Rutland, ND

Mothers’ Day, Sunday, May 12, turned out to be Mother Nature’s day, as well.  Early risers were greeted by a chilly 28 degrees and frost on the windshield, but by Noon summer-like temperatures prevailed and the afternoon proved to be quite pleasant.  A large number of Moms, along with their families, enjoyed the Mothers’ Day Brunch at The Rutland General Store & Café, where management and staff pulled out all the stops to provide a delicious and abundant repast.  The day that began with frost and cold ended with a pleasant summer evening, and the promise of more summer weather to come.  The next 2 days, May 13 & 14, featured high winds and temperatures in the 80’s, pushing 90 on Monday, more reminiscent of early August than late May.  The forecasters are predicting thunderstorms for the coming weekend, though, and the consensus of the Assembled Wise Men on Tuesday afternoon was that some thunder, lightning, and rain would get rid of the remaining frost in the ground, and would do a world of good for newly planted crops.  There’s a reason why these guys are known as the “Wise Men.”

Wildur Benites, a native of the South American nation of Peru, has been staying at the Joe & Patty Breker farm in Tewaukon Township for the past couple of weeks.  An experienced construction worker, he is assisting with improvement and touch-up projects at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge.  Wildur has been a frequent visitor in Rutland over the past several years, and his many friends and acquaintances here are pleased to have him back in the community.

The Veterans Memorial Committee, the group coordinating the construction of the proposed Rutland Veterans’ Memorial, composed of Debbie Banish, Ted Lee, Joan Lee and Bill Anderson, met with Jen Christianson and Hilary Mehrer of the Rutland Park Board at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, and agreed on the location of the Veterans Memorial in the area between the Legion Hall and the Rutland Town Hall.  The site selected by the committee has now been approved by both the Rutland City Council and the Rutland Park Board.  Following the joint meeting, the Memorial Committee met to review plans and progress.  The projected cost of the Memorial, including the concrete base, the stainless steel monument, lighting, flagpoles, benches and planters, is $15,000.00.  The American Legion Auxiliary has already raised more than $6,000.00 for the project.  It is expected that the concrete base will be installed this year, and that the project will be completed in steps, as funds become available. Read More »

Minutes of the Rutland City Council, April 1, 2013 Regular Meeting        5:45 p.m.

Council Members Christensen, Christianson, Mahrer and Siemieniewski present; Mayor Narum presiding.  Also present – City Attorney Bill Anderson; Auditor Deborah Banish.

Agenda.  Christensen/Mahrer moved approval of the agenda.  Motion carried unanimously.

Minutes.   Siemieniewski/Christianson moved approval of the March minutes as submitted.  Motion carried unanimously.

Gaming Site Permits: The Council was informed that the City of Forman charges $100.00 for gaming site permits.  Rutland may want to consider a similar fee for next year.

ND Department of Health Contract:  Siemieniewski/Mahrer moved approval of the ND Department of Health contract for laboratory services through 2013.  Motion carried unanimously. Read More »

Hooray, Hooray, for the First of May!  This year’s Spring planting began that day!  Spring planting in the Rutland-Cayuga area began on Wednesday, May 1, with Mike Anderson, Kurt Breker  & Mark Breker getting together to seed wheat in some of their Ransom Township fields.  According to Kurt, they got started at about 1:00 p.m. and made good progress throughout the day.  He reports that there are some muddy spots, as there usually are in the Spring, but that the fields are generally in good condition with the soil quite mellow, providing an excellent seedbed.  Despite the heavy, wet snows of March and April, there is no excess of moisture, and the .3 of an inch of rain that fell on Sunday night was welcomed by all.  With reports from the South indicating a disappointing to disastrous winter wheat crop from Texas to Kansas, North Dakota spring wheat may prove to be the crop of destiny this year.  Planting the 2013 corn crop also got underway this week with the Wyum brothers: Steve; Mike & Mark; being among those who first put planters into operation on Tuesday, May 6.  Planting a crop is no guarantee that one will be harvested, but it is the first step in the process.  Even the best farmer can’t harvest a crop that has never been sown.  As Rutland’s Pam Gulleson has said, “No one ever plowed a field by turning it over in their mind.”  You have to get out there and get your hands dirty.

A number of friends and acquaintances from this community attended the retirement party held at Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, in honor of long-time Assistant Manager Jack Lalor.  Jack had 33 years in with the US F&WS, with 26 of them as Assistant Manager at Tewaukon.  Among his duties has been the enforcement of Fish & Wildlife Service easement and other property rights, a duty that occasionally brought Jack into confrontation with local farmers and land owners. Over the years he developed a reputation as a firm but reasonable administrator, an official willing to look at both sides of a problem and then work within the established rules to arrive at a solution that both parties could live with.  The skills he developed here could be put to use solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, but until he receives that call Jack plans to do some part-time work at the Chahinkapa Park Zoo in Wahpeton and to pursue his passion for fishing, hunting and the outdoor life.  He reported that he has a 10 day Salmon fishing trip to the Columbia River planned, beginning on Saturday, May 4, the first full day of his retirement, and that he really doesn’t care if he catches a salmon or not.  Jack and his wife, Korrine, make their home on a farmstead near the Wild Rice River south of Wyndmere, and he says that’s where they intend to stay.  Jack’s many friends in this community extend their best wishes to him for a long, healthy and happy retirement. Read More »

Finally, a taste of spring!  But, winter isn’t giving up without a fight.  Jack Brummond had to cut his visit to the Round table short on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 24, when a mini-snowstorm moved through the area, threatening to leave him stranded in town for the duration.  The improvement began on Thursday, April 25, with sunshine and a high temperature nearly reaching the 50 mark.  On Friday, April 26, the mercury finally broke through the 50 barrier and soared all the way up to a high of 63, marking the latest date ever for the first day over 50, the previous record having been set way back on April 17, 1881.  Saturday and Sunday brought temperatures over 70, but predictions are that the area will be back in the cooler by the end of the week.  The Old Curmudgeon, Richard Bradbury, was so enthused about the warmth and sunshine last Friday that he dug his riding lawnmower out of storage and mowed part of his lawn, even though he had to skirt around some of the larger snowbanks and plow a few smaller ones to get the job done.  Rutland native Mavis (Hoflen) Wold of Minneapolis reports that spring arrived a little earlier in the Twin Cities and the rhubarb in her garden is up and growing.  When the aroma of that be-bop-a-ree-bop rhubarb pie and rhubarb crisp starts wafting from Mavis’ kitchen, we will know that spring is here to stay.

Larry Christensen and Richard Bradbury drove over to Forman to renew their golf course memberships on Monday, April 29, took a look at the course and decided to open the season by playing 9 holes.  The course is not yet up to its usual tip-top form, and neither were the two golfers, but Brad reports that it felt good to swing the clubs again, and he sure did sleep well on Monday night.

Meanwhile, there are some things in nature that just won’t, and can’t, wait for nice weather, like the arrival of calves, for instance.  Roger Brekke stopped in for a Round Table session on Thursday, April 25, and reported that the Brekke cattle operation in Shuman Township had about 2/3 of its anticipated 2013 calf crop on the ground and doing well, with 1/3 left to arrive.  Larry Erickson reported that he had 10 cows left to deliver their calves at his farm 2 miles south of town.  Mac Pherson says that the last pregnant cow in the Pherson Simmental herd delivered twin calves on Saturday, April 27, making twins the bookends for the 2013 season, as the first calves delivered this year were also a set of twins.  With spring just barely arrived, these local cattlemen, and others, will soon be getting ready to begin putting up hay in preparation for the coming winter.  The cycle rolls on. Read More »

“Spring is breaking out all over,” the song lyrics say, but the guards and warden must be tougher up here on the prairies because the big breakout hasn’t occurred, yet.  Spring, it seems is being held prisoner somewhere below the Mason-Dixon Line, but reports from the weather bureau indicate that a parole, if not a full pardon, and a release may be coming in the near future.  Snow flurries on Monday, April 22 were not encouraging, but at least no blizzard resulted. So far, there has not been a day when the thermometer has registered over 50 degrees, but the weatherman promises better times a’comin’!  The mercury is predicted to hit 50 on Friday and 60 by Sunday.  Local farmers have their planters and tractors hooked up and ready to dive into the mud as soon as they find their heavy-duty nylon tow rope to aid with the extraction process.

Violet Wyum, Steve & Sheila Wyum, Mike Wyum, Mark Wyum, Paul Anderson and Bill Anderson were among those from this community who drove to Webster SD on Saturday, April 20, to attend the funeral for Rutland native, former farmer and businessman, Woodrow Olson.  Woodrow Leonard Olson was born on Tuesday, July 20, 1915 to Swedish immigrants Olaf and Marta (Videgran) Olson on the family farm in Ransom Township.  He was baptized in the Rutland Baptist church.  He attended country school through the 8^th grade at Ransom #2, walking, as Woodrow described it, “…six miles through the snow, up hill both ways.”  After completing his education, he hired out as a farm hand for area farmers.  Woodrow proudly served in WWII.  In early 1942 he had received a notice from the local Draft Board indicating that he would be inducted into the U.S. Army, but not wanting to “walk through the war,” he walked across the street and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, instead.  He took his basic training at San Diego and was assigned to the USS San Francisco, which became one of the most decorated American warships in World War II. Read More »