Tag: Rutland Cafe

Hens Do Crow! Feb. 28, 2020

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Last Saturday, February 22, was a day for celebration when ten Rutland residents headed to Claire City for dinner to celebrate Bev Kulzer’s birthday. The ladies who accompanied Beverly were Kathy Wyum, Ann Erickson, Janice Christensen, Dianna Anderson, Sheila Wyum, Cher Spieker, Janet Kiefer, Joanne Harris and MaryBeth Anderson. They planned the excursion earlier that week at coffee at one of their smaller coffee gatherings (some of the ‘regulars’ at coffee felt left out as they did not know about the big party!). Everyone made it back home safe and sound after the party and Beverly is doing great for 80!

This evening, Friday, February 28, the Lariat Bar is hosting its first ladies night with buy-one-get-one drinks from 9-11 p.m. and special $5.00 drinks along with karaoke from 7 p.m. until close. Men are welcome too of course and they can 50¢ off drinks from 9-11 p.m. Be sure to come out for some fun and hear all the talented singers!

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The Rooster Crows – December 16, 2011

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By Bill Anderson

David-1, Goliath-0, so far, anyway. The Rutland Post Office, and other post offices in rural communities, have been saved, at least temporarily. Word was received here on Tuesday, December 13, that the U. S. Postal Service has imposed a moratorium on Post Office closings until May 15, 2012. The moratorium was imposed in response to a request from a substantial number of United States Senators, including those from Montana and South Dakota. Neither John Hoeven (R-ND) nor Kent Conrad (D-ND) were among the Senators requesting the moratorium, an omission that has not gone unnoticed by those engaged in the struggle to maintain services in rural North Dakota. The notice sent out by the Postal Service stated that the review process would continue during the moratorium period, so rural Post Office patrons will still have to pay attention lest they lose their appeal rights during the moratorium period. The hard work and diligent effort of Rutland postal patrons who wrote letters and sent in their comments on the Postal Service’s proposal to close the Post Office here has paid off, at least temporarily, with a moratorium that may lead to a permanent rescue of the local Post Office. Congratulations to the Rutland Community Club for leading the fight. The fight is not over yet, though, as this moratorium is only temporary, so rural postal patrons will have to stay awake and pay attention to make sure that a permanent fix for the Postal Service’s woes is found.

Chuck Sundlie of this community headed off to Palm Springs CA on Sunday Nov. 27, to visit at the home of his parents, Leif & Phyllis (Donaldson) Sundlie. Chuck Traveled via Allegiant Air to Los Angeles, then accompanied his brother, Stan, to Palm Springs. He reports that the weather was very nice, and a few rounds of golf were played. Chuck returned to Rutland on Sunday, December 4, and found the weather here to be pretty nice, too, at least for December.

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The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2010

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The unfamiliar, bright object that was sighted in the sky over North Dakota last Friday turned out to be the sun, a celestial body whose existence had been rumored, but not confirmed, for quite some time.  The return of daylight after an absence of 2 weeks brightened spirits and allowed folks to get reacquainted with their shadows, those normally constant companions that had been conspicuous by their absence the previous couple of weeks.  Several consecutive days of sunshine and warm temperatures since last Thursday, have now allowed spring planting to resume, and a number of local producers report that wheat and corn seeding have been completed and the planter has been switched over to soybeans for the rest of the season.  With about a third of normal crop acres presently under water, frogs, mosquitoes and ducks are now in full production mode, too.  If cash money was being paid for those 3 commodities, all notes would be current.

Shane and Karla Breker drove up to Fargo on Saturday, May 15, where they attended commencement exercises at North Dakota State University.  The Brekers’ son, Shawn Breker, graduated from NDSU with a degree in Civil Engineering.  Also attending the ceremony were Shawn’s sisters, Shantelle and Sheena.  Shawn, a 2005 graduate of SCHS,  plans to spend a couple of weeks at home in Tewaukon Township, helping his  Dad on the farm, and then will embark on a trip to Australia for some post-graduate engineering studies on the continent down under.  While a student at NDSU, Shawn earned several academic and leadership honors, including membership in the prestigious Blue Key Honor Society.  The Rutland community extends congratulations to Shawn and to the Breker family on his graduation and accomplishments.

Bryce Carlson of Rutland and Miss Casie Hawkinson of Britton SD exchanged marriage vows in a private ceremony at Nordland Lutheran Church at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, in the presence of immediate Family & a few close friends.  Rev. Justin Senger of Nordland officiated.  The groom is the son of Clifford Carlson of Rutland and Charlotte (Stenvold-Carlson) Diehl of Glen Ullin ND.  The bride is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Steve Hawkinson of Britton.  Her great-grandparents were the late Henning and Agnes Hawkinson of Rutland.  The wedding of this young couple had originally been scheduled for June 18, but the ceremony was moved up due to the serious illness of a family member.  Bryce and Casie intend to re-affirm their Vows and host their wedding reception here on June 18, as originally scheduled.  The Rutland community congratulates Bryce and Casie on their marriage, and extends to them best wishes for a long and happy life together.

Stu Carlson of Mohall ND, accompanied by Stu’s Dad, Rutland native Frank Carlson of Bismarck, visited in Rutland last weekend.  They attended the wedding of Frank’s great-nephew, Bryce Carlson and his bride, Casie Hawkinson. Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – February 12, 2010

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By Bill Anderson

Well, it has been an active week in Rutland, North Dakota, out here on the prairie. Snow started falling like a gentle lullaby on Thursday, February 4, building to a Wagnerian crescendo with a full-fledged winter storm by Monday, February 8. Much to the disappointment of the eager students attending the the local school system, Sargent Central cancelled classes on Monday due to the heavy snow. Mayor Narum had the City’s snowplow opening Rutland’s streets by 4:30 each morning, but travel outside the City was difficult in many places, impossible in others and not advised throughout the area. Throughout the storm, the mercury went up and down like a yo-yo, from 25 above on Sunday to 18 below by Tuesday evening.  Well, this is North Dakota after all, and we certainly can’t complain about the flies and mosquitoes so far this year.

Saturday, February 6, was a big day in the Little City That Can, with the 15th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament taking center stage. Sixty-six teams of pinochle players had preregistered for the contest, and nearly all braved the elements to be on hand in the Rutland Town Hall when the first cards were dealt at 8:00 a.m. Steve Lies & Barb Diedrich of Wahpeton took home the first prize of $300.00 at the end of the day, accumulating more than 1,700 points in their winning effort.  Local folks were relieved when the team of Roger McLaen and Jack Brummond won second prize, also a substantial sum of cash, as Jack is now recouping some of the entry fees he paid in during the 10 years, or more, that he has not finished in the money. Jack is not deterred by success, however, and commenting on the sign proclaiming that a $5.00 fine could be imposed for whining, stated that he was going to go for the $10.00 package, figuring he could get a volume discount. The pinochle tournament has been sponsored by the children and grandchildren of the late Rudy & Edna Anderson since 1996, the year after Rudy’s death. Both Rudy and Edna were avid card players, and passed their enthusiasm for card games, particularly pinochle, on to their descendants. Proceeds of the tournament not paid out in prizes have been donated to the Rutland Community Club for the improvement and maintenance of the Rutland Town Hall. Tournament participants and kibitzers enjoyed a dinner, featuring the famed Rutland scalloped potatoes with ham, made with real cream and served by members of the Rutland Community Club. The 16th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament is scheduled for the first Saturday in February, 2011, in the Rutland Town Hall, says the reigning family matriarch, Sonja (Anderson) Christensen.

The new Lariat Bar also saw plenty of action last Saturday, February 6, as a local snowmobile club made two stops there during the day, the first at 10:00 a.m. at the beginning of their run, and concluding their day with dining and refreshments at the Lariat  late in the afternoon. Also enjoying the new dining room facilities at the Lariat were the employees of the Sargent County FSA  Office, who held their delayed Christmas Party there on Saturday evening. Approximately 30 employees, spouses and guests attended the event.

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The Rooster Crows – March 26, 2010

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By Bill Anderson

Spring has sprung! The northward migrating snow and blue geese, which had been down in Nebraska only a week earlier, arrived here in huge numbers by Thursday and Friday of last week, their noisy, squawking flights over town nearly drowning out the rattle of diesel powered pickup engines on Rutland’s Main Street. The Spring conservation hunting season on these birds has been open for a month, and some shooting near town was heard last weekend. No reports of hunter success have been received as of this writing, though. These geese may be bird-brains, but they are not totally devoid of sense. By the time they arrive at this point in their Spring migration, they have already been shot at for 1,500 miles, and have become quite adept at avoiding their ground bound pursuers. The successful hunter, even in a season in which there are hundreds of thousands of geese and there is no legal limit on the number that may be taken, must be at least as wily as a goose, and an embarrassing number find that they have difficulty crossing that intellectual threshold. The Spring conservation hunt of snow and blue geese is held in an attempt to keep the prolific birds from over-populating, over-grazing and destroying their summer range in northern Canada. The huge populations of snow and blue geese, as well as of other waterfowl, including their cousins, the magnificent giant Canada geese, are the products of conservation efforts begun more than a century ago, during the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, himself an avid hunter and outdoors enthusiast. The efforts have been so successful that some species, once thought to be headed for extinction, are now so numerous as to be regarded as pests in many areas. Well, it is the hunter’s good fortune. When it comes to fishing, waterfowl hunting, upland game hunting or big game hunting in southeastern North Dakota, the “good old days” are right now.

Friday, March 19, was the day for the Grand Opening at the remodeled and renovated Rutland Café. The Rutland General Store, owned and managed by Gretchen Vann, acquired the Café from Shari Leinen back in mid-October, and spent the next 3½ months in a make-over of the facility that was originally built and equipped in 1948. Carpenter John Buskohl of Milnor did most of the remodeling work, while Calvin Jacobson and crew of Jacobson Plumbing, Heating and Excavating of Rutland took care of their specialties and Harvey Kleingarn of B&K Electric of Forman re-wired the business. At 10:00 on Friday morning, Shirley Mahrer cut the ribbon opening the corridor between the General Store and the Café, after brief remarks by owner Vann. Mrs. Mahrer’s late husband, Bernard Mahrer, was the original builder, owner and operator of the Café, 62 years ago. Other operators and owners, including: Bernard’s parents, Frank & Minnie Mahrer; Harry & Martha Christensen; Henry & Mabel Hare; David & Adeline Brakke; Edna Anderson & Lois Nelson on behalf of the Rutland Commercial Club; Ralph & Lois Nelson; Sue Nathe; and, Shari Leinen were also recognized and honored during the ceremony. A number of prizes were awarded in drawings held throughout the day, including a Grand Prize of an “Auto-Start”, with installation, contributed by Dick Nelson Sales & Leasing of Valley City. Dick’s parents, Ralph & Lois Nelson, owned and operated the Café for 36 years, from 1962 through 1998. The Grand Prize was won by Ella Lou Nelson of Rutland. The Rutland community is fortunate to have such a fine commercial facility on its Main Street, and extends congratulations to the owner and employees on a job well done.

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The Rooster Crows – March 12, 2010

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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.

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