Tag: Rutland Improvement LLC

The Rooster Crows – Sept. 15, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

Ahhh, September! Clear, cool, starlit skies at night, followed by warm, sun filled days. The long, hot days of Summer are finally behind us; The long, cold nights of Winter are still ahead of us; and the comfortable embrace of September is ours to enjoy for a few more days or weeks, depending on the whims of Mother Nature. For the first time since May, the morning temperature stood at 39 degrees on Wednesday, September 13. According to the TV weather gurus, temperatures are expected to be back up into the low 80’s for the 3rd week of the month, but Wednesday’s 39-degree reading is a harbinger of things to come. As the late Clayton McLaen used to warn, “There are two seasons in North Dakota: Winter; and, getting ready for Winter.” The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting another tough Winter ahead, so, it’s time to follow Clayton’s advice, and get ready!

Rutland natives John & Theresa Gulleson of Casselton ND & Peder & Connie Gulleson of Bismarck ND hosted a gathering of cousins from this area, and cousins from Norway at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge on the evening of Monday, September 4. Jon Erdik & spouse, Elizabeth Odegard-Erdik; and Esther Odegard; of Korgen, Norway, accompanied John & Theresa on a tour through Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, visiting family and friends on the way. Esther and Elizabeth are relatives of the late Clara (Mrs. Martin) Gulleson of this community. Esther is Clara’s niece and Elizabeth is Esther’s daughter. While at The Lodge they enjoyed a traditional North Dakota pot-luck supper, and treated the hosts to authentic “krinalefse,” a specialty of the Korgen area that is made by sandwiching butter & sugar between 2 layers of thick lefse and topping it with a mixture of thickened cream and sugar. The Gullesons remembered Grandma Clara making it for them when they were young.  Following their visit to Rutland, they intended to visit the ND State Capitol and the ND Heritage Center in Bismarck; Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Medora Musical at Medora ND; and Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota; before returning to Minneapolis to catch their flight back to Norway. Korgen is in the far northern territory of Norway, near the Arctic Circle.

The Board of Managers of Rutland Improvement LLC d/b/a The Lariat Bar sent the following message to investors on Thursday, September 7, informing them of some upcoming changes at The Lariat. “Thanks to everyone for your continued support for the Lariat Bar. As you know, Shawna submitted her resignation, effective September 30th. As a board, we have been considering options for managing day-to-day operations at the Lariat and have made the decision to support a structure that includes a kitchen supervisor and bar supervisor(s). We are pleased to share that Sara Hernandez has accepted the kitchen supervisor position and Stacy Barber and Nicole Flannery will share bar supervisor duties. Patti Woytassek will continue to serve as the board liaison and the supervisors will report to her. Tremendous thanks to Patti for her willingness to serve in this role, which requires a considerable commitment of time!

We are pleased to be able to tap into the talent and skills of existing staff to manage the bar and we have assured them that our goal is to ensure that everyone has the ability to retain their hours, recognizing that with the departure of staff in the coming weeks there will need to be discussions and adjustment to some schedules to assure adequate coverage. We are currently working to ensure a smooth transition, including finalizing job descriptions and division of responsibilities for the supervisors, job descriptions for everyone that is employed at the bar, establishing a monthly work schedule, and capturing a full list and schedule of vendors who service the bar. We are optimistic that the changes ahead will be positive for employees and for the bar overall. To make it work, it will require everyone to work together in the true spirit of teamwork and with respect for one another. We are also challenging staff to come up with ways to increase revenue and hold down costs, including hunting season specials, hosting of holiday events and more. We look forward to a fun and productive fall! Regards, Paul Anderson, Chairman RILLC

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The Rooster Crows – Aug. 18, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

Congratulations to the Rutland Roosters Men’s Slowpitch Softball Team, 2023 North Dakota State Class Rec 3 Champions. The Roosters clinched the title by winning 5 consecutive games against tough opponents at the State Tournament in Grand Forks on Saturday & Sunday, August 12 & 13. The Roosters defeated the Tharaldson Team of Fargo in the Championship game on Sunday afternoon. Members of the Roosters’ 2023 State Championship Team are: Adam Bell, Outfield; Jon Christianson, Outfield; Kirk Fliehs, 3rd Base; Rylan Gutzmer, Outfield; Todd Hosford, 2nd Base; Travis Hosford, Outfield; Kris Kann, Pitcher; Nolen Peterson, 1st Base; Luke Patzlaff, Catcher; Rob Roney, Outfield/Team Captain/Manager; Josh Stenvold, Catcher; Brandon Wyum, Shortstop; and, Jason Phillips, Outfield. According to Rob Roney, a member of The Rutland team, the Roosters finished the regular season with a record of 20 wins and 5 losses. The Rutland community extends its thanks and congratulations to the 2023 Rutland Roosters, the heirs and standard bearers of a winning tradition on the ball diamond that extends back to the end of the 19th Century. Fans in the community are looking forward to a continuation of that tradition in 2024. Come on out to the ball game at Lou Sanderson Field to watch an outstanding team, and to enjoy some fine ballpark dining at the concessions stand.

The Rutland Roosters Men’s Slowpitch Softball team concluded its 2023 regular season play with two wins on the evening of Tuesday, August 15. After capturing the State Championship in the Rec 3 Class on Sunday, August 13, the Roosters took on the team from Milnor at Lou Sanderson Field on the 15th, taking game #1 in 5 innings by a score of 13 to 3, and putting an early end to game #2 in 3 innings with a 23 to 3 victory. The Milnor matchup was one that had been delayed back at the beginning of the season, and was rescheduled to Tuesday after the Roosters’ scheduled opponent, Gwinner, cancelled out late in the afternoon.  Well, regardless of what happened, the Roosters are still the State Champs who ended the regular season with 2 wins at home, and nothing is going to change that.

The following summary of the Roosters’ State Tournament games, and the photo of the State Tournament Championship team, was supplied by Rob Roney.

Saturday Games
Defeated Optimal Chiropractic (based out of Fargo) 10-9
Defeated Driftwood Lounge (based out of Wahpeton) 7-4
Defeated Lafrenier Construction (based out of Grafton) 12-8
Sunday Games
Defeated TC Custom Paint (based out of Grand Forks) 14-4
In the Championship game we defeated Tharaldsons (based out of Fargo) 22-17
Players from Left to Right:  
Rylan Gutzmer, Jason Phillips, Todd Hosford, Josh Stenvold, Adam Bell, Rob Roney, Luke Patzlaff, Brandon Wyum, Jon Christianson, Chris Kann, Kirk Fliehs, Nolen Peterson, and Travis Hosford
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The Rooster Crows – February 10 and 17, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

On Saturday, February 4, after more than a week in the deep freeze, winter finally relented and allowed the temperature to soar all the way up to 37 degrees above Zero in Rutland, that’s 5 degrees above freezing. Snowdrifts that had been the consistency of granite since November were turned to mush by the combination of sunshine and higher temperatures that brightened spirits, warmed aching joints and removed some ice from streets and sidewalks. The local groundhog, Rutland Roscoe, would have seen his shadow had he been out on Thursday, February 2, predicting 6 more weeks of winter, but the temperature barely got above Zero on Ground Hog’s Day, and Roscoe stayed snug and warm, curled up in his burrow. Daily high temperatures in the mid-30’s continued from Saturday, February 4, through Wednesday, February 8, and then dropped back down to single digits before rallying back up to the 30’s for Super Bowl weekend, and even up to 42 on Monday, February 13. Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, February 14, started out nice, with no wind and the temp getting up to 34, but the bottom fell out at about 5:00 p.m. and the mercury plummeted as fast as the wind speed rose. A blizzard warning was posted, and the Weather Service meant business this time. There wasn’t a lot of snow, but what there was got piled up in front of doors and in driveways by the 50 mph winds, creating obstacles to foot and vehicle traffic alike. The spell of mild weather at the beginning of February did not mean that winter was over, but it did restore hope that this winter will end, one of these days.

The Rutland Sportsmen’s Club held its regular monthly meeting for the month of February and its 2023 Annual meeting to elect officers and chart the course for the coming year on the evening of Thursday, February 2, in the back room of The Lariat Bar in Rutland. Before and during the meeting members enjoyed a supper of soft-shelled tacos, tater tots & chips prepared by The Lariat, as well as beverages served by the staff of The Lariat. Club President Shannon Hajek was re-elected for another 3 year term. Vice-President Kyle Mahrer and Secretary-Treasurer Mark Wyckoff had been re-elected to their respective offices in 2022. The Treasurer’s report indicated that the club currently has approximately $27,000 in its operating fund, and approximately $33,000 in its gaming fund. Several events and activities have been scheduled for the coming year, including: Coyote Hunt on Saturday, February 11; Annual Great Northern Pike Fish Fry on Friday, March 3, at the Rutland Town Hall; Second Annual Gopher Classic on Saturday, May 6; Annual Youth Day on the Sunday before school starts in August at the John Narum Memorial Trap & Rifle Range 3 miles west and 1½ mile south of Rutland; and, a 50th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, September 9, at the John Narum Memorial Trap & Rifle Range 3 miles west and 1½ mile south of Rutland. Additionally the High School Trap League will be shooting on the Sportsmen’s Club’s range this spring, and the regular Trap league will be shooting at the range this coming summer. The Rutland Sportsmen’s Club was organized around a table at The Lariat Bar back in February of 1973, after Darwin Brakke had posted a notice on the wall asking anyone interested in getting a club organized to write their name on the signup sheet. The response was good, and in short order Attorney Bob Case had filed the paperwork to organize the club as a North Dakota not for profit corporation, and John Narum had volunteered to sell his farmstead north of Silver Lake to the club for use as a trap shooting range and rifle range. Club members volunteered to clear the old buildings from the farmstead, except for an old boxcar granary and attached lean-to shed that became the clubhouse for several years. A used manual clay pigeon thrower was purchased from the Cogswell Gun Club to get the club’s first trap shooting range going. Volunteers also leveled the south side of the property and constructed a dirt berm backstop for the rifle range. Tree belts were planted on the north and east sides of the property, and other trees were planted to mark the edges of the rifle range. Over the years there have been many improvements constructed on the club’s grounds. Some have come and gone, and some remain. Back in 1973, some of the powers that be at the time thought that no club organized in a bar by a bunch of guys who enjoyed a good time could long endure. Now, half a century later, in 2023, however, the Rutland Sportsmen’s Club is still going strong, bigger, better and more active than ever, with the club members still doing good things, and still enjoying a good time. Most of the original members are now gone to their reward, but their spirit remains, evident on the faces of the young sportsmen and sportswomen who now utilize the club’s facilities. Sometimes you can do a good thing and have a good time at the same time.

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The Rooster Crows – Jan. 20, 2023

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By Bill Anderson

The January Thaw, if it was a January thaw, was brief, but welcome. On Sunday, January 15, the mercury clawed its way above the freezing mark for the first time in 2023. Some thermometers even registered temperatures as high as 35 above for a couple of hours. According to Dennis McLaen, a UFO report was about to be made on the bright, shining object that appeared in the sky on Sunday afternoon, before someone figured out that it was the Sun, making its first appearance in several days. Dennis and his grandchildren took advantage of the beautiful sunny day to go sledding in the hills south of Rutland, just west of the Jesse & Bobbi Jo Maly farmstead. The short reprieve from January didn’t last long, though, as the temperature was below freezing all day on Monday, the 16th, and the northwest wind blew in another 4 to 6 inches of new snow. On the bright side, according to the local TV weathermen, there is more snow and cold weather in the forecast for the remainder of January. Just what we wanted.

Chuck Anderson was checking weather reporting web sites on his cell phone during the morning coffee session at the Rutland Seniors’ Center on Wednesday, January 18, and came across the North Dakota Agriculture Weather Network (NDAWN) web site. NDAWN has reporting stations across the upper Great Plains, from Montana to Minnesota. There is a monitoring site at the Kelly Cooper farm, near Brampton. According to NDAWN, the thick snow cover that has blanketed this area since mid-November has insulated the soil, and prevented the frost from going very deep. According to the NDAWN statistics, the frost depth in Sargent County ranges from 0 to 12 inches, not very deep for a winter that has been consistently cold for 2½ months. The good news from this information is that the frost is not likely to prevent the snowmelt from being absorbed by the soil when the snow finally melts in March, April or May. With a little bit of luck there will be enough soil moisture to get a crop started this spring, despite last year’s drought conditions. So, even though shoveling snow is a pain in the neck, in the back, or somewhere else on the anatomy, snow is good for something, once in a while.

The best laid plans of mice, men and fishermen sometimes go awry. That was the experience of Cameron Gulleson and Darren Ptacek when they accompanied two representatives from Peterson Farms Seeds on an ice fishing expedition to Lake Of The Woods during the second weekend in January. Cameron reports that they had no sooner arrived at the resort where their expedition was headquartering than Darren came down with the nasty variety of influenza that has been plaguing this area. Six hours later, Cameron was afflicted with the same ailment, and shortly thereafter the2 seed reps were also laid low. All four were aching, wheezing, sneezing, hacking & coughing in unison. It was not the type of fishing trip they were expecting, Cameron said. After suffering in their cabin for a few days, they finally crawled out and drove home on Tuesday, January 10, still suffering the symptoms of fever, congestion, aches, pains and exhaustion. As of Tuesday, January 17, Cameron reports that he is back in the land of the living, although he still occasionally feels some of the effects of the illness. Once a person has acquired this particular brand of influenza, they can expect that it will take a month, or more, to fully recover from its effects. The Rutland community extends best wishes to Cameron, Darren and their friends for a speedy and complete recovery.

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The Rooster Crows – Dec. 9, 2022

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By Bill Anderson

Three inches of new snow on Tuesday, December 6. Three degrees below Zero on the morning of Wednesday, December 7, the 81st anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Was this a repeat of that dastardly sneak attack, this time pulled off by Mother Nature? Predictions for next week, 13 inches of new snow, will have us looking back at this week with nostalgia. Well, we’ve survived sneak attacks and tough winters before this one, and we’ll still be around when Spring arrives, too. 

Ms. Maggie Ness, representing the Alzheimer’s Association’s Fargo office, accompanied Morgan Biss of Ransom-Sargent Senior Services, Lisbon, to the Rutland Seniors’ Center on Wednesday, November 30, where she spoke to the Rutland Seniors about The Basics of Dementia & Alzheimer’s. Her presentation included a discussion of risk factors that make the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s more likely. One week later the members of the Rutland Senior Citizens group still remembered Ms. Ness’s name and the topic of her presentation, so, things are looking good at the Rutland Seniors’ Center. Anyone who has questions for Ms. Ness may contact her at 701-356-2085, Extension 8639.

The members of the Board of Managers of Rutland Improvement d/b/a The Lariat Bar LLC met at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, at The Lariat Bar in Rutland. Members Present were: Paul Anderson; Michael Wyum; Patty Woytassek; Rob Wyum; and, Katie McLaen; Also present was Manager Sue Kaehler. It was reported that all liquor and sales tax licenses have been obtained and are ready to be displayed as required by law. The Tobacco license has been applied for but has not yet been received.  Insurance policies covering the structure, furniture, equipment, and premises business operations has been obtained. The liquor liability insurance application has been submitted & is awaiting approval. All inventory has been ordered, and most items have been delivered. The Board decided to replace the refrigerator in the kitchen. It was reported that the new dishwasher has been delivered and is ready for installation. Installation of the Point Of Sale (POS) equipment and programming is proceeding slower than anticipated. This has been holding up getting the bar opened for business. All staff members: bartenders; waitresses; and cooks; have been hired and must be trained in the operation of the POS system before opening, otherwise the old-fashioned system known as “CASH” may have to be used. The menu and pricing have been completed and have been sent to the designer for layout & printing. Payroll will be done using QuickBooks and has been set up. Rutland Improvement has retained the services of a CPA, and the company’s Treasurer, Mike Wyum, will be working closely with Manager Sue Kaehler and the CPA to make sure that the train stays on track. Painting, except for the west wall, has been completed. A wallpaper border remains to be added in the hallway. Lights in the kitchen and hallway will be switched to new LED fixtures. The Brenco Company of Fargo has power scrubbed the floors, but they have not yet been resealed. The Aramark Co. has been contacted to get a quote for rugs with Rutland logos imprinted on them. The price quoted was $17.50 per rug every 2 weeks. A quote for rugs without logos is also being obtained. Security cameras for the exterior and interior of the Bar have been ordered and are expected to be installed by the opening date. The tentative opening date is December 10th depending on when the Point Of Sale System is fully installed & operational. Check Rutland’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com or the Rutland Facebook page for definite information on Opening Day for The Lariat Bar.

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The Rooster Crows – Nov. 18, 2022

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By Bill Anderson

The winter storm that began on the evening of Wednesday, November 9, and continued through Thursday & Friday, November 10 & 11, covered Rutland and vicinity with an inch thick coating of solid ice, and left a trail of broken branches, snapped power poles and downed lines in its wake. Otter Tail Power’s service in Rutland had only a few, brief interruptions of a couple of minutes or less, but downed power lines on the Dakota Valley (formerly RSR) Rural Electric Co-op’s system left several hundred farm and rural customers in Sargent, Ransom, Dickey & Lamoure Counties without electric power for a day, or more. Several dozen linemen from surrounding RECs came in to assist Dakota Valley meet the emergency and get its lines back in service.

Most rain gauges have been taken in for the season, but a few of the sophisticated all-weather electronic gauges were still in operation during the storm. Chuck Anderson reports that the electronic gauge at his Weber Township farm had filled up with ice, so he had to bring it in to let it thaw out before it would give him a reading. He states that once the ice had melted the gauge held .94 inch of liquid water. An unconfirmed report of .68 inch of precipitation was received from Sargent County’s Hub City, our neighboring community of Forman.

Jim & Mary Ann Levery called their Ransom Township neighbors, Mike & Jill Anderson, on the evening of Wednesday, November 9, to check on the weather. Mike gave Jim the bad news, and then Jim informed Mike that he & Mary Ann were at the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville TN, attending the annual Country Music Awards ceremony. They had great seats, Jim reported, as far back and as high up as you can get. The acoustics were very good, though, and they could hear the music just fine. Anyone who has heard Jim sing and play the guitar during Rutland’s Uff-Da Day might have thought that Jim was in Nashville to receive an award, but he said, “Not this year.” The Leverys had departed for Nashville on Sunday, November 6, and met up with a tour bus that took them to Nashville for a week of touring the sites and enjoying country music. One of the places they visited was the Johnny Cash Museum which contained many artifacts from that Star’s career. Jim said that the weather in Nashville was very pleasant during most of their visit, with the temperature in the 70’s most of the time. The temperature began to drop and the rain began to fall right after they departed Nashville, headed for home. They arrived home on Sunday, November 13, and report a very good time in the Capitol City of Country Music. 

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