Tag: Rutland Community Club

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 19, 2010

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By Bill Anderson

The V formations of Canada geese beating their way north through gloomy skies and drizzly rain, coupled with the rush of water from melting snowdrifts, muddy roads and slush filled yards, portend impending Spring in Rutland and vicinity. The hardy Canada geese, among the first of the migratory waterfowl to move north each year, are already setting up housekeeping in their usual locations, while local soybean and corn growers are marking the sites in preparation for the annual anti-depredation campaign that will soon commence. The vanguard of the snow and blue goose migration is now in Nebraska and heading this way, a point of interest to those who wish to participate in the Spring Conservation Hunting Season now open on those wily birds. Sunshine and temperatures in the 40’s on Tuesday and Wednesday brought a lift to the spirits and put some spring into feet that have been slogging through the winter bearing the weight of 5-buckle overshoes for the past several months. Mother Nature even removed some snowbanks to expose some green grass in honor of St. Patrick’s day. The forecast is calling for a relapse into winter conditions for the weekend, but Winter’s icy grip has now been broken. This is not the end, but it most assuredly is the beginning of the end.

If you have been thinking that 2010 has had some dark and gloomy days so far, you have been right. The National Weather Service for North Dakota reported last week that there was fog and overcast conditions on 54 of the first 68 days in 2010. If the old-timers’ were right about getting rain 90 days after a fog, we are in for an abundance of precipitation during the months of April, May and June. Don’t put your overshoes away just yet.

Rural mail carrier Jim Lunneborg escaped serious injury from an exploding battery on his farm on Thursday evening, March 4. Jim had the battery charger hooked up to the battery on an old tractor that had not been started for a while and, when he hit the switch to crank the engine over, the lead-acid battery blew up. He had intended to move the tractor from the shed where it had been in winter storage to make more room for calving cows. The hard plastic of the exploded battery case shattered one lens in his eyeglasses and left him with several cuts on his face and forehead. Fortunately, there were no acid burns. The incident did keep Jim off the mail route for a couple of days, though, until repairs to his eyeglasses were completed. It is expected that there will be no permanent scars on Jim’s handsome visage. No report has been received on the condition of the tractor. Jim is a collector of vintage Allis-Chalmers tractors and equipment, and some of the local aficionados are concerned about possible damage to the tractor, too.

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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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The Rooster Crows – March 5, 2010

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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.

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The Rooster Crows – April 1, 2009

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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.

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The Rooster Crows: April 25, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

Severe Weather Awareness Week, April 21-28, started out with a bang, complete with a thunderstorm, wind and hail as Mother Nature’s study aids. The hail was heavy enough to cover the surface of ND Highway #11 out by the Dennis & Lori McLaen farm, 2 miles north of Town, but no reports of damage to vehicles or buildings have been received.

Marcia Moen, Margo Ganske, Kate Tagg, Laura Feltes, Victoria Parker-Christensen, Marianne Parker, Susan Guilbert and Sue Anderson gathered at the home of Kathy Brakke for a cousins quilting weekend that had scissors clicking and sewing machines clattering from the afternoon of Friday, April 18, to Sunday afternoon. All but the two Susans are related to Ransom Township pioneers K. P. & Ingrid Ahrlin. Sue Anderson is Kathy Brakke’s sister-in-law and Sue Guilbert is Mary Ann Parker’s sister. In addition to getting in a weekend’s worth of quilt making and reminiscing, the group enjoyed a visit to the Rutland General Store and a Saturday luncheon at the home of Mary Ann Thornberg in Weber Township.

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