Wedding bells have been ringing for Rutland folks during the past couple of weeks. A large contingent of friends and family from Rutland drove up toFargo on the evening of Friday, May 25, to be present when Rutland native Miss Megen Glarum, daughter of Doug and Nancy (Busta) Glarum of this community, wed Mr. Joe Zacher in a ceremony at the Doublewood Inn there. Another Rutland native, District Court Judge Daniel D. Narum, officiated at the wedding. A reception and dance, also at the Doublewood Inn, followed the marriage vows. Both the bride and the groom are employed in Fargo, Mr. Zacher at Gateway Chevrolet, and the new Mrs. Zachrey at Cashwise Foods, where she is manager of the deli department. The couple will make their home in Fargo.
Two well known and popular young people of this community, Miss Kylie Hambek and Mr. Rob Roney tied the bonds of matrimony at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, in a lakeshore ceremony at Silver Lake. Once again, District Court Judge and Rutland native Daniel D. Narum, a cousin of the groom, officiated at the ceremony. The bride’s parents are Mr. Quincy Hambek of Devils Lake ND & Ms. Diane Pherson of Grand Forks, and the groom’s parents are Tom & Dawn (Stenvold) Roney of Oakes. A reception and dance at the Rutland Town Hall followed the wedding ceremony. The groom is employed as an engineer at the Bobcat factory in Gwinner, and the bride is employed as a substitute teacher in several area school districts. The couple make their home at404 Gay Street in Rutland. The Rutland community extends its congratulations and best wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Joe Zachrey and to Mr. & Mrs. Rob Roney on the occasion of their marriages, and wishes them many happy years together.
Shawn Klein was on vacation from her duties as manager of the Rutland Station of the Sargent County Bank from Saturday, May 26 through Monday, June 4. Shawn, accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Jim Duff of Havana, drove out to Billings MT, then over the mountains to Casper WY before heading for home. Carolyn Lewis was on duty in the Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 29 & 30, and Penny Lock filled in on Thursday & Friday, May 31 & June 1. Carolyn was behind the counter, again, on Monday, June 4, and Shawn returned on Tuesday, the 5th .
Roland Crandall (RHS Class of ’60) stopped in Rutland on Thursday, May 31, and reported that he has been at work cleaning up the old John Prudlik farmstead just west of Geneseo, on the north side of ND Highway #11. Roland reports a busy construction season, so far this year.
Those from this community who attended the campaign rally and fund raiser for U.S. Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp at Lake Elsie on the evening of Thursday, May 31, included: Pam Gulleson; Kathy Wyum; Paul Anderson; and, Bill Anderson. The event was held at the home of candidate Heitkamp’s brother, KFGO Radio talk show host Joel Heitkamp, and his wife, Sue. In their remarks, both Heidi Heitkamp and Joel Heitkamp spoke on how deeply the loss of the late State Senator Arden Anderson was felt by all who had known and worked with him. Tracking polls continue to indicate that Ms. Heitkamp is maintaining a lead of about 4 to 5 percentage points over her GOP rival, incumbent Congressman Rick Berg of Fargo. Rep. Berg has already spent several hundred thousand dollars on advertising to combat his negative image across the State. Heitkamp continues to enjoy a high favorability rating among North Dakota voters, despite a massive negative ad campaign launched against her by shadowy political action committees funded by anonymous donors. The uncontrolled and unregulated flow of corporate money into this Country’s political process is already giving the campaign of 2012 the appearance of a combination gypsy circus and auction sale, with political power going to the highest bidder.
Pam Maloney was out decorating street signs and main street businesses with purple ribbons on the evening of Thursday, May 31, in preparation for “Paint It Purple Day” in Rutland, and the rest of Sargent County, on Friday, June 1. Purple is the color of the fight against cancer, and, at the request of the Sargent County Relay For Life Committee, the Sargent County Commission had, on Tuesday, May 15, adopted a resolution proclaiming that, henceforth, June 1 of each year will be “Paint It Purple Day” in Sargent County. The main Sargent County Relay For Life fund-raiser for 2012 will be conducted on Friday, June 15, in the City of Gwinner.
Word was received here on the evening of Thursday, May 31, that former Rutland resident Romey Weber had suffered an apparent stroke earlier that day. Romey and his wife, the late Connie (Halstenson) Weber, had resided in Rutland from 1967 until 1989, while Romey was manager of the Rutland Farmers Grain Co. here. Since 1989 he has made his home in Wahpeton. His son, Mark Weber of Rutland, had tried to call Romey that afternoon, and when Romey did not show up to watch his grandson’s American Legion baseball game that evening, Mark called an aunt in Wahpeton to check on his Dad. According to Mark, Romey is now in Room 402 at Essentia Hospital in Fargo, and is responding well to treatment. At this point, it is anticipated that Romey will remain hospitalized for at least a week, and then will transfer to a rehabilitation facility for further therapy. Romey’s many friends in this community wish him a speedy recovery and return to his home.
Former Rutland resident Donna Breker paid a visit to her old home town on Friday, June 1, accompanied by her former sister-in-law, Millie (Breker) Schlekeway of Sisseton. Donna was married to Richard Breker of this community, and worked in the Rutland Health Clinic for Dr. Hans Kuisk back in the early 1950’s. Donna reports that she was recently in her home town of Flat Rock,Ohio, for a reunion, and stopped for a visit here on her way back to her home in Anaheim CA, where she has resided since 1957. She was pleased to see the many recent improvements on Main Street, and to note the community’s well kept appearance.
Steve Wyum and Bill Anderson drove up to the Milnor Airport for the Annual June Jamboree Fly-in Pancake & Sausage Breakfast on the morning of Saturday, June 2. Milnor Airport Authority Chairman Mark Gainor reports that 16 planes flew in to the Milnor Airport, with many making several take-offs and landings throughout the day. Mr. Gainor also reports that more than 15 gallons of pancake batter were used to serve more than 300 patrons between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. Special guests included Mr. Larry Taborsky, Executive Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, who flew in from Bismarck with his wife, Amy. The Milnor Airport has a grass landing strip, a surface that is preferred for the operation of many small, single engine, airplanes. In recent years, the airport has been improved with new landing lights and a new hangar facility. Chairman Gainor and the other members of the Milnor Airport Authority Board are to be commended for the effort they have put into maintaining this valuable piece of transportation infrastructure for the people of Milnor and Sargent County.
Milnor native Ron Cross flew up from Las Vegas NV to take in Milnor’s June Jamboree and the Pancake & Sausage Breakfast at the Milnor Airport on Saturday morning. Ron is a nephew of the late Norman Cross, who was a well-known square dance caller in this area for many years. Ron reports that he and his wife, Patty, have owned and operated a livestock feed and tack store in Las Vegas for the past 15 years, and during that time he has run into some interesting customers. A number of people have even begun keeping chickens as pets, he states. On one occasion, Ron related, a female customer called the store and asked Ron’s wife how long it took a chicken egg to hatch, and, when Patty inquired as to why the person would want to know that information, the woman explained that her pet chicken had just died. When Patty told her that she could buy a newly hatched chick at the feed store, the woman stated that she did not want just any old chicken, she wanted a descendant of her now deceased hen. The woman went on to explain that, a few days earlier, her pet chicken had laid an egg, and she wanted to hatch it out. She then told Mrs. Cross that she had an amply endowed bosom and had been carrying the egg, very carefully, tucked neatly into her cleavage to keep it warm & viable. About that time, Patty started looking around the store for hidden cameras, thinking that her husband might be playing a trick on her. As she spoke with the woman, however, she found that the woman was real, and was serious about hatching that egg. So, Patty informed her that it used to take about 21 days to hatch an egg, but she had never known anyone to attempt to do so utilizing their own body mass and heat. Patty just did not have the heart to explain that, without a rooster in the picture, her egg would never hatch, and that, at the end of 3 weeks, all she would have for her efforts would be a rotten egg. You just can’t make this stuff up, says Ron.
Bill Anderson of this community, accompanied by grandson and granddaughter James & Claire Brakke, took Bill’s 1974 Chrysler up to Milnor on the evening of Saturday, June 2, to participate in the June Jamboree Parade. James drove the car, and all went well until the parade was over, and they were heading for home. A little ways west of Milnor, smoke started pouring out of the old car’s right front wheel-well, and they had to pull over. The right front disk brake had malfunctioned, getting very hot in the process. As the 3 tried to loosen the stuck brake, a car driven byNorth Dakota Congressional candidate Pam Gulleson pulled up behind them, followed by a tractor driven by Paul Ellefson, a farmer in the area. Mr. Ellefson volunteered to let them park the car in his farmyard until they could figure out how to get it back to Rutland, and candidate Gulleson offered the trio a ride home. Now, that’s constituent service!
Rutland resident Sarah Schweitzer is a new waitress at the Rutland General Store & Café. Sarah is originally from Hankinson, but has been working in this area for the past few years. She joins store owner Gretchen Vann, Toni Hajek, Sarah Marquette and Taylor Wyum on the staff of the General Store & Café.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol had several well publicized sobriety checkpoints set up in Sargent County this past weekend. Jack Brummond reports that he did not get stopped at any checkpoints, and he is happy about that, as he was concerned that he might get tagged for DUIES (Driving Under the Influence of Excessive Sobriety). Jack also reports that rain dance results were disappointing in Havana, where only .12 of an inch of rain fell this past weekend.
The Rutland City Council met a t8:00 p.m.on Monday, June 4, in the Rutland Town Hall, with Mayor Ron Narum, City Auditor Deb Banish and Aldermen Barry Christianson, Mike Mahrer and Bertha Siemieniewski present. Alderman Lary Arneson was absent. The financial report showed all funds to be in the black. Mayor Narum reported that the repair and repainting of the Water tower and tank had not yet been completed, due to a disagreement with Ottertail Power Company concerning nearby power lines. In other business, the Council approved a renewal of the Lariat Bar’s liquor license for another 6 months. Council members also discussed the list of delinquent water, sewer and garbage collection bills and directed that the water should be turned off at those residences. Council member Bert Siemieniewski reported that the Town Hall entry remodeling has now been completed, and that the new carpet has been installed on the ramp.
An antique tractor caravan will set out from Rutland on a fund raising expedition for Relay for Life on Saturday, June 9, according to Jim Lunneborg, one of the organizers of the ride. About 50 antique tractors of every make, model and color are expected to gather in Rutland on Saturday morning to begin the tour that will take them up into the hills south of Rutland, past the new Coteau des Prairies Lodge and over to Lake Tewaukon, where the drivers will take a lunch break. The caravan will then strike out for the west, drive over to Silver Lake, and then return to Rutland by day’s end. The distance is about 50 miles, says Jim.
This writer will be taking a couple of weeks off to attend some reunions with old friends, starting on June 11, and Deb Banish of Rutland has graciously agreed to write a column that will appear here for the next 3 weeks, at least. Thanks, Debbie.
Well, that’s the news from Rutland for this week. For more information about what’s going on in the little city that can, stop by the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and check out the Rutland blog and Facebook pages while you’re at it, too. The Congress has still not adopted Postal Service reform legislation, so now is the time to keep the pressure on the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.
