Tag: Rutland Community Club

The Rooster Crows – July 27, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

According to SIRI, the little know-it-all who lives in cellular telephones of the Apple variety, the temperature at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, was at +89 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was at 90. Meteorologists will tell you that when the temperature and the dew point are at the same number the amount of moisture in the atmosphere is at 100%, and it can’t hold any more. Well, it did feel as if a person might be under water when out on the front porch this past Tuesday evening. Theoretically, it is not possible for the relative humidity to be more than 100%, but, if SIRI’s report of the dew point and the temperature were correct on Tuesday evening, the relative humidity was at 101.2%. Well, theoretically it is impossible for a bumble bee to fly, too, but no one has informed the bumble bee of that scientific fact. The recent switch in weather conditions from high, dry and mild to hot, wet and steamy is uncomfortable, at best, but fear not, October is on its way. After that…well, let’s just think about October.

Good news for Rutland! Rodney Erickson reports that the U.S. Postal Service has executed a lease agreement to secure space in his building at the corner of First and Arthur Streets for use as a Post Office. As of the end of July, it will be 22 months since the Postal Service closed the former Post Office back on September 30, 2021, for “a few days” due to health and safety concerns. The wheels of progress turn slowly, but at least there is some evidence that they do still turn.

Speaking of progress, Rodney Erickson also reports that, as of Monday, July 24, he had his new spray plane in operation applying fungicide to corn fields down in Nebraska. The late Spring, followed by the early Summer drought in most of North Dakota, derailed most of Rodney’s 2023 business plan for operations in North Dakota, but his new plane allows him to go farther, work faster and cover more acres in less time, so there is still hope for a good season. The corn crop in Nebraska is looking good, he says, especially after he has applied the chemicals needed to protect it from the “fungus amongus”.

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The Rooster Crows – July 21, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

While the rest of the Country continues to swelter under record high temperatures, in the triple digits in many areas, Rutland and vicinity has been enjoying moderate, even unseasonably cool, weather conditions. A return to hot weather is in the forecast for the week beginning on Sunday, July 23, and for the rest of the month, however. The recent respite from excessive heat has saved the wheat, corn & soybean crops, so far, but some rain is going to be needed to bring the crop through to harvest. 

August in Rutland is going to be starting out with a bang, and with the aroma of barbecued ribs. The following information was recently obtained from Rutland Community Club President Katie McLaen: A Community-wide Junk Fest is on the schedule from 1:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, August 5, with Deb Banish, phone # 701-680-2458, in charge; Rutland’s American Legion Auxiliary will be serving a Pie & Ice Cream Social at the Rutland Senior Center, starting at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5; a Community Rummage Sale accompanied by a scalloped potato lunch will be held at the Rutland Town Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the proceeds going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association; and, The Rutland Rib Fest, with ribs being served by various vendors, is scheduled to commence serving at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, from booths on Main Street. As in past years, Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from the intersection with Front Street on the North to the intersection with Arthur/Gay Streets on the South, to allow for the placement of picnic tables. Rib vendors will be assessed a $25.00 fee to compete for the “Best Ribs In Rutland” title, and prizes for 1st place, 2nd place,3rd place and “People’s Choice” will be awarded. All food vendors, not exclusive to ribs, are welcome, and will also be assessed a $25 .00 vendor’s fee. For additional information, and to sign up to participate as a vendor at Rib Fest, contact Shawna Bergh at 701-680-0780. As with most events in Rutland, there is no admission charge. You only pay if you buy something. The August 5 Rib Fest will conclude with a Street Dance featuring “Raw Sugar” from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. So, put on your rib bib and your dancing shoes, and plan to be in Rutland for Rib Fest on Saturday, August 5.

Bill Anderson, accompanied by Great-Grandson Brody Mahrer, departed Rutland in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 9, bound for Hector Airport in Fargo and a 5:30 a.m. airline flight that was the first leg of a trip that landed them in Branson MO at about 6:30 p.m. that same day. The flight from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Springfield/Branson International was delayed for several hours while a problem with the aircraft’s ventilation was repaired. The reason for the trip was the annual reunion of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the unit in which Bill had served as an infantry Platoon Commander when he first arrived in Vietnam back in January of 1970. Time and age are finally accomplishing what the VC and NVA could not accomplish more than half a century ago, bill reports, as this reunion had the smallest number of Marines in attendance of any that he has been at since his first in 2012. During their stay in Branson, Bill & Brody took in the Clay Cooper Show on the evening of Monday, July 10, and the Evening Dinner/Show Cruise on Table Rock Lake aboard The Branson Belle showboat on Tuesday evening, July 11. Additionally, Brody got to hone up his skill playing the “Back Alley” card game, a game that was popular among the Delta Co. Marines back in 1969-70, when they were in Vietnam. Bill & Brody returned home through American Airlines’ hub terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth, on Wednesday, July 12, so Brody could play baseball in the District playoffs with his Babe Ruth baseball team from Gwinner. The temperature at Dallas/Fort Worth was +105, and the temperature at Fargo was +71 on Wednesday afternoon. 

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Rutland Ramblings – July 14, 2023

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By Debbie Banish

The Rooster has flown the coop but will return next week with sage advice and Rutland news. In the meantime, here are a few tidbits from Rutland this past week.

The Rutland Senior Center was a cheerful gathering place on Monday morning, July 10, when about twenty individuals gathered for the monthly birthday celebration. A bright red, white and blue layered cake was shared by all after a vibrant “Happy Birthday” was sung by those present. The five July birthday celebrants were Chuck Anderson, Michael Banish, Norbert Kulzer, Judy Silseth and Cher Spieker. The Senior Center holds the monthly birthday recognition on the second Monday of the month to be sure to stop by sometime to wish area seniors a Happy Birthday and enjoy homemade cake. The weekly coffee gatherings are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings starting around 9:15 a.m. Come visit and hear the last news and take a walk down memory lane. The group can be a rowdy and informative bunch!

The Rutland City Council met Monday, July 10, with all present by phone and in person. The Council approved a demolition permit for the removal of the house and garage at 206 – 2nd Street West, discussed the recent Trailer Park inspection report, reviewed the property insurance coverage, and approved the payment of bills. The City Auditor announced that the city received $15,161.90 from the Federal/State snow reimbursement grant which was a one-time funding opportunity. The First Street sidewalk project was discussed, and the Council requested that the City Attorney draft a resolution of necessity for a possible special assessment project area to help fund the needed improvements on First between Gay/Arthur and Front Street. The City Engineer will meet with the Council on August 7 to discuss the scope of the project and present cost estimates for the sidewalk project and a water valve replacement project. The Council will also approve a 2024 preliminary budget and schedule a public hearing within the next two months. The meetings are at 5 p.m., the first Monday of the month (excluding holidays) and the public is always welcome to attend and watch the Council in action. There is time at the beginning of the meeting for public comments and input is always welcome.

Monday was a busy day in Rutland and the evening was no different. The $5 burger Monday night special at The Lariat Bar was a hit with locals and visitors as observed by the cars lining First Street. Mark your calendar for Monday night as the time to get to Rutland for a great burger special at the Lariat!

The Milnor Team canceled the Tuesday night game against the Rutland Roosters. Next Tuesday, July 18, the Rutland Roosters take on Riverside at Sanderson Field. Game time is 6:45 p.m. and the Park Board concessions will be open for ballpark food, snacks, and beverages.

The Rutland Community Club members decided to take a break and not meet in July, but they will meet in August to get Uffda Day planning in full swing.

The Community Club may be taking a break, but the Lariat Bar is in full-swing planning for Ribfest on Saturday, August 5. The event will begin with a community rummage sale at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A scalloped potato lunch will also be available at the Hall with sale and food proceeds going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Junk Fest vendors will set up along Gay Street to sell their wares from 1 to 5 p.m. The American Legion Pie and Ice Cream Social will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Rutland Senior Center and ribs and more will be available starting at 5 p.m. The event will conclude with a street dance with Raw Sugar from 8 p.m. to Midnight. It will be a fun time in the old town, so be sure to come to town. More food/rib and junk fest vendors are welcome to participate. Check out the Rutland Facebook page for contact information.

Other events this week that should be in next week’s Rooster Crows include: The Rutland-Cayuga Fire District annual BBQ supper on Wednesday, July 12; the bid opening on Thursday, July 13, for the sale of the Rutland General Store; and Vacation Bible School at Nordland on July 18-20.

That’s it for this week from Rutland. Don’t forget the Sargent County 100th Fair kicks off on July 20. See you at the fair!

The Rooster Crows – July 7, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

It was looking as if 2023 would go down in the record books as a year with no Spring season. Temperatures in the region went directly from the ice, snow and below freezing of April to the dry weather and 90 degree highs of May and June. “What’s going on?” we asked. Not to worry. Mother Nature corrects her mistakes, if she ever makes any, and the cool, moderate temperatures that normally accompany the season of Spring are now being bestowed on Rutland and vicinity during the first several days of July, at the beginning of what should be the season of Summer and hot weather. Are these unusual weather conditions the result: of global warming; of air pollution; of rising sea levels; of increased numbers of shark attacks; of melting ice caps; or are unusual weather conditions just the usual, normal condition of the weather in North Dakota? In the meantime, we’ll do what we’ve always done about unusual weather conditions in North Dakota – we’ll talk about them. The Assembled Wise Men will have the topic on the Round Table agenda for the next several weeks, and for as long as “unusual weather conditions” persist.

The Scottish poet, Robert Burns, once wrote, “Oh, would the gift the Giftie G’ie us, to see ourselves as others see us. The people of the Rutland community were recently given that opportunity, and it was not at all unpleasant. Back on Thursday, June 22, a panel of local folks met at the Nordland Fellowship Hall in Rutland with Rural Leadership of North Dakota Class IX, a group consisting of community leaders from across North Dakota. The local panel consisted of: Sonja (Anderson) Christensen; Hal Nelson; Katie (Rust) McLaen; Bill Anderson; and Abby Erickson. On Friday, June 30, the following message was received from Katie Tyler, Extension Specialist and Program Director: “…I have had the privilege of traveling across North Dakota to various communities to hear their stories and see their passions with Rural Leadership North Dakota (RLND). However, I can honestly say that none have compared to Rutland! You have a special community, and the pride in which you and the panel of leaders from Rutland portrayed your small community was uplifting. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, share the stories and lessons learned, and have lunch with us! It was truly an honor to learn from you, and you reminded me of what being a true North Dakotan was all about! Your time with RLND Class IX was a great example of community spirit, which was inspiring to us all. Thank you for your time. Please let me know if I can ever help with anything (besides perhaps coming to Uff-da Days and sampling some lefse!). Sincerely, Katie – Katie Tyler, Ph.D. Extension Specialist and Program Director Rural Leadership North Dakota. Office: 701-231-5640; Cell: 701-361-0869.” Thanks to Katie Tyler and Rural Leadership of North Dakota for visiting Rutland, and thanks for the pat on the back, too. Now the pressure is on the Rutland community to live up to Katie’s opinion.

Bob & Linda (Marlowe) Silseth visited in Rutland, at the home of old friends Larry & Carolyn Christensen, on the afternoon of Saturday, July 1. They even made a brief stop at The Lariat Bar to inhale the ambience and sample the wares. The Silseths were back in their home communities to attend the Havana School Reunion from Friday, June 30, to Sunday, July 2. This year was also the 60th anniversary of Bob’s graduation from Havana High School as a member of HHS Class of ’63. Bob & Linda are now retired after spending most of their working careers coaching and teaching in public school systems in South Dakota and Minnesota. They now reside at Detroit Lakes MN, but report that they are considering a move to Bemidji MN in the near future, in order to be closer to children and grandchildren. A grandson, Chase Silseth, is currently carrying on the family’s baseball tradition as a pitcher in the Los Angeles Angels organization. 

Bill Anderson, accompanied by Great-Grandson Brody Mahrer, is planning to take a brief trip to Branson MO from Sunday, July 9, to Wednesday, July 12, to attend a reunion of Marine Corps veterans who served in Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in the Republic of Vietnam back in 1969-70. As a result, The Rooster Crows column for Friday, July 14, will be among the missing, unless someone else decides to write one. Bill & Brody should be back in time to get one written for the 21st, though.

The Rutland City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 10, at the Rutland Town Hall to discuss a number of topics important to the future of the community.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, the adoption of a “Declaration Of Independence” by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia PA on July 4, 1776, 247 years ago, continues to send ripples through history, ripples that get stronger with the passage of time. Perhaps no decision made by men has done more to alter the course of history, or improve the condition of mankind, than the courageous decision made by the 56 American Patriots who signed the Declaration that would be their death warrant if their revolution had failed or would affix their names in the firmament of Heaven if the revolution succeeded. The nation for which they laid the foundations is still a work in progress, the last, best hope of humanity, and it is still the best nation on the face of this Earth. It has been, indeed, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Long may it be so.

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 – June 16, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

The evening of Wednesday, June 7, was the time, and Rutland, North Dakota, was the place for a thunderstorm to deliver another timely .6 of an inch of rain. Crops are growing fast, and some cornfields are already past the knee high stage. Wheat fields are green and growing fast, but some local experts are concerned that the excessive heat of the last week in May and the first week in June may have caused some damage to the plants’ ability to produce seeds. Well, we have to worry about something. Might as well be wheat!

Kelly Hawkinson of Dillon MT arrived in Rutland on the evening of Sunday, June 11, for a visit with her uncles, Bill Anderson and Paul Anderson. Kelly drove in from Deadwood SD, where she had served as secretary/statistician for a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event on Saturday evening. Rodeo, like everything else in the world these days, is changing its ways to cope with the demands of the modern world. It used to be that rodeo participants were all on their own, paying their own way and having no obligation to share a winner’s cash prize with anyone. Those old boys also had the opportunity to pay all of their own medical bills and buy all of their own gear. The new breed are now organized into teams, with owners and sponsors on hand to pick up the expenses and share in any winnings. The new arrangement affords rodeo participants more security, but, if rodeo participants were interested in security, would they have chosen to be cowboys and rodeo performers in the first place? Kelly plans to be heading back to her home base at Dillon MT on Saturday, June 17, with a stop at Bismarck for another PBR event. Kelly is a granddaughter of the late Earl & Irene Anderson of this community, and the daughter of Rutland native, the late Harvey O. “Andy” Anderson.

Mark & Kathy Wyum departed Rutland on Monday, June 12, bound for Rochester MN, a checkup and a crop tour of southern Minnesota. Southern Minnesota is classified as a “drought” zone right now, while Sargent County is classified as having sufficient moisture to support the growth of a grain crop. Even so, what is a drought in southern Minnesota would normally be classified as ample moisture in southeastern North Dakota. Well, we’ll have Mark explain it to us when he gets back.

The management of The Lariat Bar in Rutland reminds all that the Rutland Rib Fest is once again on the calendar, scheduled for Saturday, August 5, 2023. For information about entering the competition for the title of “Best Ribs In Rutland!” take a look at the Lariat’s Facebook page, or give the Lariat a call at 724.6239. Community wide rummage and yard sales are also scheduled to be held all over Rutland on Saturday, August 5. .

Sargent County Public Health is planning to distribute another round of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots this Summer and early Fall. According to Shay Lynn, the shots will be available to anyone who is over the age of 65 and had their last booster shot more than 4 months previously. The County Public Health Footcare crew that is scheduled to be in Rutland on Thursday, June 15, will also have some of the new vaccine available at that time. The Covid-19 pandemic is officially over, but no one told the covid-19 virus that it had to pack up and go home. The virus is still with us, and anyone interested in avoiding it should call Sargent County Public Health at 701.724.3725. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, the old-timers used to say.

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The Rooster Crows – June 9, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

The thunderstorm that rumbled through on the afternoon of Saturday, June 3, Presented Rutland with .65 of an inch of rain, according to Roger Pearson’s rain gauge, and with .6 of an inch of rain according to the rain gauge of his neighbor, Norbert Kulzer, a few feet to the east. The rain came in a hurry, with the storm lasting only a few minutes, but it was a welcome relief from the incessant wind and heat of the preceding week. Cameron Gulleson reported that the storm also deposited .6 of an inch of rain on the Gulleson Farm, a mile and a half east of town. The rain fell in a narrow band, with only a few drops north of ND Highway #11 and an equally parsimonious amount 2 miles south of town. Well, this is the time of the year when it does rain on the just and the unjust, alike, but neither at the same time nor in equal amounts.

Rodney Erickson reports that the process of acquiring a new Post Office in Rutland continues to make progress, although at what seems to an outside observer to be a snail’s pace. The Postal Service proposes to lease approximately 700 sq. feet of Rodney’s building, the original Prindiville’s Saloon, now at the corner of First & Arthur Streets, and has had an office floor plan drawn up that has been approved by the powers that be at the USPS and by Rodney. After the Post Office is up and running, Rodney will still possess enough space in the building to create a professional office and a small studio apartment. Rodney is hopeful that the new Post Office will be open before September 30, 2023, the second anniversary of the closure of the old Post Office. Rodney also reports that he has been working full time getting his new, well, new to him, ready for the upcoming aerial application season. His new spray plane is an Air Tractor Model 802, powered by a 1,350 horsepower turbo prop engine. He states that this plane has an 800 gallon capacity, about 300 gallons more than his old plane. The plane is currently housed in a hangar at Bear Creek Flying Service’s facilities at Oakes ND. Bear Creek Flying Service is owned by Rodney’s friend and fellow aviator, Travis McPherson of Oakes. Rodney says that he expects to be heading up north, to the area around Bottineau and Rugby during the last week of June to begin applying fungicide and herbicide in that area before moving down to Nebraska to apply agricultural chemicals to corn fields down there. Then he will be heading back to Central North Dakota to apply fungicides and insecticides to sunflower fields, and then back up to North Dakota’s northern tier counties, along the Canadian border, to apply herbicides and desiccants to wheat and canola fields in that region of the State. By then, it will be time to put the plane back into the barn and begin working on getting it ready for next year. Too bad that he can’t find anything to do in his spare time. Oh, that’s right, he owns and operates Wheaton-Dumont Co-op’s grain handling facility, the Rutland Elevator, here during the remainder of the year, when he isn’t remodeling his family’s home.

On Friday, June 2nd, Renee Larson, Colleen Sundquist, and Diane Pierson presented a check to Chelsey, Four Seasons Healthcare Center Activity Director, in the amount of $2,085.00, the amount raised from the Spring Plant Auction held on Monday, May 22. Unable to attend were plant auction organizers Val Bjork and Ione Lunneborg. Sixty-three bidders vied for a variety of plants and garden items with the bidding getting very raucous at times to the delight of everyone. Miss Sargent County, Autum Zirnhelt and Miss Sargent County 1st runner up, Anna Hoistad assisted throughout the evening. Several residents of Four Seasons attended the auction, and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The committee extends a huge thank you to the community for helping raise funds to help fund various outings and events at Four Seasons. Thanks to Ione Lunneborg for the information in this report.

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