Renee Cramton and Jan Brash of this community returned home on Wednesday, July 14, at the conclusion of a 10 day trip to Sisters, Oregon, and a tour of the national quilt show there. Renee & Jan were accompanied on the trip by Renee’s sister, Devona Wiskur of Elkton, SD. They made the trip via Amtrak from Fargo, and report a very enjoyable time.
This community was saddened on the morning of Thursday, July 22, when it was learned that Lenny Pherson had passed away at his home here early that morning, after a year and a half long struggle with cancer. Lenny was just one week short of his 49th birthday on the date of his death. He was the youngest son of June Pherson and the late Dennis Pherson Sr. of this community. Lenny was a 1979 graduate of Sargent Central High School, and a member of the State Championship SCHS basketball team of that year. He was engaged in the Pherson family’s farming and custom harvesting businesses. Lenny is survived by his wife, Diane, and 3 children: Kylee Hambeck; Samantha Hambeck & Tanner Hambeck, all of Rutland; by his mother, June Pherson of Rutland; by his grandmother, Edith Pherson of rural Cayuga; by 2 brothers: Dennis Pherson Jr. of Rutland; and, Richard “Mac” Pherson of Rutland; by 2 sisters: Melody Pherson of Rutland and, Debra Stenvold of Lidgerwood; by a number of nieces and nephews; and, by a host of friends both in this community and along the harvest run, from Oklahoma to Canada. Funeral plans were not available at this writing. The Rutland community extends its sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Lenny Pherson.
The Second Annual Rutland Rib Fest will be held here on Saturday, August 14, according to Debbie Liermark, one of the organizers of the event. Several local businesses and individuals have already signed up for the event, says Debbie, and will be serving ribs, sweet corn, baked potatoes and other items from late afternoon into the evening. The event will also feature live music and karaoke. “You won’t want to miss this year’s rib fest in Rutland,” says Debbie, “it’s going to be bigger and better than last year.”
Rob Bauman of Portland, OR, has been visiting friends and family here since Tuesday, July 13. Rob will be heading back to Portland on Saturday, July 24, but is planning to be back in Rutland by August 14 to sample some ribs and entertain his fans with some karaoke music.
Rutland gained another new citizen last Friday, the old-fashioned way. Miss Lucy Elizabeth Mahrer was born to Mike & Kayla Mahrer on Friday, July 16, at a hospital in Fargo. Little Lucy joins big sister Whitney in the Mahrer’s home here. Proud grandparents are Mitch & Dawn Mahrer, Penny Beckstrom and Bradley Christensen. Welcome to Rutland, Lucy.
The mercury on Saturday, July 17, was hovering somewhere between 94 and 102 degrees above zero, with humidity to match. A rockin’, rollin’ and rumblin’ Thunderstorm rolled through between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m., providing residents with a terrific sound and light show, as well as dumping another .8 of an inch of rain on Rutland and immediate vicinity, according to rain gauges in Norbert Kulzer’s yard and out in the middle of Ransom Township. No significant hail was reported, although the temperature did drop by 30 degrees, or more, during the storm. Jim Breker reports a little over half an inch of rain in Cayuga, Tom Wyum measured .4 of an inch at his farm north of town and reports from Havana indicate 3/8 of an inch there. Prior to the rain, Andy Hoflen stated that a half to an inch would do the crop a world of good, and that’s just what we got. The spring wheat, corn and soybean fields are looking very good right now. Some of the corn is over 6 feet tall and is reaching for 7, tasseled out and setting ears. With good moisture and hot weather, prospects are encouraging. Another .35 inch of precipitation early on the morning of Tuesday, July 20, was just frosting on the cake for the fast growing crops.
The staff of the Rutland General Store was going in 3 directions last Saturday, serving more than 600 at the high school reunion banquet in Milnor, and another 50 at the Lehmann party in Havana, all the while serving their regular customers at the General Store and Café facilities here in Rutland. Catering for events large and small is another service now available from the Rutland General Store, according to owner Gretchen Vann.
The General Store’s bus was in use on Wednesday, July 21, providing transportation for members of the Jesters Shrine Club, an affiliate of the El Zagal Shrine Temple of Fargo, who were holding their monthly meeting in Gwinner.
Doug & Shar Speicher returned to Rutland on Sunday, July 18, after a 5 day fishing trip to St. Petersburg, Alaska. Doug reports that they flew out to Seattle and spent a few days with old friends there before heading up to Alaska. Their flight made stops at Ketchikan and Wrangell prior to arriving at St. Petersburg. Both Shar & Doug had fished this area before, in the company of Shar’s Dad, the late Clarence Breker. Doug reported that the silver salmon and king salmon runs were occurring during their visit. King salmon numbers have been drastically reduced by the gill netters and long-line commercial fishing operations, mostly from oriental countries, that have decimated many species of ocean fish, reports Doug. He stated that, on one day, he and another angler caught more than 20 large halibut, releasing all but 2. Doug reports that he just kept a couple of the smaller ones, a 92 pounder and a 128 pound halibut, to bring home. The fishing is great and the scenery is spectacular, says Doug, and he intends to fish Alaska waters again.
Members of the Friendly Garden Club of this community enjoyed an evening at the Maple River Winery in historic downtown Casselton on the evening of Monday, July 19. The occasion was the Club’s annual tour and picnic. Activities for the evening included a tour of the winery’s processing area and fermentation vats as well as sampling of many of the winery’s various seasonal fruit wines. Participants also dined on pizza brought in from the Casselton Pizza Ranch. Friendly Garden Club members who joined the tour included Ann Erickson; Phyllis Erickson; Delores Lysne; Debbie Banish; Bee Banish; Yvonne Johnson; Jackie Peterson; Mary Breker; Bev Kulzer; Mary Beth Anderson; Bonnie Temple; Mary Ann Thornberg; and, Kathy Wyum.
They’re heading north to Alaska! They’re going north, the rush is on! Unlike the Alaska Gold Rush of 1898, though, this time around it’s the vacation rush that is the attraction. Two couples from this community — Paul & Sue Anderson and Mark & Kathy Wyum — departed Rutland, bound for Alaska on Tuesday, July 20. Their itinerary included flying from Fargo to Anchorage on Tuesday; spending a couple of days visiting the Andersons’ nephew, Glenn Kulzer, at his home in Palmer, Alaska; traveling via train to Denali National Park and Fairbanks; then by bus and train to Tok, Dawson, Whitehorse & Skagway; and, then by ship via the Inland Passage to Seattle for the flight home. Provided that they make all of their connections, they should be back in Rutland on August 4.
Harold Young, Rutland’s Better Homes & Gardens poster boy, headed off to Arizona on Tuesday, July 20, to attend the graduation of his son, Chad Young, from the Arizona Police Academy in Phoenix. Chad’s future plans include employment with the Police Department in Mesa, AZ. Following a brief stay in Arizona, Harold’s plans for the immediate future include visiting Alaska on a fishing expedition with his uncle, Pat Prindiville of Horace, and cousin, Mike Prindiville of Minneapolis. Stop by the Round Table sometime in early August for a full report.
Pam Gulleson of this community is in Washington D.C. this week, getting ready to take on new duties on behalf of retiring U. S. Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. Pam will be taking over as the Senator’s Chief of Staff in his Washington office at the end of July, to serve in that capacity until the Senator’s term expires in January of 2011. Pam has not yet announced her plans following the termination of her job at the conclusion of the Senator’s political career.
Shawn Breker of this community has been on a post-graduation study trip to Australia for the past several weeks, and has graciously shared his experiences with his friends back home, via e-mail. Here’s the latest, received on Wednesday morning.
“Starting transmission: Wed, July 21st @ 6:13pm. Location: Cairns, AU.
Family and mates: Eight hours ago I took the final for my class “Energy Tomorrow: An Engineering and Management Perspective”. It was difficult but I’m sure I did well. Tonight is our program’s formal meal at 7 p.m. where our teachers and study abroad advisors will give us feedback about the six week program.
On Sunday I went snorkeling and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. It was my first time breathing underwater, which freaked me out. I saw countless colorful fish on my 20 minute dive near the vivid, multihued, and largest coral in the world. Coral is a hard stony substance secreted by marine fish as an external skeleton, typically forming large reefs in warm seas (Noah Webster Dictionary, 2010).
There are three sand volleyball courts across the street near the ocean. We have been playing an ample amount of the sport with natives and with Americans. I am thinking of trying out for the Olympic dual sand volleyball team. More to come on this topic.
I plan on transmitting once more before I leave the country. Thur/Fri/Sat are all free days for us. I am bungee jumping on Friday, boxing kangaroos Thursday, and running 15+ miles on Saturday before Sunday’s travels. I might get to watch the sunrise twice Sunday. I leave Australia at 11am, arrive in LAX at 7am on the 25th. Whoa. Talk soon. Cheers! Shawn B
The Sargent County Commission accepted a bid for replacement of the 2 8’ metal culverts in the Wild Rice crossing 2 miles south of town with 2 10 X 12 Box culverts during the Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 20. The contract also provides for raising the existing road grade by 2½ feet at its lowest point. Low bidder was Riley Brothers of Morris, MN, with a bid of slightly more than $351,000.00. The culverts are expected to be installed by mid-September. This roadway and one of the culverts were washed away by the Wild Rice in the Spring flood of 2009. According to the engineer’s specifications, it will take a 500 year flood event to overtop the improvements. Considering the frequency of 100 year flood events in the past 20 years, there should be at least 5 years between the 500 year events.
A pre-construction meeting on the City of Rutland’s upcoming street repair and resealing project will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 26, in the Rutland Town Hall, according to Mayor Ron Narum. The contractor, City Engineer and City officials will review project specifications, safety measures and scheduling at the meeting. The contractor, Morris Seal Coat and Trucking of Morris, MN, anticipates commencing work on the project during the last week of July.
Well, that’s it for this week. For more information about what’s going on with the folks in Rutland, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and don’t forget to stop by the Rutland blog and Facebook pages, too. Check out the photos of Nordland’s 125th Anniversary posted on the Rutland Facebook page by Weber Township native Annette (Malheim) Kisser.
The Rooster Crows – July 23, 2010
Renee Cramton and Jan Brash of this community returned home on Wednesday, July 14, at the conclusion of a 10 day trip to Sisters, Oregon, and a tour of the national quilt show there. Renee & Jan were accompanied on the trip by Renee’s sister, Devona Wiskur of Elkton, SD. They made the trip via Amtrak from Fargo, and report a very enjoyable time.
This community was saddened on the morning of Thursday, July 22, when it was learned that Lenny Pherson had passed away at his home here early that morning, after a year and a half long struggle with cancer. Lenny was just one week short of his 49th birthday on the date of his death. He was the youngest son of June Pherson and the late Dennis Pherson Sr. of this community. Lenny was a 1979 graduate of Sargent Central High School, and a member of the State Championship SCHS basketball team of that year. He was engaged in the Pherson family’s farming and custom harvesting businesses. Lenny is survived by his wife, Diane, and 3 children: Kylee Hambeck; Samantha Hambeck & Tanner Hambeck, all of Rutland; by his mother, June Pherson of Rutland; by his grandmother, Edith Pherson of rural Cayuga; by 2 brothers: Dennis Pherson Jr. of Rutland; and, Richard “Mac” Pherson of Rutland; by 2 sisters: Melody Pherson of Rutland and, Debra Stenvold of Lidgerwood; by a number of nieces and nephews; and, by a host of friends both in this community and along the harvest run, from Oklahoma to Canada. Funeral plans were not available at this writing. The Rutland community extends its sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Lenny Pherson.
The Second Annual Rutland Rib Fest will be held here on Saturday, August 14, according to Debbie Liermark, one of the organizers of the event. Several local businesses and individuals have already signed up for the event, says Debbie, and will be serving ribs, sweet corn, baked potatoes and other items from late afternoon into the evening. The event will also feature live music and karaoke. “You won’t want to miss this year’s rib fest in Rutland,” says Debbie, “it’s going to be bigger and better than last year.”
Rob Bauman of Portland, OR, has been visiting friends and family here since Tuesday, July 13. Rob will be heading back to Portland on Saturday, July 24, but is planning to be back in Rutland by August 14 to sample some ribs and entertain his fans with some karaoke music.
Rutland gained another new citizen last Friday, the old-fashioned way. Miss Lucy Elizabeth Mahrer was born to Mike & Kayla Mahrer on Friday, July 16, at a hospital in Fargo. Little Lucy joins big sister Whitney in the Mahrer’s home here. Proud grandparents are Mitch & Dawn Mahrer, Penny Beckstrom and Bradley Christensen. Welcome to Rutland, Lucy.
The mercury on Saturday, July 17, was hovering somewhere between 94 and 102 degrees above zero, with humidity to match. A rockin’, rollin’ and rumblin’ Thunderstorm rolled through between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m., providing residents with a terrific sound and light show, as well as dumping another .8 of an inch of rain on Rutland and immediate vicinity, according to rain gauges in Norbert Kulzer’s yard and out in the middle of Ransom Township. No significant hail was reported, although the temperature did drop by 30 degrees, or more, during the storm. Jim Breker reports a little over half an inch of rain in Cayuga, Tom Wyum measured .4 of an inch at his farm north of town and reports from Havana indicate 3/8 of an inch there. Prior to the rain, Andy Hoflen stated that a half to an inch would do the crop a world of good, and that’s just what we got. The spring wheat, corn and soybean fields are looking very good right now. Some of the corn is over 6 feet tall and is reaching for 7, tasseled out and setting ears. With good moisture and hot weather, prospects are encouraging. Another .35 inch of precipitation early on the morning of Tuesday, July 20, was just frosting on the cake for the fast growing crops.
The staff of the Rutland General Store was going in 3 directions last Saturday, serving more than 600 at the high school reunion banquet in Milnor, and another 50 at the Lehmann party in Havana, all the while serving their regular customers at the General Store and Café facilities here in Rutland. Catering for events large and small is another service now available from the Rutland General Store, according to owner Gretchen Vann.
The General Store’s bus was in use on Wednesday, July 21, providing transportation for members of the Jesters Shrine Club, an affiliate of the El Zagal Shrine Temple of Fargo, who were holding their monthly meeting in Gwinner.
Doug & Shar Speicher returned to Rutland on Sunday, July 18, after a 5 day fishing trip to St. Petersburg, Alaska. Doug reports that they flew out to Seattle and spent a few days with old friends there before heading up to Alaska. Their flight made stops at Ketchikan and Wrangell prior to arriving at St. Petersburg. Both Shar & Doug had fished this area before, in the company of Shar’s Dad, the late Clarence Breker. Doug reported that the silver salmon and king salmon runs were occurring during their visit. King salmon numbers have been drastically reduced by the gill netters and long-line commercial fishing operations, mostly from oriental countries, that have decimated many species of ocean fish, reports Doug. He stated that, on one day, he and another angler caught more than 20 large halibut, releasing all but 2. Doug reports that he just kept a couple of the smaller ones, a 92 pounder and a 128 pound halibut, to bring home. The fishing is great and the scenery is spectacular, says Doug, and he intends to fish Alaska waters again.
Members of the Friendly Garden Club of this community enjoyed an evening at the Maple River Winery in historic downtown Casselton on the evening of Monday, July 19. The occasion was the Club’s annual tour and picnic. Activities for the evening included a tour of the winery’s processing area and fermentation vats as well as sampling of many of the winery’s various seasonal fruit wines. Participants also dined on pizza brought in from the Casselton Pizza Ranch. Friendly Garden Club members who joined the tour included Ann Erickson; Phyllis Erickson; Delores Lysne; Debbie Banish; Bee Banish; Yvonne Johnson; Jackie Peterson; Mary Breker; Bev Kulzer; Mary Beth Anderson; Bonnie Temple; Mary Ann Thornberg; and, Kathy Wyum.
They’re heading north to Alaska! They’re going north, the rush is on! Unlike the Alaska Gold Rush of 1898, though, this time around it’s the vacation rush that is the attraction. Two couples from this community — Paul & Sue Anderson and Mark & Kathy Wyum — departed Rutland, bound for Alaska on Tuesday, July 20. Their itinerary included flying from Fargo to Anchorage on Tuesday; spending a couple of days visiting the Andersons’ nephew, Glenn Kulzer, at his home in Palmer, Alaska; traveling via train to Denali National Park and Fairbanks; then by bus and train to Tok, Dawson, Whitehorse & Skagway; and, then by ship via the Inland Passage to Seattle for the flight home. Provided that they make all of their connections, they should be back in Rutland on August 4.
Harold Young, Rutland’s Better Homes & Gardens poster boy, headed off to Arizona on Tuesday, July 20, to attend the graduation of his son, Chad Young, from the Arizona Police Academy in Phoenix. Chad’s future plans include employment with the Police Department in Mesa, AZ. Following a brief stay in Arizona, Harold’s plans for the immediate future include visiting Alaska on a fishing expedition with his uncle, Pat Prindiville of Horace, and cousin, Mike Prindiville of Minneapolis. Stop by the Round Table sometime in early August for a full report.
Pam Gulleson of this community is in Washington D.C. this week, getting ready to take on new duties on behalf of retiring U. S. Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. Pam will be taking over as the Senator’s Chief of Staff in his Washington office at the end of July, to serve in that capacity until the Senator’s term expires in January of 2011. Pam has not yet announced her plans following the termination of her job at the conclusion of the Senator’s political career.
Shawn Breker of this community has been on a post-graduation study trip to Australia for the past several weeks, and has graciously shared his experiences with his friends back home, via e-mail. Here’s the latest, received on Wednesday morning.
The Sargent County Commission accepted a bid for replacement of the 2 8’ metal culverts in the Wild Rice crossing 2 miles south of town with 2 10 X 12 Box culverts during the Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 20. The contract also provides for raising the existing road grade by 2½ feet at its lowest point. Low bidder was Riley Brothers of Morris, MN, with a bid of slightly more than $351,000.00. The culverts are expected to be installed by mid-September. This roadway and one of the culverts were washed away by the Wild Rice in the Spring flood of 2009. According to the engineer’s specifications, it will take a 500 year flood event to overtop the improvements. Considering the frequency of 100 year flood events in the past 20 years, there should be at least 5 years between the 500 year events.
A pre-construction meeting on the City of Rutland’s upcoming street repair and resealing project will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 26, in the Rutland Town Hall, according to Mayor Ron Narum. The contractor, City Engineer and City officials will review project specifications, safety measures and scheduling at the meeting. The contractor, Morris Seal Coat and Trucking of Morris, MN, anticipates commencing work on the project during the last week of July.
Well, that’s it for this week. For more information about what’s going on with the folks in Rutland, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and don’t forget to stop by the Rutland blog and Facebook pages, too. Check out the photos of Nordland’s 125th Anniversary posted on the Rutland Facebook page by Weber Township native Annette (Malheim) Kisser.