was in Rutland this week, installing new audio-video-streaming equipment at Nordland Lutheran Church. The new equipment is expected to improve sound quality in the Church Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall, and to enhance the worship experience for those tuning in to Nordland’s on-line ministry.

Some upcoming events in Rutland include: Nordland Lutheran Church Annual meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 22, at the Church building in Rutland; 27th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament on Saturday, February 4, at the Rutland Town Hall; Rutland City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 6, at the Rutland Town Hall; Rutland Community Club meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 13, at the Rutland Town Hall; Annual Rutland Sportsmen’s Club’s Great Northern Pike Fish Fry on Friday, March 3, at the Rutland Town Hall; and Rutland Community Club’s Annual Fun Night & Carnival on Sunday, March 26, at the Rutland Town Hall.

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 at it, too. Don’t forget to patronize your local Post Office, and remember to keep the pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.

The Rooster Crows – Feb. 11, 2022

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By Bill Anderson

As of Saturday, February 5, the bone-chilling cold that had characterized the month of January and the first few days of February gave way to more moderate temperatures, still not warm, but at least able to peek above the freezing mark for a few hours and provide some hope to those who had been considering giving up on Spring. It’s still Winter, though; the wind still blows; it can still get cold; the snow still falls; and the streets are still covered with packed snow and ice; but there is hope. In the middle of a North Dakota Winter what more can you want or expect. We can ask the one who put it there to relieve us of the snow, but not too far south of us, in south central and southeast South Dakota, there is no snow, and the weather experts are predicting severe drought conditions in the Spring, while signs warning of the extreme fire danger are posted on nearly every corner. We have to be careful what we ask for, we just might get it.

Local anglers have gotten what they wanted: ice; water; and fish; and they are happy with it, at least for now. Walleyes, northerns, perch and crappies have been biting, but sometimes here and sometimes there. One day there may be 40 ice fishing houses on a fishing hot spot, but when the catching slows down and a report is received that the fish are biting somewhere else, like an old-time gold rush mining camp, the fishermen and their houses pick up and move elsewhere, leaving their former location looking forlorn and deserted. We know that the fishing is pretty good, though, because the fishermen aren’t talking about it. In fact, it’s so good that they don’t even lie about it. That’s what’s called a contrary indicator. Whatever it looks like, it’s really the opposite. 

This community was saddened last week when word was received here that Violet Wyum, a life-long member of the Rutland community, and a long-time elementary school educator in Sargent County, had departed this life on the evening of Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at the Four Seasons Healthcare center in Forman. She had attained the age of 97 years, 2 months, and 25 days at the time of her death. Violet Martha Olson was born on the Olson family farm in Ransom Township on Friday, November 7, 1924, to Olof and Hilma (Peterson) Olson. She grew up on the farm and attended elementary school in a 1 room Ransom Township country school. She attended high school in Rutland and graduated in the RHS Class of 1942. She earned her 2-year teaching degree from Valley City State Teachers’ College in 1944, and taught school in 1 room country schoolhouses in Ransom and Tewaukon Townships before teaching in Cayuga, Cogswell and Rutland. While teaching, she took classes at Bethel College in St. Paul and at Valley City State to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1959. Thirty-two years of Violet’s teaching career were spent in Sargent County, including country schools, town schools and the Sargent Central Elementary School in Rutland. She also taught for one year in Bismarck ND, and one year in an elementary school in San Juan Capistrano in California. While at San Juan Capistrano she encouraged elementary students from Rutland to become pen pals with her students in California. Sixty-five years later some of those pen pals are still corresponding with each other. She is remembered by her former students as an effective teacher who knew how to maintain discipline in the classroom. Violet was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church in Rutland, serving as a Sunday School teacher; Sunday School Superintendent; Deaconess; Clerk; and, as a member of the choir. On June 3, 1961, she married Robert Wyum of Rutland in a ceremony in the First Baptist Church in Rutland at which Pastor Jack Reif officiated. They made their home on the Wyum farm 3 miles north and 1 mile east of Rutland. They became the parents of one daughter, Wendy Sue, and Violet became the stepmother of Robert’s 3 sons: Steven Robert; Michael Charles; and Mark Obed. Robert passed away in 2001, and Violet continued to make her home on the farm until she moved to Four Seasons Villas Assisted Living Center in 2019. From the time she retired from teaching until she moved to Four Seasons Villas, Violet served as the “go-fer” on the farm, making parts runs and performing other errands as well as preparing meals when called upon. For Violet, the speed limit was a suggestion, not a hard and fast rule. Her children and grandchildren often referred to her as “The Energizer Bunny” because she was always going full speed ahead, whether she was running for parts or scrubbing the floor. She relocated to the Four Seasons Healthcare Center nursing home in 2021. Violet is survived by: one daughter, Wendy Honchl; by 3 step-sons, Steven Wyum of Rutland; Michael Wyum of Rutland; and, Mark Wyum of Rutland; 1 sister, Shirley Mahrer of Hankinson; 1 brother, Don Olson of Mound City MN; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren & 1 on the way; numerous nieces, nephews & cousins; and by a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in 2001; her parents, in 1955 & 1979; 4 brothers: Woodrow Olson; Martin Olson; Carl Olson; and Maurice Olson; and, by 2 sisters: Myrtle Orth; and, Alice Seline. The funeral service for Violet M. Wyum was at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at Nordland Lutheran Church in Rutland, with Pastor Julie Johnson officiating. Also assisting in the service were Pastor Wayne “Hutch” Hutchins of the Baptist Church in Lisbon; soloist Karen Hutchins; vocalists Michael Wyum & Janet Kiefer; and, Phyllis Wyum, organist. Interment will be in the Rutland Cemetery in the Spring. Condolences may be sent to Michael Wyum, 9720 139th Avenue Southeast, Rutland ND 58067. The Rutland community extends its condolences to the family and friends of Violet Wyum, a woman of intellect, ability and character who devoted her life to her family, her community, her career and her country. Many will remember that Violet provided a moral compass for the Rutland community. If you couldn’t answer “Yes!” to the question “Would Violet think this is OK?” you had better not do it.

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The Rooster Crows – Feb. 4, 2022

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By Bill Anderson

Here it is! The Rooster Crows is back! This writer’s move to a different residence in Rutland is still a work in progress, but the people and pets have relocated somewhat successfully. There are still boxes to open and unpack, and needed items to locate, but, on the bright side, some items have been found that haven’t been seen since the last move, back in 2019. If anyone finds a Rutland High School letterman’s jacket, Class of ’63, please let me know.

The bitterly cold weather endured by North Dakotans throughout the month of January has continued into February. The Ground Hog, Rutland Rasputin, saw his shadow on Ground Hog’s Day, Wednesday, February 2, presaging at least 6 more weeks of winter for this area. Had Rasputin not seen his shadow, winter weather would only have lasted for another 42 days. The high winds and blowing snow that hit the region on the evening of Monday, January 31, and continued on into Tuesday, February 1, even caused Waste Management to reschedule the regular Tuesday morning trash pickup to Wednesday, February 2. Rutland residents were notified of the change by telephone on Tuesday morning. A personal robo-call from the community’s garbage service provider is always appreciated.

The Rutland community was saddened to learn that Violet (Olson) Wyum, a lifelong member of the Rutland community, had passed away on the evening of Tuesday, February 1, at the age of 97 years. She was residing at Four Seasons Healthcare Center in Forman at the time of her death.  Additional information about Violet Wyum’s life among us will be in next week’s column.  Funeral arrangements had not yet been made as of this writing.  Price Funeral Chapel of Forman & Britton will be in charge of arrangements.

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