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The Rooster Crows – February 19, 2010

By Bill | February 18, 2010

Well, it’s still winter out here on the prairie. Highs in the teens and low 20’s accompanied by snow and 25 to 30 mph winds were replaced by clear skies and below zero readings by Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Although it appears that winter has settled in for the long haul, there are glimmers of hope that this, too, shall pass. The seed catalogs, with their tantalizing pictures of rich golden ears of sweet corn, luscious red tomatoes and sinfully sensuous strawberries are out, bringing with them the promise of warm Summer days ahead. It has often been said that, “There are only two things that money can’t buy, true love and home grown tomatoes,” but at least you can purchase the hope of home grown tomatoes from a seed catalog. When it’s 10 below zero on a mid-February morning, it’s hope that keeps us going. A recent national survey revealed that North Dakotans are the happiest people, believe it or not, in the 50 United States. Well, after three months of winter, several blizzards and winter storms, more than four feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures, North Dakotans are happy because they know that it has to get better – it can’t get much worse. It’s only when conditions have been good for a while that hardy North Dakotans become unhappy, because they know that good times can’t last forever, either.

Members of the Rutland Sportsmen’s Club held their February meeting in the dining room of the Lariat Bar on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 11. The first order of business was the election of officers for the coming year, with Wyatt Nelson, Vaughan Rohrbach and Travis Paeper being re-elected as president, vice-president and secretary/treasurer, respectively. Plans for the Club’s annual Fish Fry to be held on Friday, March 5, at the Rutland Town Hall were discussed and tickets for the event were distributed. Only 550 tickets for the event are available. They may be obtained from Club members. Get ‘em while they’re hot! Club officers also delivered a report on the Club’s Charitable gaming revenues. After 6 months of operation, the Sportsmen’s Club’s pull-tab machine at the Lariat Bar had generated more than $57,000.00 in gross revenues, approximately $50,000.00 of which had been paid out in cash prizes. A portion of the remainder may be used to defray operating expenses and the rest is available to be distributed for charitable purposes. The Sportsmen’s Club’s Charitable Gaming Board consists of the 3 officers plus Jerry Sapa and Trent Nelson. Rebecca Christensen and Polly Rohrbach run the day-to-day operations of the gaming project for the club.

Bill Walters of West Bend, Wisconsin, and a band of hardy Wisconsinites have been at work making improvements to the house at 222 Bagley Street which Bill purchased last Fall from Shawna McKinney. Working through a period of extremely cold and inclement weather, Bill and crew have torn the old porch off the east side of the dwelling; commenced the construction of a new, slightly larger, front porch; torn off the old shingles and installed new metal roofing on the residence; commenced construction of an addition to the porch on the northwest corner of the house; and, installed several new windows. The improvements will improve both the appearance and utility of the structure. The community congratulates Mr. Walters for his investment in Rutland, and commends him and his crew for their hardy industry and endurance. Read More »

Posted in Rooster Crows | Tagged blood drive, buffalo, business, cattle, economy, event, Fish Fry, fundraiser, politics, Rutland Housing, Rutland Sportsman's Club, weather
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The Rooster Crows – February 12, 2010

By Bill | February 11, 2010

Well, it has been an active week in Rutland, North Dakota, out here on the prairie. Snow started falling like a gentle lullaby on Thursday, February 4, building to a Wagnerian crescendo with a full-fledged winter storm by Monday, February 8. Much to the disappointment of the eager students attending the the local school system, Sargent Central cancelled classes on Monday due to the heavy snow. Mayor Narum had the City’s snowplow opening Rutland’s streets by 4:30 each morning, but travel outside the City was difficult in many places, impossible in others and not advised throughout the area. Throughout the storm, the mercury went up and down like a yo-yo, from 25 above on Sunday to 18 below by Tuesday evening. Well, this is North Dakota after all, and we certainly can’t complain about the flies and mosquitoes so far this year.

Saturday, February 6, was a big day in the Little City That Can, with the 15^th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament taking center stage. Sixty-six teams of pinochle players had pre-registered for the contest, and nearly all braved the elements to be on hand in the Rutland Town Hall when the first cards were dealt at 8:00 a.m. Steve Lies & Barb Diedrich of Wahpeton took home the first prize of $300.00 at the end of the day, accumulating more than 1,700 points in their winning effort. Local folks were relieved when the team of Roger McLaen and Jack Brummond won second prize, also a substantial sum of cash, as Jack is now recouping some of the entry fees he paid in during the 10 years, or more, that he has not finished in the money. Jack is not deterred by success, however, and commenting on the sign proclaiming that a $5.00 fine could be imposed for whining, stated that he was going to go for the $10.00 package, figuring he could get a volume discount. The pinochle tournament has been sponsored by the children and grandchildren of the late Rudy & Edna Anderson since 1996, the year after Rudy’s death. Both Rudy and Edna were avid card players, and passed their enthusiasm for card games, particularly pinochle, on to their descendants. Proceeds of the tournament not paid out in prizes have been donated to the Rutland Community Club for the improvement and maintenance of the Rutland Town Hall. Tournament participants and kibitzers enjoyed a dinner, featuring the famed Rutland scalloped potatoes with ham, made with real cream and served by members of the Rutland Community Club. The 16^th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament is scheduled for the first Saturday in February, 2011, in the Rutland Town Hall, says the reigning family matriarch, Sonja (Anderson) Christensen.

The new Lariat Bar also saw plenty of action last Saturday, February 6, as a local snowmobile club made two stops there during the day, the first at 10:00 a.m. at the beginning of their run, and concluding their day with dining and refreshments at the Lariat late in the afternoon. Read More »

Posted in Rooster Crows | Tagged American Legion, business, economic development, General Store, Lariat, Pinochle, politics, travel, war, weather
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RCC February Meeting

By Debbie | February 3, 2010

The Rutland Community Club (RCC) met at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at Rutland City Hall.

Present: Bonnie Anderson, Deborah Banish, Carolyn Christensen, Joanne Harris, Vicky Haussler, Bev Kulzer, and Diane Smith.

Deborah called the meeting to order and acted as President pro tem.

Minutes: Diane/Bev moved approval of the minutes of January 5, 2010 meeting. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report: Deborah reviewed the 2009 year-end statement (presented at the January 5 meeting). The only expenditure in January was the annual $10.00 RCC filing fee with the Secretary of State.

Joanne/Bonnie moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report. Motion carried.

Elections: Deborah reported at the January meeting Paul Anderson’s name was nominated for election to the RCC Board. There are two vacancies as the terms for Jeff Olson and Hilary Mehrer have expired.

Vicky said that Bert may be interested but she does not have a definite commitment from her at this time. It was noted that Hilary has indicated she would be willing to continue on the RCC Board.

Deborah asked if the members wish to postpone elections to the March meeting when more members may be present. Those present stated that elections should not be postponed; the RCC agreed in January that elections would be held at this meeting.

Joanne/Carolyn nominated Hilary Mehrer for RCC Board member. Deborah called for further nominations three times; there being none, nominations were closed.

The election of Paul Anderson and Hilary Mehrer for the RCC vacancies was put to vote and carried.

The 2010 RCC Board will consist of the following individuals: Paul Anderson, Deborah Banish, Vicky Haussler, Debra Liermark and Hilary Mehrer.

Discussion shifted to RCC files, particularly older files and access to the records. It was agreed that the RCC files should be placed in a filing cabinet in the RCC space at the Senior Center; that would make them a bit more available to incoming Board members. Deborah will find out if a file cabinet is available and find others to help shift the documents and organize them for historic and required record retention purposes.

Play: Diane Smith reported that she and Pam (Maloney) agreed to organize the adult play/theatre in March (March 20). This year’s event will be a “Gong Show” program with individuals competing for a cash prize — hopefully from the RCC. There will be a three-person panel of judges. Diane will find acts worthy of a “gong” for some comedic relief; she is also getting someone to be the “unknown comic” in the program. Diane will be soliciting from businesses for participation prizes for all entrants.

The members discussed utilizing Work Groups for the food. Work Groups were established and designated for certain activities in the past. It was noted that Gretchen Vann agreed to handle the meal for the program. Members suggested getting her the Work Group list so that she has others she can call to help with the kitchen needs (set-up, serving, clean-up, etc.) for the play.

Members agreed that advance tickets will be sold for $10.00 or $13.00 at the door on the 20th. Individuals who want to attend the play only can purchase tickets at the door for $5.00 that evening. Tickets can also be ordered by mail (checks payable to RCC, PO Box 53, Rutland ND 58067) or from individuals and locations to be determined.

Diane suggested that a cash prize – First Place only – would help get individuals more interested in performing in the show. She asked if the RCC would commit an amount for the prize; there will be less expense on props and costumes dues to the type of program this year. She suggested $158.67 as an odd amount (based on the zip code for Rutland).

Bonnie/Bev moved that the RCC provide a cash prize of $158.67 for First Place for the “Gong Show” event on March 20. Motion carried.

Work Groups: Discussion focused on the use of Work Groups which has been a successful way of operating events and getting help in the past. There are four work groups made up of Rutland residents. Those need to be reviewed and modified slightly but should be used.

Bonnie Anderson said her work group was supposed to be working on the Pinochle Tournament this year but Work Group #3 is doing that.

Deborah said that Hilary has the latest Work Group lists and she will get them so they can be reviewed and modified if needed. (Note: Play is Work Group #4 and Memorial Day is Work Group #1).

Pinochle Tournament: Deborah said that additional helpers are needed to serve lunch at the Pinochle Tournament on Saturday. Bert has asked for two or three people to serve. A cashier is also needed. (Cost for lunch will be $7.00).

Presentations: Bev asked if the EnviroThon Team or Jacobson boys will make a future presentation to the RCC. The RCC provided contributions for their trips and some information from them would be appreciated.

Deborah reported that she will be working with the Jacobson’s to get their presentation ready for the March meeting. We can contact the EnviroThon team to determine a date or presentation from them at a future time.

Publicity: Deborah reported that the North Dakota Legendary travel book has been published. Rutland is in there this year. Uffda Days is listed for the first Sunday in October and information on the RV camping sites is also listed. More is available on the State website and hopefully other regular events can be included in the 2011 edition. Rutland is a “partner” on the State site so if there are other items that should be included online or in the future publication, the information should be sent to RCC at the PO Box, or by e-mail to rutlandnd@yahoo.com

Horizons PC: Carolyn reported that the virus protection program on the computer at the store has expired. A new program needs to be purchased and added. The PC has Windows XP and the virus program was McAfee.

Deborah agreed to explore virus programs and costs (McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, etc). It was agreed that the funding for the current year will come from the Horizons funds (Advertising).

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

Posted in Meeting Minutes | Tagged meeting, Pinochle, publicity, Rutland Community Club, theater
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Senior Citizens Club Page

By RutlandAdmin | January 29, 2010

Another page has been added to the Rutland website. The latest focuses on the Rutland Senior Citizens Club. You can find it in the Community section, Rutland Senior Services in the future. To check it out now, click here. Other pages will be added during the coming months so remember to check your favorites often!

Posted in Announcements, Site Updates | Tagged Community Page Links, Senior Citizen Center
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Community Club

By Debbie | January 28, 2010

The Rutland Community Club met Monday, January 5, 2010 at Rutland City Hall.

Present: Bill Anderson, Paul Anderson, Deborah Banish, Renee Cramton, Vicky Haussler, Deb Liermark, Ronnie Narum, Bert Siemieniewski and Gretchen Vann.

Minutes: President Liermark reported there are no minutes from the December meeting available for review and approval.

Treasurer: Deborah Banish, Treasurer, discussed the December income and expenditures and presented a preliminary 2009 annual report noting the loss at Santa Day. Liermark reported that the ham for sandwiches and the soup was donated by the General Store; Bert made the soup and some of the food.

Cramton asked about Santa Day bingo stating that at the December meeting members voted to charge 25 cents per card. Liermark said without the minutes she cannot verify that; she and Bert made the executive decision not to charge for bingo. Banish said “Rutland Bucks” were given for bingo prizes but she has no information on how many of the green $5.00 Bucks were distributed. As those are redeemed, the Santa Day loss will be greater. The final redemption date printed on the Bucks is June 13, 2010 so it may be some time before a final accounting can be made for 2009 Santa Day.

Bert/Vicky moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Motion carried.

Nominating Committee: Vicky reported that she has not been able to find residents willing to run for RCC Office. Terms for Jeff Olson and Hilary Mehrer are expiring. Jeff is not interested in continuing as Secretary.

Ron/Vicky put in nomination Paul Anderson for RCC Office in 2010.

The vote on two RCC Board positions will be held at the February meeting. It was noted that Hilary Mehrer stated she would be willing to run again for office.

Advertising: Gretchen reported that a few members of the Horizons Advertising committee met in December. The RCC has been discussing the street banners and the Advertising Committee is not working on those at this time. That Committee will proceed to work on a Rutland sign at Hwy 11.

The group discussed the pole banners that need to be replaced. Gretchen has been in contact with Sign O’Rama in Fargo who can do them. Last summer they quoted a price of $100 each for 15″x42″ banners, duplex printing. They would need to be installed by Ronnie but she is not certain how they can be attached to the poles.

Ronnie asked Gretchen to obtain a sample of that size so he can work with Shannon Mehrer to determine how to install and to make brackets to hang them. Gretchen and Ronnie agreed to proceed with this issue and return in February with information.

Community Play: Liermark stated that the Adult program/play is held the third Saturday in March; she wanted to get someone else involved in that event but that is difficult. She will contact Diane Smith to see if she would be interested in coordinating and/or directing the program.

Events: Upcoming Rutland events include the Anderson Pinochle Tournament (February 6), the Legion Pancake Breakfast (February 7), the Fish Fry and Adult Community Play.

Gretchen agreed to handle the meal for the March 2010 adult play tentative for March 20, 2010.

Website: Gretchen asked about the Website committee and whether they met to discuss the proposed fee for Rutland business links on the site. Banish said that Hilary, Bill and Earl are the members of the Website Committee. Bill said he will ask for a meeting prior to the February meeting.

Renee/Paul moved that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried.

Posted in Meeting Minutes | Tagged meeting, Rutland Community Club, theater
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