Tag: Rutland American Legion

Rutland Ramblings – Dec. 29, 2023

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The Rutland Senior Center hosted the Annual Sargent County Senior Citizens December meeting and Christmas Party on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Kathy Wyum and her elves decorated the Senior Center and turned it into a very festive Christmas setting. The clubs from all four Sargent County senior centers were well represented – Cogswell, Forman, Milnor, and Rutland. A total of 26 seniors enjoyed the afternoon. Chuck Anderson called multitude rounds of Bingo and all guests won at least one prize and even more! Four beautiful door prizes were also given away. A wonderful lunch of sandwiches, salads and a variety of desserts followed Bingo to end a fun-filled afternoon.

Many Rutland residents made it out of town for Christmas celebrations before the ice storm hit on Christmas Day. The rain began early, turning to snow and then more rain and sleet to make the roads impossible for travel. The State plows were out on Tuesday to try to clear roads as much as possible.

Since this will be the last column for 2023, here is a summary of some of the year’s highs and lows:

The weather outside was frightful as below-zero temperatures continued into January, and most of the winter season. The cold never stopped the snowmobilers who made a poker run through the County with the last stop at The Lariat Bar. Several inches of snow fell again in February with days of blowing snow and high winds and no travel advised. March was no warmer and three-foot mountains of ice and snow cancelled many Rutland activities, but it didn’t keep residents from the Saint Patrick’s Day feast at The Lariat or Rutland Fun Night with nearly 170 people attending. There were 50 door prizes and at least that many cakes for the cakewalk. There were 9 carnival games as well as a Photo Booth and coloring table and a popcorn/cotton candy stand. The Rutland Volunteer Fireman served pizza and cookies for supper. By mid-April, the temperature finally registered 51 degrees followed by a wild thunderstorm that knocked out power to Rutland homes and businesses. Another cold front and rain hit the community in late May making it a challenging planting season. By late June, temperatures were nearing 100 degrees, by September they were back in the teens, but managed to hit the 90s for Uffda Day in October!

Rutland’s population grew by two with the births of Bridger Wyum, son of Rob and Dana Wyum, on January 11, 2023, and William Price Gulleson, son of Cam & Jenny Gulleson, born March 22, 2023.

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Rutland Ramblings – Nov. 17, 2023

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Rutland was well represented at the Sargent Central School Veterans Day program on Thursday, November 9. The American Legion Bergman-Evenson Post #215 was the Color Guard, with Commander Larry Christensen, Tom Manley and Roger McLaen.  Many Rutland residents attended to help honor our Veterans from the area. The school youth put on a wonderful program which had a record attendance from parents, relatives, and veterans. The Teller is covering the event with photos so be sure to check out that news as well.

On Monday, November 13th, the Rutland Seniors celebrated the birthday “kids” of the month – Mark Wyum and Phyllis Wyum. Mark stopped in for the birthday photo opp and then headed out to the field for harvest work. Phyllis is such a busy lady that she was unable to attend and partake in the delicious and festive birthday cake.

The District 28 Dem-NPL Party will meet on Monday, November 20th, at Rutland City Hall at 7 p.m. with a social gathering before the monthly Zoom meeting. They will discuss last year’s legislative changes, upcoming events, and updates to the 28for28 Club for District fundraising. Feel free to attend the social and stay for the meeting.

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Rutland Ramblings – Nov. 10, 2023

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Harvey and Judy Preble of Eagan, MN, were visitors in Rutland on Saturday & Sunday, October 28 & 29. They were in town to help Harvey’s younger sister, Dianna (Preble) Anderson celebrate her birthday. Harvey and Diana share the same birthday November 7, although Harvey was on the scene two years prior to Dianna’s arrival. According to gamblers’ superstition, number 7 is a lucky number, and this birthday should be double lucky for Dianna.

The Rutland City Council met on Monday, November 6, and approved the Engineer contract for services for the sidewalk improvement project, renewed the water sampling contract with SE Water Users, and adopted the 2024 meeting schedule. Water rates were also discussed as SE Water will be raising the City’s cost of water in January. Rates were last increased in 2017 for water. The Council voted to raise water rates by 5%. The current rate for water is $23.00 for the first 3,000 gallons; the increase will result in a new rate of $24.15 for the first 3,000 gallons and $5.25 for overage use per 1,000 gallons. An update was provided on the Post Office reopening and it may be at least another four months before it happens; stay tuned as time (and mail) moves slowly – but surely. The next Council meeting will be Monday, December 4.

The Sargent County Extension Office is seeking individuals willing to become a NDSU Extension Master Gardener in the county. The application deadline is November 15. If you love gardening and are community-minded, now is your chance to apply. Complete weekly online classes from January 19 – March 22, 2024 on vegetable and fruit production, soil health, flowering plants and more! Application and more information is available at this link: ndsu.ag/mgcourse. Contact the Extension Office at (701) 724-3355 if you have any questions!

The Sargent County Commission passed a preliminary resolution that would redesignate the elected positions of County Auditor and County Treasurer/Recorder Clerk of Court as appointive positions. Before a final resolution can be passed, public hearings are requested. The Commission will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, November 15, at 6 p.m. at the Milnor Senior Center. The commission would like to receive public input on whether or not to proceed with the change. The meeting can also be joined via GoToMeeting at https://global/gotomeeting.com/join/504808517. A copy of the preliminary resolution can be obtained from the Sargent County Auditor or online at http://sargentnd.com.

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The Rooster Crows – May 12, 2023

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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 1st 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

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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 1st, 2nd & 3rd 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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The Rooster Crows – June 17, 2022

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By Bill Anderon

Despite the wet Spring that had delayed field work until the end of May, this community was pleased to get the rain that fell on Friday night, June 10. As soon as it doesn’t rain for a few days, a true North Dakotan starts to worry that it will never rain again, or, that when it does rain it will be too much, too little or in the wrong place. It can’t be helped. It’s in the blood. Roger Pearson reported .3 of an inch in his rain gauge on Saturday morning, while his next-door neighbor, Norbert Kulzer, had .4 of an inch in his gauge a few feet away. Norbert’s reading was matched by the .4 in Lary Arneson’s gauge, 2 blocks to the west. Chuck Anderson reported .37 of an inch at his Weber Township farm6 miles southwest of town; Harvey Bergstrom reported .31 of an inch in the gauge at his farm 3 miles south of Cayuga; and, Kurt Breker had .3 of an inch in his gauge 1 mile south of Cayuga. Another .1 or .2 of an inch was scattered across the countryside on Sunday & Monday, helping to keep lawn mowers and mosquito swatters busy. Well, the old timers used to say that it always dries up after a wet spell. We’ll just have to find out if they knew what they were talking about.

The Annual Rutland Community Block Party opened up at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, with more than 100 community residents and over 3,000 water balloons on hand for the festivities. The Rutland Volunteer Fireman manned the grills, turning out burgers, bratwursts, and hot dogs for participants, and also provided water game facilities for the community’s youth. During the Block Party, Miss Abbie Erickson, daughter of Rodney & Andrea Erickson, and a Senior at Sargent Central High School, was crowned “Miss Rutland 2022; and, Corbin Carlson, son of Bryce & Casee (Hawkinson) Carlson, and Lilith Pavek, daughter of Corey & Sarah (McLaen) Pavek, were awarded the titles of Mr. & Miss Lefse for the coming year. All 3 of Rutland’s reigning royals will be in the 2022 Uff-Da Day Parade on Sunday, October 2, 2022. The Rutland Community Block Party is held each year to give the community’s present, former and future residents an opportunity to get acquainted and re-acquainted, to talk over old times and to make plans for future good times. Thanks to Rutland Community Club President Katie McLaen for the information in this report.

Katie McLaen also reports that the Rutland Community Club met at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 13, at the Rutland Town Hall. The meeting was short. It was reported that the stage curtains in the Town Hall had been repaired and cleaned; and, that lefse production for Uff-Da Day 2022 will commence with a morning and an evening session on Thursday, June 16. Check the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com and the Rutland Facebook page for more information about the dates and times for future sessions. Fourteen sessions have been scheduled between mid-June and mid-August, so far.

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