The Rooster Crows – February 29, 2008

By Bill Anderson

Well, we’re not at the end of Winter, yet, but we might be at the beginning of the end. Last Wednesday’s 25 to 30 below was succeeded by a weekend that saw the mercury hit 40 above on Saturday and 41 on Sunday. This week more moderate temperatures, in the upper 20’s have prevailed, with the forecast being milder temperatures coming up in the first weekend of March. And, if the weather isn’t enough to make you feel good, wheat was selling for more than $21.00 per bushel in local elevators on Tuesday, February 26, $21.28 in Forman and $21.33 at Lidgerwood. The price at Minneapolis was $24.25 on Monday. What would Percy Pherson, Oscar Hoflen and Art Brown think about that? Soybeans and corn are also paying up, at more than $13.00 and $5.00 per bushel, respectively. A flock of new pickups has been appearing on local streets, with the 4 wheel drive, ¾ ton, 4 door, diesel powered behemoth being the weapon of choice for use on local roads. The high price of gasoline and diesel fuel arouses comment, but doesn’t seem to have slowed many down, at least not yet. Meanwhile, the new farm bill is stalled in Washington, with the Congress and the President disagreeing over how, or whether, it should be paid for. The Congress wants to use a phony credit card, while the President favors rubber checks. At least the weather doesn’t require government regulation or taxpayer support, not yet, anyway.

Members of the Rutland City Council, Renaissance Zone Board, Zoning Board, Community Club, Horizons Program Committee and Community Development Corporation Met at the Rutland General Store at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, to review proposed changes to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance with Mr. Irv Rustad of the Lake Agassiz Regional Council. The group is scheduled to meet again, this time at the Nordland Fellowship Hall, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 3, to approve the final draft of the revised Comprehensive Plan. The various groups will then develop their own programs to implement the plan. The plan aims to guide future commercial and residential development in the community.

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The Rooster Crows – February 15, 2008

By Bill Anderson

Brother, it’s cold outside. Twenty below zero on Sunday, February 10, and the weatherman says we ain’t seen nothing yet. Despite the frigid temps, signs of Spring can be seen, however. Hope springs eternal, so they say, and there are none more optimistic than those who sell seed when it’s 20 below in preparation for the golden harvest to come next Summer and Fall. Wenzman Seed has been making deliveries of corn and soybean seed to Sargent County’s foremost seed dealer, Kulzer Feed & Seed of Rutland. Mike Kulzer reports that most local farmers have ordered their seed for the 2008 crop, but some seed, particularly wheat seed, is a hard to get item this season. Call Mike at 724-3345 for top quality seed for a top quality crop. On the livestock side of the ledger, Jordan Wyum has been busy with calving duties for his herd of 150 black angus heifers. So far the calving season is progressing well, despite the cold weather. The next time you purchase a roast beef at the local grocery store, or order a prime steak at a local cafe, pause for a moment to remember the labor of the cattlemen who worked all night in below zero cold to make sure that prime beef made it to your plate.

Dennis Prindiville, Pat Prindiville and Michael Prindiville were in Rutland on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, in residence at the Prindiville family farmhouse on the south side of town. They had been in Bismarck on Monday, where they attended the funeral of their brother and uncle, Roger Prindiville. Although retired, Pat is still employed, part-time, measuring grain in storage for the auditors at grain elevators. At 72, Pat still climbs up the grain bins to check things out, although he says that he leaves some of the taller bins to his business partner, a much younger man, only 71 years of age. Pat’s son, Michael, assists them on some of the bigger jobs. On Wednesday Pat was measuring up the grain in storage at the Fullerton Elevator.

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The Rooster Crows – February 8, 2008

By Bill Anderson

Irv Rustad of Lake Agassiz Regional Council met with a group composed of the Rutland Renaissance Zone Board, Zoning Board, City Council, Housing Authority and other interested citizens, in the Nordland Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30, to discuss revisions and updates to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Participants went through the Comprehensive Plan and updated goals based on the findings of the community forums held by the Horizons Program during the past year. The next step in the process will be to propose changes in the City’s Zoning Ordinance to make it consistent with the goals set out in the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Rustad is the Executive Director of the Fargo based Lake Agassiz Regional Council.

The Horizons Steering Committee met on Thursday, January 30, to allocate the $1,500 grant recently approved by the Northwest Area Foundation. The grant was distributed $500.00 to the advertising committee, $500 to the community recreation center committee and $500 to the housing committee to help them meet the goals set last year. If the Horizons Program stays on schedule, the committee will be eligible for another $8,500 from the NWAF next Summer, says Horizons Program coordinator Carolyn Christensen.

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