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Scranton school recieve award Pages 4
Turnovers doom Bulldogs Page 6 Serving the Region Since 1907
Vol. 114 No. 45
Bowman Grain Inc. celebrates 50 years of business
BY FRANK TURNER
reporternd@countrymedia.net
F
or over half a decade, Bowman Grain Inc. has been serving the community, working with local producers to provide various agricultural services. On October 17, Bowman Grain Inc. hosted an appreciation supper to celebrate 50 years of business. According to Bowman Grain General Manager Robert White, Bowman Grain originally started when a group of seven farming families got together in the late 60’s and purchased a grain elevator on Jan. 1, 1969 from the Osborn-McMillan Elevator Company. Although Bowman Grain is 50 years old, the grain elevator itself is much older. White estimated that the original grain elevator was built during Bowman’s original settlement in 1907. “The elevator has gone through many renovations, but the main structure is still being used today as our storage for durum wheat,” said White. Over the years,
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NOVEMBER 8, 2019
Bowman gets crafty at 48th Annual Fling Thing
BY FRANK TURNER
reporternd@countrymedia.net
H
ave you ever wondered how people passed the time before the age of computers and cell phones? Believe it or not, people did something called “crafting” to pass the time. Although some may consider it an archaic remnant of previous generations, artisans and craftsmen from around the region gathered in Bowman on Nov. 3, at the 4 Season Pavilion for the 48th Annual Fling Thing to show the tradition of crafting is still alive and thriving. The Fling Thing is a craft and vendor show that benefits the local 4-H organization. There, vendors can show off and sell their homemade goods to the public. 4-H also serves a meal to raise funds for the local program. According NDSU Bowman County Extension Administrative Assistant Leah King, the Bowman Homemakers Club, a former crafting club, started the original Fling Thing 1971. “The club would meet regularly and share different cooking and crafting techniques,” said King. “The older generation would teach the younger generation how to do reg-
People browse the homemade crafts at the 48th Annual Fling Thing. Submitted Photo.
ular household things like canning and sewing.” The club created the Fling Thing event with the original intention to teach and demonstrate new crafts and techniques to the public. Eventually the event turned into a crafts
and vendor show and was turned into a fundraiser for the local 4-H organization. This year, over 45 vendors registered for the event. At the event people sold hand-woven apparel items, seasonal
crafts, homemade aromatic candles, woodcrafts and much more. King said that due to high interest and limited space, some vendors even had to be turned away. “Next year we are hoping to rearrange the event
so that we can accommodate a good ten more vendors,” she said. According to King, vendors came from all over the region to set up a booth at the event.
FLING THING » PAGE 3
Bowman hosts 16th Annual Choirfest BY FRANK TURNER
reporternd@countrymedia.net
A
fter months of practice, choirs from Scranton, Belfield, South Heart, Hettinger, and Bowman gathered at Bowman County School last week to sing together in the 16th Annual Choirfest music festival. The music festival, according to Band and Choir Director Charmaine Martian, gives students a chance to travel around the region and perform in new areas with new people. “The choir fest allows students in small schools to participate in a larger choir with a guest conductor,” said Martian. Every year, a different area school hosts the music festival. This year, Bowman hosted the event, however South Heart will host the festival next year. In total, over 125 choir students sang in the festival. Martain said that every student in each respective town’s choir gets to participate and there are no auditions for the event. Students practice the music before they get the festival and piece
Area vendors sell homemade crafts at the 48th Annual Fling Thing. Submitted photo.
everything together the night of the performance. “In one afternoon, over four hours, the kids work on blending as a group with the guest conductor,” said Martian. For the 16th Annual Choirfest, Guest Conductor Larry Swingen, a retired vocal and general music teacher, traveled from Fargo to direct the festival and work with the choir students.
After a long practice session, the group performed in the Bowman Public School gym for a free-admission audience. “In the past, local directors used to conduct, but more recently we found it more beneficial to bring in a guest conductor so the kids get a chance to work with somebody new,” said Martain. This year, the choir students performed
a multitude of varying upbeat songs. In total the choirs sang five pieces together for an audience of over 200 people. Overall, Martain said she was very impressed with the performance. “The kids were focused and engaged, and they responded very well to the guest conductors needs and what he wanted to hear,” said Martain. “It was a very well put together con-
cert.” Martain continued, “I’m glad we get a chance to do the Choirfest. It gives the kids in our smaller schools an opportunity to sing with larger choirs. It really boosts their confidence levels so they can bring that energy back to our smaller choirs and produce bigger sound as well.”
Donate a new unwrapped toy, food, diapers or household items, and your name will be entered in a drawing for an iPad or a $50 Visa Gift Card.
Toy & Food Drive ! 99
Items will be distributed to needy kids in Southwest ND. Drawing held on December 16th.
Drop off items in Dickinson at: Consolidated, 507 S Main OR Cornerstone Bank, 3095 15th St W
483-4000