The Borderland Press - April 19, 2024

Lady Cards softball team opens season with two wins

The official newspaper of Cavalier County Theborderlandpress.com

In this issue:

Friday, April 19, 2024

Volume 3, Number 15

FARMERS HAVE CLAMORED FOR THE RIGHT TO REPAIR FOR YEARS - READ MORE ON PAGE A3

Barn gets new life in Dresden

News: Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota to increase operations. Pg. A2

Community: Darlene rocks!

Read why on page A5.

Photos by Terry Hennenkamp.

Views from the Borderland: The Wales Fire Department hosted the Wales Mud Fest last week. Pg. B8

Apr. 19

Apr. 20

Apr. 21

30/24

46/28

55/33

Work has begun to update the barn at the Cavalier County Museum in Dresden. The barn is new to the museum but stood for nearly 80 years just down the road from the museum. It was moved to the museum site in the spring of last year from less than a mile away. Fundraisers held at the museum site, a yearly breakfast and picnic, help fund projects like this at the museum.

New mural ‘blends in perfectly’ at The Perfect Blend Political races

By Hilary Nowatzki are shaping up Earlier this month at a local favorite elementary mural,” said Gette. “She coffee stop, a new mural was pre- said she was thinking something floin Cavalier and miered. Completed by two creative ju- ral, she said, ‘Do whatever you want.’”

Pembina Counties niors from Langdon Area High School, Candidates have filed to run for offices in Cavalier and Pembina Counties for the upcoming election.

In Cavalier County, seats held by David Zeis and Greg Goodman are up for reelection. Zeis has decided not to run. Goodman is running, along with Chris Sanders and Shane Gallagher.

Those three names will appear on the ballot for two seats.

In Cavalier County, interim sheriff Matt Wright has filed to officially run for the sheriff’s position.

In Pembina County, commissioners from District 2 and District 4 are up for election this year. The District 2 seat was held by Jim Benjaminson, who has decided not to run again.

Those who filed to be on the ballot for District 2 are Patrick Hardy and Kelly Gratton, both of Walhalla. The District 4 seat was held by Laverne “Manny” Doyle, who also decided not to run again. Those who filed to be placed on the ballot for District 4 are Jeffrey Stevenson and Scot Becker of Cavalier.

Mauri Roy, owner of The Perfect Blend, couldn’t be happier with the results.

“I think it turned out great. The girls did a fabulous job,” stated Roy. “It blends right in, so it's perfect.”

Roy explained that originally she had wallpaper on the area where the mural now blooms but wanted something more permanent - and something that wouldn’t peel in the heat.

“It gets really hot because we have nice big windows - they’re the best part about the shop, and I wanted something fun and vibrant up there where people are sitting,” Roy stated.

“So I had asked the art club girls to come and paint a mural for the shop.”

Shanna Gette, an employee at The Perfect Blend and a member of the LAHS Art Club, was a perfect fit for the mural job as well. Gette teamed up with fellow art club member and classmate, Claire Chaput, to set out on the artistic adventure.

“Mauri asked me, knowing me as a worker for her, that I do art and that Claire and I had previously done the

Both students are also active members of the school’s art club, an extracurricular which they agree enriches their lives, as well as other students.

Mindi Lill, art teacher for Langdon Area Schools, supervises the group and fosters their artistic endeavors.

“We meet on Tuesdays after school, and honestly, it's just a good time,” commented Chaput. “We get to work on whatever projects we want to like school projects for art or just something that we want to create.”

Chaput noted that Art Club offers a space for a variety of students, who may otherwise not be involved in overlapping extracurriculars such as sports, to interact and get to know one another.

“It's a good bonding time because a lot of those people you don't have classes with,” said Chaput. “You get to talk to different people, and it's just a nice social thing really, too.”

Gette added, “It’s also something that we look forward to a lot in our week.

It's kind of like a treat for us as well.”

Equipped with a variety of leftover

This duo of juniors at LAHS, Claire Chaput (right) and Shanna Gette (left) premiered a whimsical mural inside The Perfect Blend.

paint from Roy’s basement, the girls set off to work, one flower at a time just as spring arrives.

“I had a ton of paint in my basement.

I brought up all the colors and I just said, ‘Have fun,’” explained Roy. “[I wanted] something whimsical, like the floral look. I think it goes really well in the shop with the red ceiling.”

The girls hand drew each flower and “just went from there,” they explained.

With plenty of inspiration from Pinterest, they free handed each flower,

Photo by Hilary Nowatzki.

slowly forming a bright bouquet on the wall. Utilizing time when the shop was closed, the girls estimate a combined 40 hours put into the art work.

“We just worked with what we had,” stated Gette. “And we meshed a world of flowers.”

News

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A2

The Borderland Press

Comprehensive housing study planned for Cavalier County Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota

By Nick Vorlage and Minnesota to increase operations A housing study is anticipated to com- areas where new housing could be don is kind of landlocked by farmland, mence in Cavalier County in the near future. Shannon Duerr, executive director for the Cavalier County JDA, has said they hope to soon select a group which will provide a more comprehensive study than just looking at area rent and income.

developed and whether or not infrastructure could support development in those areas.”

“This is going to go a little bit deeper,” stated Duerr. “It's going to really look at the need we have for housing and

“It’s going to look beyond Langdon,” she explained. “We realize in order to handle any big influx of people, Lang-

Duerr said the report is also going to be looking at communities all around the county.

so we're going to have to look to some of our other communities in the county to grow and see what they have available for lots,” Duerr reported that the JDA has already placed a request for proposals to select a prospective group to handle the study. The RFP closing date was on April 10.

ND News Cooperative awarded grant from the Institute for Nonprofit News

North Dakota News Cooperative is among 340 newsrooms across the country sharing in more than $11 million given by national philanthropic organizations to support local journalism.

The total NewsMatch fundraiser generated $46,200 for NDNC, $11,600 from the Institute for Nonprofit News’ NewsMatch Program and $34,600 in donations from individual North Dakotans and organizations in the state.

“Even as polls indicate a decline in trust in news media, major funders understand the importance of journalism as a key element in our democracy and in supporting our communities,” said Jill Denning Gackle, co-chair of the NDNC board of directors.

NDNC is a nonprofit journalism organization providing original reporting about North Dakota to North Dakotans. Funded completely by grants and charitable contributions, it has

Langdon resident charged in Griggs County crash According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Saturday, April 13 Griggs County requested assistance with a vehicle crash that occurred near Binford, ND.

provided North Dakotans with dozens of news articles on topics ranging from affordable housing challenges and difficulties in recruiting local law enforcement officers to child care shortages and treating trafficked youth.

Its most recent reporting project is a statewide public opinion poll called the North Dakota Poll, which is being conducted four times a year. A new poll about this year’s Primary Election races will be conducted this month with results released in May. Major national donors provided more than $11 million to this year’s NewsMatch program. However, local nonprofit newsrooms like NDNC combined to raise more than $47 million from local individuals and organizations.

Major donors to the NDNC fundraiser conducted in November and December were Mike Jacobs and Suezette Bieri of Grand Forks, Cornerstone Banks of Bismarck, and the Hal and Kathy Gershman Family Foundation of Grand Forks.

Major national funders contributing to this year’s NewsMatch include De-

mocracy Fund, Independence Public Media Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation.

Despite public distrust in media and other American institutions, Gackle said donors to NewsMatch programs are concerned about the spread of misinformation and disinformation and see a clear need for reliable news, especially in an election year, from organizations like NDNC. This is the third year of operation for NDNC, whose reporting is spearheaded by longtime Journalist Michael Standaert. While the nonprofit is located in Bismarck, members of its board of directors come from around the state.

All of NDNC’s reporting is available free at www.newscoopnd.org, and also is published in many of the state’s community newspapers.

Charitable contributions can be made at www.newscoopnd.org/donate.

Park River Association

US Bowling Conference 2024

The vehicle, occupied by Sarah Mikkelsen, 39, Langdon, was traveling westbound on Highway 65 approaching the intersection of Highway 1. Her vehicle continued westbound through the intersection and lost control, entering the ditch to the southwest of the intersection. Upon entering the south ditch, the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee overturned several times.

Mikkelsen was transported to Cooperstown for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class B Misdemeanor.

She was also issued a traffic citation for having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. The crash remains under investigation by the ND Highway Patrol.

By Nick Vorlage

Organizers for the Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota have announced it will be increasing its operations. This fall, the nonprofit organization will be providing two flights for veterans to visit Washington DC’s military memorials for free, and in 2025, five flights will be made available.

Jane Matejcek is the president of the organization and shared more details about the organization's expansion.

“We’ll have two going out at the same time Easter weekend next year. So that's April 20 out of Grand Forks, and then two weeks later we turn around and we're doing one out of Fargo on May 4, 5, and 6, and then two out of Fargo next fall again in September,” Matejcek stated.

Other states provide similar honor flights, but Matejek explained why the ND/MN flights are unique.

“We are out there for three days and two nights, which is really fortunate for us because most Honor Flights do

one day,” she stated.” The fact that we get to see so many different things out there is pretty amazing.”

According to the organization’s website, the waiting list for these flights sits at 862 WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans. “[Next year’s trips] will get about 500, close to 550 veterans off the list,” Matejek stated.

The Honor Flight is a 100% volunteer operation and requires donations to be held. Matecjek said the plans for 2025 will require around $1.2 million to be raised.

If you’d like to donate to help support these flights, please go to the website at veteranshonorflightofndmn. org and select the “donate” button, follow us on Facebook for fundraising opportunities, or mail a check to Veterans Honor Flight, PO Box 644, West Fargo, ND 58078. Questions can be directed to 218-28HONOR (218-2846667).

News briefs

From The Borderland Radio News Center Grand Forks County reports increase in repeat offenders The Grand Forks County Correctional Center has reported the amount of repeat offenders in the Center hit 100% for about 24 hours on April 11.

Officials with the center say this is the latest in a troubling trend of rising recidivism rates seen in the county.

Avian influenza found in cattle Highly pathogenic avian influenza has once again been found in a herd of dairy cattle, this time in South Dakota.

So far the virus has been confirmed in herds in eight U.S. states. Despite being a lethal threat to birds, the USDA says it will not impact milk and dairy products due to pasteurization.

Minnesota man holds woman hostage Fargo police have arrested Anthony Peterson, 39, of Lakeville, Minn., after receiving a report that he had been holding a woman, his ex-girlfriend, hostage for days. When officials arrived at the reported location, they found Peterson asleep and in possession of a stolen handgun. Peterson presently faces four felony charges.

Investigation is ongoing in this case.

Car thief runs out of gas A car thief from Minot was caught by officials after their stolen ride ran out of gas while being pursued. Officials said Danielle Reinhardt, 41, was initially being followed by the actual owner of the vehicle, who called in the theft. Officials say at times Reinhardt began to drive at speeds in excess of 110 mph before finally being caught in McHenry County.

Body from Missouri River identified Law enforcement have confirmed a body discovered on the Missouri River was that of a Bismarck man. Matthew Middlesteadt, 41, was first reported missing on Nov. 21 with his vehicle found near Bismarck’s Memorial Highway Bridge. According to reports, foul play is not being suspected in this case.

EPA announces updated water standards Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will be offering $1 billion to states to assist in becoming compliant with their newly-announced drinking water standard. The goal of the standard, according to the EPA, is to protect Americans from “forever chemicals” in drinking water. Upwards of 6,600 water systems are projected to be impacted.

Langdon residents asked to continue levy for fire department “The Farm Rockers” were this year’s champs at the US Bowling Conference on Friday April, 12. From left to right: Wade Burns, Rod Ebertowski, Joe Cota, and John Lien. Submitted photo.

The Langdon Fire Department will appear on the June ballot asking residents to continue to levy up to five mills for the Fire Department Reserve Fund.

“This is not a new tax,” said Lawrence Henry, Langdon City Commissioner, at the city’s most recent meeting on April 8.

The Langdon Fire Department currently levies a total of five mills for the fire department building or

equipment reserve. Henry explained that the tax has been in place for nearly 20 years.

In 2023, one mill for the city equaled about $6,800, so the department received about $34,000 for the year.

If approved, the fire department levy would last for another 10 years.

The current levy is in place through next year, but the question is being placed on this year’s ballot since there’s not an election next year.

Spring

Agriculture

The Borderland Press

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A3

Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years; it’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state The Farm Bureau agreed not to support R2R legislation in exchange for consumer repair diagnostics. Farmers and repair advocates say the tools fall short

By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest, special to The Borderland Press

owners are entitled to any tools or software not covered by the MOU. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), declined to comment after multiple attempts by email and in person to reach her. Deere and the other farm equipment manufacturers also did not return multiple requests for comment.

The bill is languishing at the statehouse. According to a spokesperson from the Illinois Corn Growers Association in an email to Investigate Midwest, there’s no chance the bill will pass this year.

Jake Lieb is one of many farmers in America that have struggled due to a lack of Right to Repair legislature. Photo by Darrell Hoemann, Investigate Midwest.

During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working.

A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines.

Instead, a technician from John Deere was dispatched to diagnose and repair the problems. While waiting for the technician to come out, Lieb fired up a 20-year-old tractor he hadn’t used for harvesting in years.

Crops are vulnerable to the weather, and had he not, Lieb could have lost at least a day of harvest. Some of the crop might have dropped to the ground, rendering it unsalvageable, potentially costing him thousands of dollars.

“Meanwhile,” Lieb said, “we’ve got over a million dollars of equipment in the field, inoperable.”

When the technician from John Deere arrived at his farm in central Illinois, it took about 30 minutes total to plug in a diagnostic tool, see which sensor was bad, unscrew it, replace it and close everything up in the combine.

“If I knew what sensor was bad in that combine, I could have had it fixed in five minutes,” Lieb said. “But if you don’t have the software, it’s impossible to know what’s wrong.”

For more than a decade, farmers like Lieb haven’t been able to fix their high-tech equipment. Until recently, manufacturer restrictions meant only

company-authorized representatives could own and use diagnostic tools, and make fixes when needed.

In March 2023, in an attempt to address farmers’ frustrations, the American Farm Bureau Federation signed a memorandum of understanding with John Deere and four other farm equipment manufacturers. The farm bureau called it a “private-sector solution to the right to repair issue.”

The cost of repair The demand for new tractors and combines ebbs and flows, but a consistent source of profit growth for John Deere is the sale of parts and services. Despite a 19% drop in sales of new ag equipment sales from between 2013 and 2019, supply chain disruptions and food system upheaval in 2020, and a month long labor strike of

warranty, which includes free parts and services, he’s in the minority.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 20% of farmers in the U.S. regularly buy new machines.

The rest hold on to their equipment for longer periods of time or buy second-hand machines, which come with limited warranties or none at all, making repair restrictions more consequential.

Equipment made before 2014 doesn’t have as much complicated software, and there are more repair workarounds. Still, the costs of repairing older machines add up.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of parts and labor, for ag equipment of all ages, has nearly doubled in the past two decades and spiked 41% since 2020. (Farm machinery is grouped together with construction and mining equipment by the bureau.)

The Illinois bill (SB2669) proposes to establish an agricultural equipment bill of rights. It would require manufacturers to make software, firmware and all other tools needed to repair machines accessible to independent repair shops and owners throughout the state at a reasonable cost.

The bill directly addresses the MOU, and says that agricultural equipment

“Even with our older machines — the stuff without software,” said one farmer in the study, “we were paying more because we were running up the hour counts. When stuff gets old, it breaks down more often.”

Curbing pollution leads to digital transformation In the mid-1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced emissions standards for agriculture diesel equipment as part of a growing effort to curb air pollution. The agency gave manufacturers nearly two decades to meet certain benchmarks in a set of four tiers, each with increasingly stringent regulations. The final set of standards rolled out in 2014.

To meet those emissions standards, complex computers were installed in agricultural machinery, which manage a wide range of functions and systems in the machines. This, in part, led to a technological revolution in farm equipment manufacturing, and drove the shift from mechanical operations to electronic controls.

In addition to monitoring emissions output, combines and tractors are now loaded with digital sensors that measure everything from humidity in the air to the density of the soil on a centimeter-accurate grid, instantaneously sharing those metrics with the cloud via satellite and GPS imaging. Deere’s quest to create optimum efficiency is driving the company to develop a fully autonomous fleet by 2030.

In the agreement, Deere, Kubota, Case New Holland, AGCO, and CLAAS of America promised to give farmers and independent repair shops access to customer diagnostic tools. In exchange, the Farm Bureau agreed not to support any federal or state repair legislation.

However, advocates for repair legislation say that the nonbinding agreement and the customer versions of tools provided by the companies fall short of needed protections that legislation would ensure. These same advocates are supporting bills across the country, including one introduced this year in the Illinois Senate.

a year.

Jake Lieb looks over his John Deere planter at his farm near Monticello, Illinois, on Monday, March 18, 2024. Photo by Darrell Hoemann, Investigate Midwest.

10,000 workers across five states in 2021, Deere’s profits swelled the past three years, totaling a nearly 270% increase from 2020, according to the company’s SEC filings.

According to Bloomberg, the sale of parts helped buoy the company’s portfolio — parts sales grew by 22% between 2013 to 2019.

While Lieb’s fifth-generation family farm operates on annual tractor trade-ins so his machines stay on a

In 2023, Kevin O’Reilly, then with the Public Interest Research Group, conducted a study of the cost of repairs directly tied to downtime and repair restrictions imposed by equipment manufacturers. He found that farmers lost an average of $3,348 per year to repair downtime.

The study of 53 farmers in 14 states estimated that if every farmer in the country faced similar losses, repair restrictions placed on them would cost U.S. farmers more than $3 billion

In reality, a faulty sensor in Lieb’s case caused his combine to shut down. And up until the MOU last year, farmers like him and independent repair technicians couldn’t access the necessary software tools to make their own repairs or clear a code once the repair was completed. But why was the MOU even necessary?

Over the years, Deere has argued in court that a farmer may own a tractor, but they don’t own the software that makes it run.

In a seeming win for farmers seeking the right to repair, the Library of Congress ruled in 2015 that repairing agricultural equipment is not an cont’d. on page B7

Northern Ag Snip

Bailey Reiser│NDSU Extension – Cavalier County your plants thrive and produce many fruits and vegetables.

The first step of preparing a garden is to pick a site. The location should have at least six hours of full sun. The more the better, as most vegetables require full sun. The soil in the prospective site should be well drained and avoid low spots where frost can settle in late spring or fall. Make sure your garden area has access to a water source (i.e. a hose or nearby spicket).

Think spring! Think spring! This time it might be it!

With spring in full force, yard work is also upon us and so is preparing the garden bed for a growing season. Soil is one of the essentials when it comes to gardening. A healthy soil will help

Next, creating a plan for the garden ensures it is the appropriate size for the vegetables that will be planted.

Square foot gardening is an excellent method if you have limited space.

Traditional row planting can also be used. Crowded plants do not have as good of production, and this also limits air flow and light exposure. Draw-

ing a scale map and having a list of how many inches the vegetables need to be apart is a great idea.

Cultivating the garden is the next step.

Cultivating wet soil can cause a loss of soil structure, which in turn causes poor drainage and hard, compact soil.

Additionally, soil that is too dry can become very dusty and powdery. Once the soil is dry, we can add in organic matter or compost. Organic matter will increase nutrients in the soil, as well as improve the soil's water retention. Organic matter also helps lighten clay soils. Two to three inches of compost is all that is needed and can be

worked in with a tiller or a shovel.

Finally, on to fertilizing the garden.

NDSU Soil Testing Lab offers soil tests for homeowners, and the personnel will give a detailed report and recommendations for the garden site. The soil test will provide information on pH, type of soil, and levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). This test can also be used in lawns.

Carrie Knutson, Grand Forks County Extension Agent, shared in an article a few years back that, “The test is well worth the cost, especially if you save

yourself the fertilizer expense. Soil tests can be run every year or every few years, depending on your gardening style. Local Extension offices have soil testing bags, directions and information sheets for gardeners, or go online at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/academics/academic-units/ plant-pathology/soil-testing-lab .” After you receive your results and review the recommended amendments, buy a fertilizer and read the label on how to apply it. Then incorporate the fertilizer into the garden soil.

Your garden should now be ready for planting! Happy gardening!

Opinion

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A4

The Borderland Press

Letter from the Publisher catching an 11:45 a.m. flight to St. Pete, Florida.

I checked the Florida weather on my phone and saw thunderstorms, but surely they would be past long before my arrival time.

As I got closer to the airport in Fargo, I checked the weather again. Guess what? St. Pete was under a Tornado Watch. I still wasn’t worried, because I thought it would pass, but then my email notification dinged. It was Allegiant telling me the flight was delayed by an hour.

Oh, do I have an adventure to share with you this week. Last Thursday my alarm went off at 5 a.m. It was just in time to leave town by 6 a.m. because I was leaving on a jet plane! I was looking forward to

I didn’t think it was a big deal. Bob dropped me off at the airport entrance. I said, “See ya!” I got my giant coffee, a fairly sensible breakfast, and settled in for the extra hour of waiting.

At this point, everything was still fun!

Soon, my email dinged again. I thought for sure it would be Bob or Sarah, as the Borderland Press was going out in the mail that day. Woop!

That woop turned to nope. It was Allegiant, delaying the flight by another hour. “Shoot,” I thought, “but that’s ok because I’ll still get into St. Pete plenty early, and the fun will begin.”

There were a couple young ladies from Langdon scheduled for the same flight as me, so we met up in the airport and had a really nice visit. Still having fun!

departure came and went, too. There were no further delays, however, and they finally had the plane ready and boarded us at record speed. I’m not going to talk about the folks that spent their 4-5 hours in the airport bar and were happier than most of us!

Diane Simmons

Publisher publisher@theborderlandpress.com

Finally, we were off, and I slid into Florida only five hours late. Thank goodness my ride from the airport hadn’t given up on me. I met up with my friend, Dana, at the hotel. She was also late arriving, as she had flown into Tampa. We found food and drink and called it a day.

“Ding!” Oh, please no. Yep, Allegiant again…another hour delay. Now I’m counting on my fingers to determine when I’ll land in St. Pete. I was feeling a bit deflated. The promised boarding time came and went; the scheduled

The next morning the sun was amazing, and the vacation was just getting started. I promise to share more next week.

to detail, and our issues are looking good with her on board.

day meal of absolutely anything she wanted, she chose to stay home and relax rather than go out to eat at a restaurant. Her requested menu included hotdogs, rice, and corn. She was thrilled she got everything she requested and exclaimed she was having the best day ever. Her day got even better with a lemon cake for dessert. Turns out, turning 10 is pretty awesome.

Letter from the Editor training and transition to hand over the editor position of this newspaper is going very well. Thank you to Hilary Nowatzki for editing the A Section this week. Hilary has a good nose for news, and she is passionate about our communities. You will be in good hands with her. You can already reach her at the editor email address, which is editor@theborderlandpress.com.

Greetings Borderland readers, As we dive into this week’s newspaper I am happy to say that our

I also need to say congratulations to Kayce Schlittenhard, who has been hired as the ads manager for The Borderland Press. Kayce has started to handle all of the ads traffic from our sales team and keep all of the orders organized each week. She is designing many of the ads, and she makes sure ad files are prepped and ready for layout. She has great attention

THE MORNING RUN:

I haven’t thrown The Hubby under the bus lately so it’s probably about time. Preceding this thought was an extremely passive-aggressive hint from him the other day that went something like this: Me – “Good job auctioneering for the bake sale fundraiser at church, dear.”

The Hubby – “Thanks, I suppose you’ll write about this.”

Also, before he started his temporary auctioneer gig after church on Sunday, he announced to the roomful of coffee drinking, bar munch-

As things move along down the tracks at work, our family has also noticed them moving along at home. We celebrated our daughter’s 10th birthday last week - Happy Birthday, Elin! She is our oldest, so it’s significant for her and for her parents that her age is now in the double digits. We have had a wonderful time strolling down memory lane as she has asked a lot of questions about what life was like when she was a baby.

When offering Elin a special birth-

I want to remind you that we have free spaces for non-profit organizations to highlight their upcoming events. We have many open calendar dates coming up, so if you’re in our coverage area (Cavalier County, Edmore, Walhalla, Neche, Pembina), please send us information about your events. Not only are the free spaces a great way

As the weather is getting nicer, I hope you’re enjoying a little extra spring in your step. This is such a wonderful time of year.

Thank you for reading, and make it a great week!

Sarah Hinnenkamp Editor

editor@theborderlandpress.com

A Lutheran bake sale

ing parishioners that I would likely write about him….again. My love language is apparently food and snarky comments, so if he can’t get one, he’ll take the other in the form of an article, even if it means enduring another “let’s give Greg crap about what his wife wrote about him” session at the office with all his buddies. He also announced that he took a quick course in YouTube auctioneering school 10 minutes before leaving for church, so he was definitely up to snuff in the job requirements.

By Sara Goodman

Each week, we will continue to add tasks to Hilary and Kayce’s plates until mine is empty.

to get the word out, once we have the information in house it’s easier for us to put together a news story for you as well. Events are a lot of work, so you may as well spread the word as much as possible. If this sounds good to you, email editor@theborderlandpress.com to start the process.

How this auctioneering business came about for Greg, I honestly don’t know. Our church has had a bake sale auction once a year in the spring to raise funds for summer vacation bible school for as long as I can remember. Back in the day, we had Al Adam as auctioneer who was an actual, legitimate auctioneer. Eventually Al was no longer able to volunteer his services and the torch was somehow passed to Greg. Greg is not an actual, legitimate auctioneer, but he has pretended to be for one day in the spring for the past several years. I’m not sure if Al inspired him or my uncle, Russ (also an actual, legitimate auctioneer), or if he was simply trying to establish himself as a fledgling auctioneer to elevate himself in the eyes of his auction-loving wife. Either way,

Musings from Munich:

it was on with the show.

If you’ve ever attended any type of Lutheran organized event revolving around food (which most events do or they’re not well attended), you know that there are a few things Lutherans love- hotdish, ham sandwiches, thick, hip-padder bars, pie, cookies, cake, and doughnuts. This is obviously not an all-inclusive list; it’s just the appetizer menu. Therefore, most of the items donated for the bake sale auction were cookies, bars, cakes, and doughnuts. Sprinkle in a few specialty items like Jenny Romfo’s famous homemade Oreos, sweet little Maren Jacobson’s M&M cookies, and a couple of popcorn cakes and get ready to watch the wallets and purses get pulled out faster than a deck of pinochle cards.

lightning at the first call for a bid. The older and wiser parishioners simply smiled and chugged their coffee while waiting to see whose kid would get first dibs on the Peeps cake.

Luckily for Greg, his auction-loving wife was on the scene to direct the assistants who were strolling around the fellowship hall with the baked goods for everyone to drool over before bidding. The assistants consisted of four young girls who had their parents tightly wrapped around their little fingers, so if they were showing off an item they wanted, they made sure to linger by mom or dad and not so subtlety whisper yell “I WANT THIS.” It worked like a charm, and the goodies

started piling up by Nicole and Kyle as their kids were a few of the loudest and cutest whisper yellers.

As expected, the homemade doughnuts were the hot ticket item with some baked bread items in second place. Oddly, a tray of four worms in dirt cups were not far behind- I’m guessing mom and dad were not completely on top of whose hand was going up on that one – along with those delicious homemade oreos. After 45 minutes of intense bidding, mostly by kids, all the baked goods were auctioned off, and Greg could finally take off his auctioneer’s hat after another successful Lutheran bake sale.

Greg started off by announcing that he would recognize all children bidding whether parents approved or not. You can imagine the excitement this generated among the Borchardt, Gemmill, Koons, Mostad, Jacobson and Rollness kids. It was like announcing that the church was being transformed into an episode of the spring baking championship and they were the judges. The anticipated sugar rush hit them before any frosting did, and hands went up like white

Opening day board we could use. solved.

By Matt Mitzel

First off, field preparation is obviously the first thing that needs to be tackled. Luckily, Munich has Seth Hanson, “wizard of sod,” to ensure the field is groomed, raked, marked, and playable. He has every piece of equipment at his disposal, and when he is prepping the field, the rest of town plays a supporting role until he says it is good. Our field has the ability to switch from baseball to softball in a matter of five minutes, so drills have been conducted and perfected when we need to switch it. Munich’s Westphal Stadium has always been a catcher’s nightmare, but if you have a good pitching roster, you have an advantage.

Problem #1

Last week was Munich’s time to shine with opening day for both boys baseball and girl’s softball high school games. What a great way to start off the season by playing at an old school stadium with all the bells and whistles laid out for the players, coaches, and fans. As people left, we received numerous compliments from all, so this week, I’ll let you know what happens behind the scenes, as it isn’t easy.

Our hiccup this year, after 25 years, the scoreboard decided to go down with a faulty control unit. It hasn’t been made in 10 years, so the company had us overnight them the unit to fix it. With such tight timelines, why wouldn’t the USPS system lose our control unit…and now the scoreboard is useless. Since we never accept defeat, I quickly called around to other athletic directors. Wouldn’t you know it, Ethen in Langdon had a portable

Then we have the announcer and National Anthem singer. Tim Polansky announced both the men’s and women’s games last week. I am his backup, but I have a hard time holding my tongue at people arguing with the umpires. I guarantee I would call them out in front of the crowd if they did such a thing. Our National Anthem singers rotate around from Robert Bubach, Chloe Foster, and Kadence Wirth. Chloe and Kadence took the

Next, a problem that most people and businesses are having this year since there was no snow, there was also very little insulation on the ground and a lot of water pipes froze. Our bathrooms at the ball diamond and campground are inoperable until it warms up. That is another easy fix, though, as we pretty much have the local porta potty company on speed dial. I never understood how a town could host a game without having a functional bathroom within a 100 ft. radius for players and umpires, but it should be a law.

reins this week and did a great job.

Some places don’t do the National Anthem, and I say, “Kiss my A$$”.

Finally, the holy grail of every ball diamond…the concession stand! Bri and I take a lot of pride in our concession stand, as it can honestly make or break a ball game. This year, like so many before, I kept enough on hand for 90 people to eat a hotdog, hamburger, homemade bar, water, pop, and chips per person. Unexpectedly, people were eating an average of 2.5 a piece, and I realized that I would be out of food by the end of the first varsity game. Unlike other places, we don’t accept defeat and quit on the crowd, so Bri jetted to the house to whip up 6 lbs. of Sloppy Joes.

The grocery store was out of buns, so we remembered that the Alsen Elevator was having their customer appreciation night supper at the same time.

When I walked in the door, Steve Buchweitz stood up and saw the look in my eyes. As we exchanged glances he asked, “What do you need?” I walked out 10 seconds later with 48 buns. At the same time, the bar was

spitting out pizzas like little Italy, and before you knew it, we had pizza and BBQs flying off the shelves in a matter of 20 minutes…one inning.

Of course, the Munich Baking Battalion, a group of Munich gals that donate some of their best recipes to feed the hungry crowd and ball players, were busy eyeing their prized possessions being sold as well. Marion Albrecht made cupcakes this time and was afraid they wouldn’t sell… they were all gone. Brianne, Kim and Sarah filled the stand with their baked goods. As we closed up for the night after every player was fed, we realized that we were down to our last one of everything. We love it. Come and see, it’s something to behold.

Oh, and if your town has a ball game scheduled and you can’t provide a bathroom, National Anthem, and concessions, please just send them our way, as a night of baseball in a small town will fill the heart and bless the soul. Don’t ask me for donations for your park if you won’t provide the basics. America.

Community

The Borderland Press

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A5

Pembilier Nursing Center: Darlene rocks!

HHS highlights prevention, tools and treatment during Alcohol Awareness rence Belanus. Together they had 6 When asked if she had any advice for children: Margaret, Marilyn, Michael, young people today, she said, “Work Month

By Heather Duerre, Activity Director/ Spiritual Coordinator

Greetings from all of us at PNC! It’s time again to showcase one of our residents that “rocks!” This time, I would like to tell you a little bit about Darlene Belanus or as many people affectionately call “Nanny.”

Darlene was born in Langdon, N.D., to Harold and Eva (Gellner) Trennum.

She was the oldest of four girls. Her younger sisters were Sharon, Carol, and Deanne. While she was still young, Darlene and the rest of her family moved to Walhalla where she grew up and went to school. As a young girl, she worked at a local dry cleaner and babysat the “Eppler Twins.” She loved playing with other kids and always enjoyed driving through the hills.

One time she was pushed from behind into the river, so to this day she is terrified of water! She dreamed about becoming a nurse when she grew up, however, life had different plans for her…

On July 24, 1953, she married Law-

Marlene, Melissa, and Melanie. Apparently, they really loved “M” names!

She worked for about 10 years as an aide right here at PNC. She was the supervisor of her 3-11pm shift and said that her favorite part of working here was the people. After PNC, she went to work at Motor Coach where she eventually retired. She always liked to help others out when she could and did a lot of volunteering in the community. Among other things, she was a girl scout, boy scout, and 4-H leader. The neighborhood kids grew to affectionately know her as “Nanny”

hard and save your money. Also be sure to help others out when you can, even if it’s not for money.” She is most proud of her children and is always happy to talk about each one of them. When asked if there was something she wanted other people to know about her, she replied with a giggle “I’m miserable and stubborn, and I like to have a good time without drinking. My very favorite thing to do is spend time with my family.” An extra bonus of living at PNC is that her favorite daughter-in-law, Nancy, works here.

We are very fortunate to have Darlene as a part of our PNC family. She brings lots of laughter and joy to our days. I am mostly grateful for her because she laughs at almost all of my super funny jokes. For these reasons and more, I can say without doubt that Darlene “Rocks!”

and thoroughly enjoyed scarfing up her famous homemade donuts. She was also well known for her delicious fruitcake. Lawrence passed away in 2011, and about a year later, Darlene made her home at Pembilier Nursing Center.

Darlene’s Famous Donut Recipe: 4 Eggs 2 Cups Sugar 2 Cups Buttermilk with 2 tsp Baking Soda 4 TBSP Melted Butter 2 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Nutmeg 4 tsp Baking Powder Enough Flour to thicken dough (Approx. 3+ cups) *Pat or roll out dough *Cut out donuts and fry in lard until golden brown

Why St. Alphonsus School?

By Carrie Hope

Our dedicated teachers are at the heart of our school's success. They hold our students to high standards of academic excellence, respect, and kindness towards others. With a focus on whole-student development, our educators go above and beyond to ensure that each child receives the support and guidance they need to succeed. Despite the challenges posed by the nationwide teacher shortage, we work closely with the North Dakota Department of Instruction to ensure that our teaching staff is fully approved and equipped to deliver top-notch education.

As the principal of St. Alphonsus School, I am often asked why parents should choose our institution for their child's education from preschool through eighth grade. Allow me to share with you why St. Alphonsus stands out among the rest.

First and foremost, St. Alphonsus is not just a school; it's a community rooted in strong faith-based principles. Our mission is clear - to provide a nurturing and encouraging environment where each student can thrive academically, spiritually, and personally. Our Catholic identity is the cornerstone of everything we do, but we welcome students of all faiths with open arms. At St. Alphonsus, we believe in fostering a deep relationship with God while helping our students achieve their fullest potential in all aspects of life.

In recent years, we've made significant investments to ensure that St. Alphonsus remains a state-of-the-art institution. From revamping our curriculum to upgrading our technology and facilities, we've spared no effort in providing our students with the resources they need to excel in today's world. While there's still work to be done, our commitment to progress is unwavering.

Accredited by the North Dakota Department of Instruction, St. Alphonsus School has been a beacon of educational excellence for over a century. Our legacy of providing a robust, faith-based education continues to inspire generations of students, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to shaping successful contributors to society.

Choosing St. Alphonsus School means

choosing more than just an education; it means becoming part of a supportive community that nurtures mind, body, and spirit. We invite you to join us on this journey of growth and discovery, where each child is valued, challenged, and empowered to reach for the stars.

Carrie Hope is principal at St. Alphonsus School. She can be reached at carrie.hope@k12.nd.us or at 701256-2354. St. Alphonsus School opened in 1921.

BISMARCK, N.D. - In observance of Alcohol Awareness Month, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) wants to highlight the positive changes in the state related to alcohol use.

North Dakota communities are coming together and investing in substance use prevention with a common goal to create safe and healthy individuals, families, businesses and communities. According to the 2021 North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey, alcohol use among high school students went from 59.2% in 2001 to 23.7% in 2021.

“North Dakota has made consistent progress in addressing underage alcohol use. Research points to the role of parents as critical in developing responsible habits in children through strong, open family relationships,” said Behavioral Health Director Pamela Sagness. “Not only does prevention save lives, but it is also cost-effective.” HHS offers tools and resources for parents and caregivers to implement prevention strategies with their children through Parents Lead.

Even with this positive progress, HHS encourages individuals, families and communities to continue taking steps to address alcohol use, misuse and consequences. This necessitates a multifaceted approach that encompasses prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services and supports.

Early intervention is key, and by recognizing the warning signs and providing intervention, we can decrease the likelihood of developing an addiction.

HHS certifies early intervention education providers to offer evidence-based

education for driving under the influence and minor in possession offenses, aiming to reduce the likelihood of continued substance use disorders.

Learn more and find a provider here: www.hhs.nd.gov/behavioral-health/ prevention/early-intervention.

Not all drinks are created equal.

Those of age and aiming to drink responsibly can learn the volume of alcohol in drinks to make informed decisions to reduce risk. The Alculator tool speaks volumes by helping identify the alcohol content of beverages through a browser-based interactive app. Check it out at: www.hhs.nd.gov/ speak-volumes.

For individuals struggling with alcohol addiction, there is hope. Treatment works and recovery is possible. Find treatment services by visiting hhs. nd.gov/behavioral-health/find-services. Recovery Talk is a helpline staffed by trained peer support specialists available 24/7 via phone or text at (701) 291-7901. The Substance Use Disorder Voucher Program facilitates access to treatment.

Details can be found at hhs.nd.gov/ sudvoucher. The Recovery Housing Assistance Program offers stable living environments to support recovery efforts (additional information can be found at hhs.nd.gov/behavioral-health/recovery-housing).

The Behavioral Health Division is responsible for reviewing and identifying service needs and activities in the state's behavioral health system to ensure health and safety, access to services and quality of services. For more information, visit hhs.nd.gov/ behavioral-health.

Lifestyle

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A6

The Borderland Press

Prairie Fare: What you eat may affect your vision

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D.

about diseases with potential nutrition connections.

Macular degeneration, also called age-related macular degeneration or AMD, is a potential cause of blindness if untreated.

The macula or “yellow spot” is contained within the retina of the eye. It gives us the ability to have central vision and see color, and it allows our eyes and brain to translate light into images.

I noticed our backyard was starting to sprout green grass after some April showers. Some of my perennial plants are beginning to peek through the mulch in my flowerbed. I look forward to the pink, red and yellow tulips of spring.

Springtime is a favorite season for many as the colorful blossoming bulbs begin to appear. Of course, growing grass means mowing, but that activity promotes physical activity.

I am thankful about being able to enjoy the colors of spring and our upcoming summer. Unfortunately, not everyone has the ability to see well. As we grow older, we have greater risk of developing age-related vision issues.

Regular vision screening can help prevent vision loss.

“Three of my friends have macular degeneration,” I overheard someone say the other day.

My ears always perk when I hear

The macula is about the size of the letter O in 12-point font used commonly in newspapers or magazines.

Despite its small size, the macula plays an all-important role.

If the macula is damaged, we may lose our ability to do many tasks of daily life that require sharp vision.

Those activities include driving, seeing faces in front of us and reading smaller print.

The macula is made up of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are two natural colorants, or pigments. They are in the carotenoid family of pigments.

We need to “feed” the macula by eating colorful fruits, vegetables and egg yolks.

Although you may think of carrots as being good for your eyes, other foods have larger amounts of these pigments to nourish the macula.

Corn, orange bell peppers, kale, collard greens and spinach are among the best sources of zeaxanthin. Egg

yolks, dark leafy greens, corn and peas are among the best sources of lutein.

Remember that fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruits are all good sources of these nutrients and provide abundant carotenoids.

Are you eating these foods and other colorful fruits and vegetables regularly? Most adults need about 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily.

What about carrots and our eyes?

Keep eating carrots, too, for lots of reasons. Carrots are rich in carotenoid pigments, and they help protect our night vision, but they do not contain the pigments in the macula.

Green vegetables such as broccoli, orange and red fruits, and vegetables such as pumpkin and tomatoes are all good sources of healthful carotenoids.

ommend a vision exam with dilated eyes for everyone over 50 years, or as recommended by your eye care professional.

Enjoy the colors of nature outdoors and on your plate.

Have you tried making ranch dressing from scratch? You might have all the makings in your cupboard and refrigerator. This can be used as a dip for colorful veggies or a dressing for your favorite salad greens to help nourish your eyes and your body.

Ranch Dressing Master Mix 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes 5 tablespoons dried minced onions 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder Mix together and store in an airtight container until ready to use. Label, date and store in a cool, dry place.

Use within three months.

To prepare ranch salad dressing, mix together: 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 cup low-fat buttermilk 3 tablespoons dry ranch mix Chill salad dressing for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before serving to blend flavors. Shake and serve.

Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.

Dietary supplements are another option, but think of food first. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals (plant chemicals) with health-promoting properties.

As the sun grows brighter and the weather warms, protect your eyes.

Wear high-quality sun glasses and a wide-brimmed hat during outdoor activities such as picnics, gardening, walking and golf.

Be sure to have regular vision screening with your eye care professional.

Many eye health professionals rec-

Vegetables contain a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. (Pixabay photo)

Prairie Doc® Perspective Reflecting on progress

By Debra Johnston, MD

the PICU watching over a toddler who had meningitis. At one point I turned and bumped into a bedrail, which came crashing down. Both my preceptor and I jumped, and I probably even shrieked. The child, however, didn’t even blink. That’s when we knew her illness had left her profoundly deaf.

It’s human nature to tell stories about the past, and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice.

I remember one late evening spent in

The seasoned pediatrician I was with that month had started practice before the introduction of the Hib vaccine. As we talked about what we could do now for the child in our care, he told me stories from “the old days”, when the PICU at Sioux Valley Hospital would perpetually have two or three children being treated for meningitis. Less than 10 years later, our unimmunized patient was the first case they’d had in months.

Early in my own practice, winter months would see at least a child or two here in Brookings hospitalized with rotavirus on any given day, and the occasional adult. They would

be with us for a few days or even a week, getting IV fluids until the diarrhea slowed down. Our first vaccine had rare but serious side effects and was pulled off the market. The vaccine we’ve been using for nearly 20 years now has turned the illness into something that rarely lands a child in our hospital. To be sure, we still see rotavirus infections. It’s just that far fewer patients are so sick that they require IVs. This last year, we got a new weapon against another common childhood scourge. RSV has been a terror for longer than I’ve been in practice. It results in the hospitalization of nearly 2% of children before they turn 1. We now have two ways to protect infants.

The first is a traditional vaccine given to expectant mothers later in their pregnancy. Mom’s immune system responds by developing antibodies, which are transferred to the infant.

Since babies’ immature immune systems can’t respond to the vaccine

we have for RSV, we can’t give them that vaccine. However, we have an antibody against RSV that can be given directly to newborns. We’ve had

That protection will fade, and the baby’s immune system will still have to learn to fight RSV by catching it, but we will have delayed that day until the child is older, and less likely to get terribly sick.

I am optimistic that RSV, too, will become something we still see, but that doesn’t cause the suffering it once did. And I wonder, what will my young colleagues someday tell their future students about medicine in “the old days?”

something similar for most of my career, but it was expensive and had to be given monthly, so we only used it in the highest risk children. This new version is much less costly, and requires only one shot.

These strategies don’t teach the baby’s own immune system to fight the infection. Instead, they provide temporary soldiers to wage the battle.

Debra Johnson, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org and on Facebook featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc® a medical Q&A show providing health information based on science, built on trust for 22 Seasons, streaming live on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.

Dakota Gardener: How to plant potatoes

By Tom Kalb, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension

Yellow-skinned varieties are gaining in popularity. These varieties are good for boiling, roasting, salads, soups and frying. Satina, Yukon Gem and Yukon Gold are good choices for North Dakota.

White-skinned and Russet varieties are best for baking and making French fries. Caribou Russet and Gold Rush grow well in our state.

Gardeners in North Dakota love to grow and eat potatoes. The average North Dakotan eats over 100 pounds of spuds per year, making it our favorite vegetable.

The planting season for potatoes is coming. Here are some quick tips on how to get your crop off to a great start.

Get your potato seed from garden centers or seed companies. This seed is certified to be free of diseases. Do not use potatoes from the grocery store or stored from last year’s crop.

These potatoes may have diseases in them.

My favorite variety is Purple Viking. Its purple skin has beautiful pink splotches. Purple Viking tolerates drought and resists scab disease. It makes great mashed potatoes. You won’t find it at garden centers, but several companies offer it online.

The best potato seed is the size of an egg or golf ball and has about two to three eyes. If you have larger seeds, you can cut them to fit this size. If a seed has lots of eyes at one end, slice the seed so the eyes are evenly distributed among the cuttings.

Seeds that are cut should be planted immediately or allowed to heal for 4 to 10 days before planting. The wounds heal best at 50 to 60 degrees and high humidity. You can create high humidity by placing a wet burlap bag

deep (the length of a dollar bill) and space them 12 inches apart. Closer spacing can lead to smaller tubers and wider spacing can lead to larger tubers.

over the cut seed.

Seeds are generally planted two weeks before our last frost. For most of us, this means we can plant around May 1.

To prevent seed rot, the soil temperature at planting should be around 55 to 60 degrees. The best tool to measure soil temperature is a soil thermometer, but a meat thermometer can be used. Insert the thermometer 4 inches into the soil. Test it in the morning when the soil is coldest.

Monitor for about 3 days to get a consistent reading.

Soil temperatures can be found on the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network website. Go to www. ndawn.org and click on Deep Soil Temperatures. Look for the readings at four inches in depth.

Plant your tubers about 4 to 6 inches

Plant your seeds in a well-drained, fertile soil. Potato plants are especially hungry early in the growing season.

An application of 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer scattered along every 10 feet of row at the time of sowing is generally recommended.

Lots of varieties grow well here. Redskinned varieties are most popular.

These tend to have a waxy texture and are used for boiling, roasting and salads. Dark Red Norland is the favorite red-skinned potato. Chieftain and Red La Soda will produce good yields, too.

The planting season for potatoes is coming. (NDSU photo)

One pound of potato seed will plant about 6 to 8 feet of row. You can expect the seeds to sprout within a couple weeks.

Good luck! These tips will get your potato crop off to a great start. I hope you harvest lots of tasty spuds this fall.

For more information about gardening, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.

Classifieds

The Borderland Press

HELP WANTED THE CITY OF LISBON has an opening for Chief of Police. Applicants must be North Dakota P.O.S.T. Board Certified as a licensable Police Officer, have five (5) yrs. of law enforcement experience with at least 3 years of supervisory (administrative, command, supervisory and personnel) experience preferred. This position is a working patrol position. A complete job description may be obtained at the Lisbon City Office located at 423 Main Street, Box 1079, Lisbon, ND 58054. Telephone 701-683-4140.

Please send cover letter and resume to kristina@cityoflisbon.net 3C CONSTRUCTION, LLC Power & Communications Contractor Are you ready to elevate your career? At 3C Construction, LLC (3C), we’re on the lookout for Journeyman Lineworkers, a Backhoe Operator, and Working Foreman to join our growing team. To learn more about 3C Construction, view full job descriptions, and apply, please visit our website at www.wdus. coop/careers.com. Apply. Email your cover letter, resume, and the completed application to hr@3cconst.com. 3C Construction, LLC (3C) is an equal opportunity employer.

YOU CAN PLACE a 25-word classified ad—like this one—in every North Dakota newspaper for only $160. It’s easy.

Contact this newspaper for details.

Mt. Carmel Recreational Area looking to hire 2 grounds keepers. Applications can be picked up at the Water Board Office or for more information, call 701-256-2226 or ccwb@nd.gov.

Paraprofessional Position Opening at Langdon Schools Starts Fall 2024 Benefits include: • 100% of a single policy • 47.25% of a full family policy • $500 med savings • 3% matching retirement • 10 days sick leave • 5 days personal leave • Long-term disability • Emergency leave as needed • Seasonal hours during the school week Contact Daren Christianson, 701256-5291 For Application and consideration.

Open until Filled Head Janitor, Langdon Elementary School Starts June 2024 • 100% of a single policy • 54% of a full family policy, 65% Single +1 • $500 med savings • 3% matching retirement • 10 days sick leave • 10 days personal leave • Long-term disability • Life Insurance • Emergency leave as needed • Full time year round Contact Daren Christianson, 701256-5291

For Application and consideration.

Open until Filled Floating Substitute Position Opening at Langdon Schools Starts Fall 2024 Benefits include: • 100% of a single policy • 47.25% of a full family policy • $500 med savings • 3% matching retirement • 10 days sick leave • 5 days personal leave • Long-term disability • Emergency leave as needed • Seasonal hours during the school week Contact Daren Christianson, 701256-5291 For Application and consideration.

Open until Filled HELP WANTED – The Langdon Park Board is now taking applications for a Pool Manager, Pool Maintenance Person, Lifeguards and Park Manager. If you have questions feel free to call RoxAnne at 256-2155. Full job description and application can be picked up at City Hall at 324 8th Ave, Langdon, ND 58249. The Park Board is an equal opportunity employer.

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A7

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

AUTOS

SERVICES FOR HIRE

NEED NEW FLOORING? Call today schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring. Call Today!

1-866-892-5868

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE to fund the SEARCH FOR MISSING CHILDREN. FAST FREE PICKUP. 24 hour response. Running or not. Maximum Tax Deduction and No Emission Test Required! Call 24/7: 1-844-591-9132

PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 866-8927677 Have zip code of property ready when calling!

TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 1-844-592-3691 PAYING TOP CA$H FOR MEN’S SPORT WATCHES! Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 1-877-548-8415 LOOKING FOR THE most complete listing of ND Media? ND Media Guide.

Only $25! Call 701-223-6397, ND Newspaper Association.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE ND FARM LAND Values surge upward.

Are you selling or renting? Pifer’s Auction and Farm Land Management.

Bob Pifer 701-371-8538. Kevin Pifer 701.238.5810. Free valuation.

MISCELLANEOUS INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don’t Accept the insurance company’s first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to cash settlements in the $1000’s.

Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 701-505-8373 HAVE a news release or other information that needs to reach all ND newspapers? ND Newspaper Association can help! One call does it all.

701-223-6397.

HEALTH/MEDICAL STOP OVERPAYING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE! A recent study shows that a majority of people struggle to pay for health coverage. Let us show you how much you can save. Call Now for a no-obligation quote: 877-727-7420.

You will need to have your zip code to connect to the right provider!2

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available.

Call: 1-877-548-8176

Church

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A8

The Borderland Press

From the Pastor’s Desk: Through the Valley

By Pastor Sue Mackey

Maybe you’ve heard the story of the Sunday School teacher who decided to have her class memorize Psalm 23.

One of the boys in her class, Jimmy, was excited about the task, but he just couldn’t seem to remember the lines.

On the day that the class was scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Jimmy was so nervous.

When it was his turn, he stepped to the microphone and proudly said, “The Lord is my shepherd…and that’s all I need to know.” The phrase I’d like

us to focus on from this Psalm today is this: “Though I walk through the valley.” All of us have experienced those valley times, when we find ourselves going through the dark experiences of life - valleys of grief, broken relationships, depression - just to name a few.

One valley that we all face from time to time is the valley of disappointment. In his book, “Disappointment with God,” Phillip Yancey identifies three questions we usually ask when we come face-to-face with disappoint-

ment in life. They are questions which the people in the Bible asked as well.

Here they are: Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden? Yancey says they are fair questions to ask.

Yancey closes his book with this story: One day, during a visit with his mother, they ended up getting out the old family photos of Phillip as a little boy.

Among all of those childhood photos, he found one when he was an infant.

Unlike the other photos, this particular photo was crumbled and mangled.

He asked her why the photo was in such bad shape. When Phillip was only ten months old, his father contracted polio, and he ended up dying just three months later after Phillip’s first birthday. At only 24 years of age, the condition had paralyzed him, and his muscles had become so weak that he had to live inside an iron lung that breathed for him.

He didn’t have many visitors because of the fear and the stigma this condition had during the 1950s. The one visitor who came faithfully to see him was Phillip’s mother, and she would always sit in a certain place so that he could see her in a mirror bolted to the side of the iron lung. During those visits, he would ask for pictures of her and their two sons, and she would have to jam those pictures in between some metal knobs. One of those pictures was this crumpled picture of Phillip as an infant.

When Phillip’s mother told him this

story about his father and the mangled picture, he thought that it was amazing that his father, who had never really met his newborn son, could care about him as much as he did.

During the last months of his life, his father literally spent his waking hours staring at the pictures of his family and, no doubt, saying prayers for each of them. How could it be that his father, who never really knew him at all, had so much love for him?

It’s the same question we also have about God. How can the One who is bigger and greater than anything we can ever imagine be the one who would become flesh in the person of Jesus and show how much he loves us by dying on a cross for our sins?

How can that be? Whenever you walk through the valley of disappointment, know that you are never alone in that valley. The one who defeated death and rose again is walking with you.

Jimmy was right. The Lord is our shepherd, and that’s all we need to know.

Pastor Sue Mackey is a native North Dakotan and an ordained United Methodist minister. In her 43-year career, she has served United Methodist, UCC, and Lutheran congregations in the area, and now serves the Langdon Presbyterian Church (since 2012). She lives in rural Hampden, has two sons and seven grandchildren. An avid reader, she also enjoys playing baritone horn in the Devils Lake Elks Band.

Obituaries

The Borderland Press

Hazel Evelyn Berg

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, April 19, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Walhalla, N.D., for Hazel Evelyn Berg, 103, of Walhalla,who passed away peacefully on April 4, 2024, at Pembilier Nursing Center in Walhalla.

Hazel was born on January 8, 1921, to Bert and Mabel Sandberg in Plummer Township, Divide County, N.D. She graduated from Crosby High

School in 1938. She attended Minot State Teachers College receiving her standard teaching degree in 1940.

She went on to teach at Max Country School in N.D. This is where she met the love of her life, Gilbert J. Berg, and they were married on January 17, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. They lived in Max, Seattle, Glasgo, Cavalier and then settled in Walhalla in 1955. In 1966, she assisted many in the area to receive their GEDs in an adult education program, and in 1968, she went to work at Walhalla Public School as a teacher’s aide. In 1976, she graduated from UND completing her bachelor’s degree in education. She taught for 20 years at St. Boniface and Walhalla Public School, retiring in 1985.

Hazel enjoyed embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and sewing, but her favorite hobby was reading. If she didn’t have a novel to read, she would read the encyclopedias. She was very proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Hazel is survived by her children: Carol Zimbro Berg (Ed) of Towner, N.D., Carol Groff (Charlie) of Phoenix, Ariz., Marilyn (Bernie) Lipp of West Fargo, N.D., Steven (Jody) Berg of East Grand Forks, Minn., Kevin (Pauline) Berg of Fargo, N.D. and Jean (Scott) Hornung of Walhalla; grandchildren: Kris Boone, Jason Berg, Krista Nightway, John Zimbro, Garin Groff, Michael Groff, Christopher Lipp, Heather Oakland, Reid and Isla Oakland, Holly Hedlund, Annabelle and Ivy Hedlund, Carmen Bergom, Carrie Berg-Reuter, Jon Berg, Christina Graalum, Hunter Berg and Amanda Gross; great-grandchildren: Charleigh and Sam Nightway, Ephrem, Gus, Monty and Vera Lipp, Breya, Isabel and Tess Bergom, Hayden and Halle Graalum, and Maddyn and Asher Gross. Preceding her in death were her parents; husband Gilbert in 1974; daughter-in-law Cheryl in 1975; son Roger in 1984; daughter Diane in 2024; and sisters Mae Sponenberg and Bernice Herberg.

Online guestbook available at www. askewfuneralhome.com.

DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Harry and Rosamond O’Brien April 25, 2024 — Harry O’Brien and his wife Rosamond Thoe were born and raised in Devils Lake, the children of early North Dakota settlers. Harry attended the Agricultural College in Fargo until World War I intervened.

He served with the American Expeditionary Force in France for about two years. Afterward, in the early 1920s, Harry and Rosamond married.

Harry took advantage of the G.I. Bill and attended the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, where he studied journalism. He tried to join the Devils Lake World, but declined when told he’d have to join a Union. Instead, he worked for the Bottineau Courant. In the meantime, Rosamond learned how to operate the Linotype. Despite her skill, the paper’s manager wouldn’t pay her, so Harry quit, and the two bought the Walsh County Press in Park River.

On their first printing, Harry issued a note to reassure their readers. “When a newspaper changes management,” he wrote, “its readers usually are curious as to whether the policy of the pa-

per will change. Politically, the Press will remain much the same…this paper, however, will in no sense be a political organ. Neither the Republican or the Democrats, the League of the IVA, the Socialists or Soviet has any strings on the Press. We will express our views on political matters from time to time in this column just as we will comment on other subjects of interest to people of this locality but we do not propose to harp on politics week after week. The primary object of the Press…will be to forward the welfare of the community in which it is located.”

However, Harry O’Brien was interested in politics. In 1934, he announced his candidacy for state representative. The Pierce County Tribune reported on O’Brien’s announcement, along with another big decision he had already made – that he “positively would refuse to kiss babies –except upon request.”

O’Brien was elected to the North Dakota House, and later moved to the Senate. He served until 1952, and

selected Rosamond to succeed him.

She served until 1960. Likewise, after his death, Rosamond took over his portion of the work and became the sole editor and publisher of the Walsh County Press. She also taught journalism at Walsh County High School, assisted with the publication of the school newspaper, was a member of the North Dakota Press Women, and was president of the Federation of Women’s Clubs.

The O’Briens were truly a North Dakota power couple.

Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from Humanities North Dakota. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic. org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic. org.

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A9

Cavalier County Senior Menu

Walhalla Senior Meals Menu

Monday, April 22 Beef Tips in Gravy/Egg Noodles/Green Beans/Fruit

Monday, April 22 Pork Chop with Mushroom Gravy•Mashed Potatoes•Carrots•Pineapple Chunks

Cavalier County Senior Meals & Services, Langdon

Tuesday, April 23 Cheese Ravioli in Meat Sauce/ Peas and Carrots/Brownie/Fruit Wednesday, April 24 Turkey, Dressing, and Gravy/ Mashed Potatoes/Corn/Cranberries/Ice Cream Thursday, April 25 Chicken Strip Wrap/House Salad/ Broccoli Salad/Pudding with Whipped Topping/Fruit Friday, April 26 Lemon Pepper Fish/Rice Pilaf/ Stewed Tomatoes/Fruit EBT/SNAP accepted.

Full cost of a meal: $8.00.

Suggested Donation: $5.50 for those over 60 years of age.

Please contribute what you can.

Those under 60 are required to pay the full cost of the meal.

Menus are subject to change.

Due to COVID-19, we have been experiencing shipping issues and food shortages.

Cavalier County Senior Meals & Services is located at 211 8th Ave. in Langdon and can be reached by phone at 256-2828.

Tuesday, April 23 Beef Enchiladas•Seasoned Black Beans•Corn•Fruit Crisp with Topping•No Bread Wednesday, April 24 Pork Roast with Gravy•Mashed Potatoes•Green Beans•Grapes Thursday, April 25 Lasagna•Green Beans•Fruit in Gelatin•1 WW Breadstick Friday, April 26 Swedish Meatballs•Mashed Potatoes•Peas•Tropical Fruit This is a menu for the Walhalla Title III Older Americans Act Food Program. The full cost of the meal is $10.00. Suggested donation for those 60 and older is $4.00.

EBT/SNAP accepted. Under 60 are required to pay $10.00. Meal site is Waters Family Restaurant, 1108 Central Ave., Walhalla. Call 701-549-2443 before 10:00 a.m. to place an order for congregate, pick up, or home delivered meals.

News

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page A10

Science Olympiad places at competition The varsity team took first place out of 13 teams.

Silver Winners - Varsity McKenna Schneider Jane Sillers Isabelle Olson Kartheek Chapara Kate Sillers Taryn Romfo Levi Swanson Brayden Harris

Junior Varsity Team pictured left to right: Mr. Andrew St. Vincent, Assistant Coach; Nadia Lewis, MaKayla Bartlett, Erika Bakke, Aubrey Badding, Izzy Vikan and Mrs. Linda Hope, Head Coach.

Not pictured: Maci Hoffarth, Fenja and Matilda Lawson.

The jr. varsity team took first place out of 11 teams.

Gold Medals Winners - Jr. Varsity Maci Hoffarth MaKayla Bartlett Fenja and Matilda Lawson Aubrey Badding Erika Bakke Izzy Vikan Silver Medal Winners - Jr. Varsity Matilda Lawson Nadia Lewis MaKayla Bartlett Maci Hoffarth Izzy Vikan Bronze Winners - Jr. Varsity MaKayla Bartlett Maci Hoffarth Aubrey Badding Erika Bakke Fenja Lawson Nadia Lewis Teams are coached by Linda Hope and assisted by Andrew St. Vincent.

Varsity Team front row: Mr. Andrew St. Vincent, Assistant Coach; Jane Sillers, Kate Sillers, McKenna Schneider, Mrs. Linda Hope, Head Coach. second row: Adam Hart, Isabelle Olson, Kartheek Chapara, Jacob Collier, Levi Swanson, Brayden Harris, Landon Welsh.

Not pictured: Taryn Romfo.

Former Lt. Governor, adamant columnist passes away ville. He first began serving in North Dakota politics in the 60s, acting as the state’s tax commissioner from 1963 to 1966.

Following the death of Lt. Gov. Ruth Meiers in 1987, Omdahl took up the role and won a second term alongside Gov. George Sinner in 1988. The duo were the last Democrats to serve within the Gov. and Lt. Gov. positions.

Outside of politics, Omdahl also taught political science at the University of North Dakota. He maintained a weekly newspaper column called “North Dakota Matters,” which he wrote until days before his On Sunday, 93-year-old Lloyd Omdahl, a former Lt. Governor of North Dakota, passed away.

Omdahl originally hailed from northeast North Dakota, growing up in Walsh County in the small town of Conway just a few miles east of Ford-

Game and Fish updates

Tagging studies offer insight into fisheries The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will be conducting numerous tagging studies on walleye populations across the state over the next several years to gain a better understanding of how anglers are utilizing these fisheries. This year, walleye tagging efforts will occur at Coal, Twin, Coe and West Napoleon lakes. These studies will provide information that will enable the Department fisheries managers to provide the best fisheries possible for the state’s anglers to enjoy. Anglers will play a vital role in these studies and are encouraged to report any tagged fish they encounter by logging in to their Game and Fish account or using the “tagged fish reporting” feature on the Department’s website gf.nd.gov.

Gold Winners - Varsity McKenna Schneider Kate Sillers Levi Swanson Brayden Harris Adam Hart Jacob Collier Jane Sillers

Bronze Winners - Varsity Brayden Harris Levi Swanson Jacob Collier McKenna Schneider Kate Sillers Taryn Romfo Adam Hart

The Borderland Press

passing.

In a press statement, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum commended Omdahl, saying the state was “deeply grateful for his service and commitment to the citizens of North Dakota.”

Paddlefish Snagging Season Opens May 1 North Dakota’s paddlefish season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through May 21. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.

Paddlefish tags are available for purchase online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, at license vendors, and during business hours at Game and Fish Department offices in Bismarck, Dickinson, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Lonetree (Harvey) and Williston.

Snaggers buying tags online have the option to have the tag mailed or can stop at a district office and pick it up during business hours. Those purchasing a tag at a vendor or having it mailed should plan accordingly and allow for a few days for delivery.

All paddlefish snaggers must possess a paddlefish tag, in addition to a valid fishing license for anyone 16 and older. Cost of a paddlefish tag is $10 for residents and $25.50 for nonresidents. Lost or destroyed tags will not be replaced.

The Game and Fish Department will allow camping during the open paddlefish season at Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area Pumphouse and at Neu’s Point WMA. However, no roads or gates will be

open at Neu’s Point, therefore camping is allowed in the small Neu’s Point parking lot and the rest of the WMA for walk-in access. All other WMA regulations apply. Outdoor enthusiasts are urged to be aware of the current fire index.

For more information on the paddlefish snagging season, snaggers should refer to the Game and Fish website.

Earth Day Patch Contest Winners The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced the winners of the 2024 Earth Day Patch Contest. Over 2,000 students from 100 schools entered this year’s contest. Winners in three age categories are Ella Haagenson, Leeds (K-4); Isla Anderson, St. Johns Academy, Jamestown (5-8); and Deegan Kierschemann, Barnes County North, Wimbledon (9-12). Haagenson’s design was chosen as the overall winner and will be made into the 2024 Earth Day patch.

Youth and adults who participate in cleaning up public lands receive the 2024 patch to celebrate Earth Day and their service. Projects that qualify for the Earth Day patch include refuse pick-up on local, state or federal properties and landscaping on public property including planting trees, bushes and pollinator plants. Groups participating in the service projects are encouraged to take the following precautions to ensure their safety: keep young people away from highways, lakes and rivers, and only allow older participants to pick up broken glass or sharp objects. Participants are asked to contact Sherry Niesar at 701-527-3714 or sniesar@nd.gov to receive a patch.

>>>Spring Sports Lady Cards softball team opens season with two wins

By Jake Kulland

The Langdon-Edmore-Munich girls softball team got their third season as a program underway.

They played a home game in Munich versus Northern Lights on April 11 then met Pembina County North in Langdon on April 12. The Cardinals got two

wins, routing NL 33-0 then holding on to win a close game over the Grizzlies 4-3. The Lady Cards are 2-0 and had a jamboree with May-Port-C-G and Larimore in Mayville postponed by rain on April 16 but are scheduled to play at Midway-Minto on April 19.

They will then have a rematch with

PCN in Cavalier on April 22. The Cardinals will also play at Des Lacs-Burlington April 26-27. Here is a recap of their first two games of the year: Langdon-Edmore-Munich 33, Northern Lights 0 The Munich Magic was definitely in the air when the Cards met the Northern Lights team, which is a co-op between Rolla, Rolette and St. John, at Edgar Westphal Field. McKenna Schneider, Jalynn Swanson and Tallia Johnston each had four hits in the win, while Raeleigh Ratzlaff and Kenadee Cluchie had three apiece. All told - the Cardinals had 21 hits overall. Swanson and Cluchie each hit two home runs, while Schneider, Johnston, Mikaela Olson and Meredith Romfo also had round trippers, all inside the park. A 17 run fourth inning put the game away.

Johnston also had a nice day on the mound, allowing just two hits in five innings pitched while striking out five and walking one batter. Swanson led the team with six runs batted in. Johnston had five RBIs, plus Romfo scored five runs on the day.

Kenadee Cluchie with a catch behind the plate in the Cards' win over Bottineau.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

LANGDON-EDMORE-MUNICH 33, NORTHERN LIGHTS 0 NL --000 00 -- 0 2 4 LEM -- 475 (17)X -- 33 21 3 WP -- Tallia Johnston; LP -- Kendra Wibe Highlights -- LEM: Johnson 4x4 HR 5 RBIs, Jalynn Swanson 4x6 2 HR 6 RBIs, Kenadee Cluchie 3x3 2 HR 2 RBIs, McKenna Schneider 4x4 HR 2B 3 RBIs, Raeleigh Ratzlaff 3x4 3 RBIs, Meredith Romfo 2x4 HR 3 RBIs; NL: Wibe 1x2 Langdon-Edmore-Munich 4, Pembina County North 3 Things were quite a bit different for the Cards when they met the Grizzlies.

PCN jumped out to a 3-0 lead, which included a two-run single by Caitlyn Johnson in the third inning. The Cards would come back, as Raeleigh Ratzlaff had a bunt single to bring in a run in the bottom of the third followed by a two-run, inside the park home run

by Meredith Romfo to tie the game.

Jalynn Swanson connects for a base hit in the Cards' win over Bottineau in Munich.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Tallia Johnston delivers a strike to a Bottineau player. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Raeleigh Ratzlaff bunts to score a teammate in Munich against Bottineau.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the sixth when Jalynn Swanson cracked an inside the park homer to give the Cardinals their first lead. The Grizzlies had runners on late in the game, but the Cards defense, which had four errors on the afternoon, came up with the plays needed to win the game.

Tallia Johnston battled through six walks on the mound and got the win.

Swanson had two hits to lead Langdon-Edmore-Munich. Romfo had two runs batted in. Nora Crosby had two

Heavenly Janis beats the ball to the plate to score a run for the Cards.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Coach Murphy sends Mikaela Olson on to home base to score another run for the Cards.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

hits for the Grizzlies.

LANGDON-EDMORE-MUNICH 4, PEMBINA COUNTY NORTH 3 PCN -102 000 0 -- 3 6 2 LEM -003 020 x -- 4 6 4 WP -- Tallia Johnston; LP -- Sara Jensen

Highlights -- LEM: Jalynn Swanson 2x3 HR RBI, Meredith Romfo 1x3 HR 2 RBIs, Raeleigh Ratzlaff 1x3 RBI; Nora Crosby 2x3, Caitlyn Johnson 1x4 2 RBIs, Colbie Furstenau 1x3 RBI

It certainly does not feel like golf season as we type these words, but better times are coming. The courses in Langdon, Walhalla and Pembina are either open for the season or very close to doing so. Tuesday Men’s League will begin at the Langdon Country Club the latter part of May. As in years past, shifts will be at 3:30 and 6:00pm. To get your 2-man team signed up, please call or text Randy Hill at 701-370-118. Spots will fill up fast for both shifts. The LCC will also host a Region 3 Boys Golf Meet on April 25. The Walhalla Country Club will host the boys regional meet on May 7.

Cardinals boys baseball and girls softball teams have gotten off to a great start to their 2024 seasons. In baseball, the Cards are 4-0 and are coming off a huge win over a very good Grafton team on April 15. The Cards will have their first game at home in Langdon on April 22 in another league game versus another nice squad - Park River Area. We will have the game on KNDK 1080 and online through myborderland.com. Meanwhile, the Lady Cards softball team is 2-0 and won a big rivalry game over Pembina County North (which unfortunately has no North Border girls on the varsity by the way) on April 12 and will play PCN again in Cavalier on April 22. Best of luck to both our local baseball and softball teams, and let’s hope they can keep it up.

Meredith Romfo gets safely on base against Bottineau. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Jake’s Take on Sports

By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor

the time of this writing has caused a halt to outdoor spring activities for a couple of days. Rain and cold temperatures, along with a possible dusting of snow, has shut baseball, softball, track, and golf down, but at least this is not like the last two years when we had blizzards in both 2022 and 2023! Langdon was scheduled to host a track meet on April 18, but that got canceled, another one is coming, which will be discussed shortly. The best thing about all of this is that we were looking at just over a half inch of rain, which is great news for everyone ready to put the crop in if they haven’t started already.

Weather puts a pause on the spring sports action, but it could be worse We begin this week by, of course, talking about the weather, which at

Cardinal Invite Track Meet coming on April 25 While one track meet in Langdon got canceled, there is another coming up on April 25, which is the Cardinal In-

vite. This is the only meet going on in the area that day, so the potential for it being a pretty big one is there.

Volunteer help is needed, and if you could lend a hand for a variety of duties, please contact the Langdon Area High School at 701-256-5291. Pembina County North is also hosting a varsity and JV meet on April 23. For the upcoming weekend, both teams will run at an indoor meet in Grand Forks on April 19 and possibly an outdoor meet in Mayville on April 20 if the weather gets better. A shout out to the Cardinals Cody Amble, who qualified for the State Track Meet with a qualifying run in the 200 meters last week.

Langdon Country Club begins Tuesday Men’s League signup; will host a high school boys meet April 25

Cardinals baseball and softball teams open the season undefeated We will leave you this week by saying that the Langdon-Edmore-Munich

“See ya!” next week!

Sports

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B2

The Borderland Press

Cards move record to 4-0 with wild baseball win at Grafton

By Jake Kulland

After playing three non-conference games to start the season with wins over Hazen, Beulah and Bottineau, the Langdon-Edmore-Munich Cardinals high school baseball team took to the road for their first Region 4 contest of the 2024 season at Grafton on April 15. In a back and forth game from start to finish, the Cards came away with a 6-4 win. The Cardinals are now 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in regional games. They were to play at home in Langdon versus Midway-Minto on April 18, but weather postponed that game to April 29.

Langdon-Edmore-Munich is scheduled to play at Rugby for games with the Panthers and Beulah on April 20 then will host Park River Area in another big region game in Langdon on April 22.

In their game at Grafton, rain showers pushed the start back a half hour.

The Spoilers took advantage of the two Cardinal errors in the second inning and scored a run on a suicide squeeze bunt by Braylon Baldwin. The Cards would respond with two runs in the third after Cole Welsh singled and came home on a triple to center by Mason Romfo, who came in to score himself on an RBI groundout by Theo Romfo. After Grafton scratched out another run in the bottom of the inning, Welsh and Romfo singled in the fifth with Welsh coming in on a sacrifice fly from Theo Romfo to give the Cards the lead back at 3-2.

Jax Johnson with a catch for a 3rd out in the win over the Grafton Spoilers.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Theo Romfo stares at home plate and fires a strike against a Spoiler player.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Tyson Gemmill delivers the last strike out to clinch the Cards' win over Spoilers in Grafton.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Landon Schneider connects for a base hit in the Cards' win in Grafton on April 15.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Kadyn Hein has his glove ready as the Spoiler and the ball race to second base.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Coach Krivarchka signals Cole Welsh around 3rd plate on to home base to score another run in the Cards' win over the Spoilers. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Mason Romfo makes a great catch at the fence in center field in Grafton April 15 in the Cards' win. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Grafton would get the help of more Cardinals errors in the fifth to grab a 4-3, which set up a fantastic finish in the seventh. Sam Davis smacked a triple over an outfield that was playing too shallow and was later followed by a two-run triple by Mason Romfo, who later scored on a wild pitch by Spoilers ace pitcher Tony Villareal. Tyson Gemmill came on in relief of Theo Romfo on the mound in the sixth, and despite allowing two base runners in the bottom of the seventh, he got a fly out to right field to end the game.

Mason Romfo finished the game going 3 for 4 at the plate with two extra base hits and three runs batted in.

Welsh and Kadyn Hein also had two hits for the Cards. Gemmill got the win on the mound, and Theo Romfo started the game and struck out seven batters in five innings while giving up no earned runs in a no-decision.

LANGDON-EDMORE-MUNICH 6, GRAFTON 4 LEM --002 010 3 -- 6 9 6 G --011 102 0 -- 4 4 0 WP -- Tyson Gemmill; LP -- Tony Villareal Highlights -- LEM: Mason Romfo 3x4 2 3B 3 RBIs, Theo Romfo 7 Ks 2 RBIs, Cole Welsh 2x3, Kadyn Hein 2x4 2B; G: Ryan Hanson 2x3 2 RBIs, Villareal 2x4 2B

Borderland BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Real Estate Broker

Meats

The Borderland Press

Sports

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B3

Langdon-Edmore-Munich Track and Field results Grafton Spoiler Outdoor Meet - Friday, April 12

BOYS - 6TH PLACE Performer of the Meet: Cody Amble 1st Place – Cody Amble - 200m - 22.97 - State Qualifier, Personal Best 2nd Place - Cody Amble - 100m - 11.65 - personal best 2nd Place - Cody Amble - triple jump - 40’3 4th Place - Tanner McDonald - triple jump - 39’1 4th Place - Jacob Lowery - disc - 124’3 - Personal Best 5th Place - Nick Kingzett - long jump - 18’5 1/2 5th Place - Caleb McDonald - triple jump - 34’1 6th Place - Tanner McDonald - 400m - 54.87 6th Place - Cody Amble - long jump - 18’5 6th Place - Eli Johnson - high jump - 5’4 7th Place - Noah Foster - 3200m - 11:21.28 - Personal Best 8th Place - Evan Hall, Miles Fincher, Caleb McDonald, Eli Johnson - 4x200 Relay - 1:45.03

Evan Hall had a throw of 105 feet in the javelin throw. Photo by Larry Stokke.

GIRLS Performer of the Meet: Aubrey Badding

Caleb McDonald hands the baton to Eli Johnson, and along with teammates Evan Hall and Miles Fincher, took 8th Place in the 4x200 relay in Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

1st Place – Aubrey Badding - long jump - 16 ¼ - Personal Best 2nd Place - Aubrey Badding - 400m - 1:02:30 - Personal Best 3rd Place - Aubrey Badding - high jump - 4’10 - Season Best 4th Place - Aubrey Badding - triple jump - 32’11 - Personal Best 5th Place - Olivia Lorenz - 3200m - 13:16 - Season Best 6th Place - Olivia Lorenz - 1600m - 5:59 - Season Best 6th Place - Christine Joyner - disc - 97’3 - Personal Best 7th Place - Meggy Hetletved - 300 hurdles - 53.14 - Personal Best 8th Place - Christine Joyner - shot put - 32’1 - Personal Best 8th Place - Taya Feist - 400 hurdles - 54.16 - Personal Best Taya Feist finished 16th in the 400 meter run.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Miles Fincher placed 13th in the 300 meter hurdles at the Grafton Invitational.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Olivia Lorenz finished 5th in the 3200 Meter Run. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Aubrey Badding with a jump of 4' 10" placed 3rd on April 12 in Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Tanner McDonald with a long jump of 18.6' placed 4th in Grafton on April 12. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Cody Amble with a triple jump of 40' 3" placed 2nd at the Grafton meet.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B4

Sports

The Borderland Press

Pembina County North Track and Field results Grafton Spoiler Outdoor Track Meet in Grafton - Friday, April 12

BOYS: 100m -- Jesse Eisenbeis 4th, 11.70; Weston Cosley 7th, 12.01 200m -- Eisenbeis 4th, 23.45 800m -- Mason Heller, 2:17.82 1600m -- Nash Fitzsimonds 8th, 5:05.18 3200m -- Fitzsimonds 8th, 11:16.52 4x100 relay -- 3rd, Eisenbeis, Cosley, Tage Holmquist, Cameron Kissiah 4x200 relay -- 4th, Eisenbeis, Cosley, Holmquist, Kissiah 4x400 relay -- 8th, Garret Willits, Heller, Lance Santiago, Gunder Kemp 4x800 relay -- 2nd, Heller, Fitzsimonds, Kemp, Owen Crosby

GIRLS: 800 -- Emersen Helgoe 3rd 5:54.41 1600 Helgoe 3rd, 5:54.41 4x200 Relay 7th, Manley Longtine, Marlie Stremick, Jaylynn Stegman 4x800 5th Stremick, Helgoe, Delaney Denault, Charlotte Crowston High Jump Megan Misson 5th, 4'10" Pole Vault Adde Manley 5th, 7'0" Long jump Audriey Longtine 8th 14'5.5"

Charlotte Crowston crossing the finish line in the 100 meter dash at the Grafton meet.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Audriey Longtine placed 8th in the long jump in Grafton on April 12. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Jaylynn Stegman had a jump of 13' 3/4" in the long jump at the Grafton Invitational Meet.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Megan Misson took 5th Place in the high jump at the Grafton meet with a jump of 4’ 10”.

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Delaney DeNault, along with teammates Marlie Stremick, Charlotte Crowston, and Emerson Helgoe, took 5th place in the 4x800 Relay in Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Tage Holmquest hands off the baton to Weston Cosley, who along with teammates Cameron Kissiah and Jesse Eisenbeis, placed 3rd in the 4x 100 Relay. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Health Tip

Provided by Cavalier County Health District Misinformation about vaping is everywhere. Know the facts.

Vaping can cause irreversible lung damage and affect kids’ brain development. Talk to your kids about the dangers of vaping. When good communication exists, kids take fewer risks.

The Borderland Press

Sports

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B5

North Border holds Fall and Winter Sports Banquet North Border holds fall and winter sports banquet

Cardinals 5th and 6th grade volleyball Submitted photos. plays Grafton

Awards were given to players in girls basketball, volleyball, football, and boys basketball.

Girls Basketball: Most Improved: Jaelyn Johnson Taelyn Dunnigan: Top Free Throw Percentage, Eagle Award Keira Moore: Most Steals, Most Blocks, Most rebounds, Most Assists, Best Defender, All District Jenna Fraser: Best Offensive player, MVP, All District, All Region

Award winners for Boys Basketball are Brody Berg, Colton Bailly, Kaden Moore, Kade Schafer, Grant Cosley, and Grayson Ohmann.

Katie Volk: Most Improved, Most Rebounds Volleyball: Most kills, most blocks, most digs: Keira Moore Most assists, most aces: Jenna Fraser Most Improved: Jaelyn Johnson Chloe Koons digs the ball from the back row against Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Eagle Award: Megan Misson Football: Eagle Award: Luka Carpenter All Region Honorable Mention: Brody Berg and Weston Cosley

Award winners for Football are Brody Berg, Grant Cosley, Weston Cosley, Grayson Ohmann, and Luka Carpenter.

All Region: Grant Cosley and Grayson Ohmann Boys Basketball: Mr. Practice: Colton Bailly Top Rebounder: Brody Berg Most Improved: Kade Schafer Kaden Moore: Top Free Throw Percentage, All District Grant Cosley: Hustle Award, All District, All Region Grayson Ohmann: Top Defender, All District, Eagle Award

Best of the Best

Colby Forest with a dig against Grafton on April 11. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Award winners for Girls Basketball are Jenna Fraser, Jaelyn Johnson, Taelyn Dunnigan, and Keira Moore.

Award winners for Volleyball are Jenna Fraser, Jaelyn Johnson, and Keira Moore.

Sophia Vikan serves the ball over the net in the Cards' win over Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Halle Overby returns the ball for a point against Grafton. Photo by Larry Stokke.

Public Notices

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B6

Munich Public School Board Minutes April 9, 2024 | Unapproved Minutes

The Munich Public School board meeting was called to order by Chairperson Susan Harder at 7:00 A.M. The school board members that were present: Bobby Foster, Kelan Goeser, Kelly Haaven, Kelly Hall, Susan Harder and Chris Pankratz. Jason Wirth was absent. Also present Robert Bubach, Curt Kram, Tim Polansky and Lois Tohm.

Kelan Goeser made a motion to approve the agenda with adding Summer School to New Business and Activity Bus to Transportation. Bobby Foster seconded. Motion carried.

Chris Pankratz made a motion to approve the March school board minutes. Kelan Goeser seconded. Motion carried.

Bobby Foster made a motion to approve the bills for payment. Kelly Haaven seconded. Motion carried.

Kelan Goeser made a motion to approve the financial reports. Kelly Haaven seconded. Motion carried.

Chris Pankratz made a motion to approve Summer School for 2024 with the salary of $27.50 an hour. Kelly Hall seconded. Motion carried.

Kelly Haaven made a motion to approve the raises and positions for Robert Bubach’s contract for Superintendent/Science Teacher, Curt Kram’s contract for Elementary Principal/ Counselor and Timothy Polansky’s contract for High School Principal/ Math Teacher. Kelan Goeser seconded. Motion carried.

Kelly Haaven made a motion to approve Danielle Foster’s contract for Special Education Para-Professional

Munich Public School Sports Coop Minutes

April 9, 2024 | Unapproved Minutes The Munich Public School Sports Coop meeting was called to order by Superintendent Robert Bubach at 8:46 A.M. Robert Bubach, Bobby Foster, Kelan Goeser, Kelly Haaven, Kelly Hall, Chris Pankratz, Tim Polansky and Lois Tohm were present.

Discussion was held on the Sports Coop.

Bobby Foster made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 A.M. Kelly Haaven seconded. Motion carried.

Respectively Submitted, Chairperson Business Manager

to match the substitution pay, and to give a 5% raise to the rest of the ancillary staff. (Kerna Gjesdal, Kim Miles, Steph McArthur, Darlene Morstad, Lisa Myers, Marney Pankratz, Danny Salazar and Lois Tohm. Chris Pankratz seconded. Motion carried.

Bobby Foster made a motion to approve the Graduating Class of 2024.

Kelly Hall seconded. Motion carried.

(Dexter Biby, Josie Estenson, Nickolas Kingzett, Emmy Pankratz and Levi Woodrow.)

Chris Pankratz made a motion to rescind the Website Accessibility Concerns, Complaints and Grievances Policy (ABDA-BR2). Kelly Haaven seconded. Motion carried.

Bobby Foster made a motion to approve the First Reading of the Accessibility for People with Disabilities Policy (ABDA), Student Alcohol & Other Drug Use/Abuse Policy (FFA), Title Programs Dispute Resolution Procedure Policy (GABDB) and the Website Accessibility Policy (ABDA-BR1). Kelan Goeser seconded. Motion carried.

Kelly Haaven made a motion to approve the contract for Kaitlyn Amble.

Kelly Hall seconded. Motion carried.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00 A.M. Chris Pankratz made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 A.M. Bobby Foster seconded. Motion carried.

Respectively Submitted, Chairperson Business Manager Received by The Borderland Press on April 11th, 2024.

ACCEPTING BIDS

The Lebanon Cemetery is accepting bids for the 2024 season for lawn care. The winning bid will provide their own resources for mowing and trimming the cemetery. The season runs approximately from May to October.

Bids must be submitted by April 27th, 2024. The winning bid will be notified

by May 1st, 2024. Please send bids to: Lebanon Cemetery, P.O. Box 221, Langdon, ND. 58249.

Walhalla Country Club Annual Meeting Tuesday April 23rd @ 7pm @ the Club EVERYONE WELCOME

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS APRON PAVEMENT REHABILITATION ROBERTSON FIELD AIRPORT LANGDON, NORTH DAKOTA AIP PROJECT NO. 3-38-0031-0202024 Sealed bids, subject to the conditions contained herein, for improvements to the Robertson Field Airport, Langdon, North Dakota, AIP Project No. 3-38-0031-020-2024 will be received by the Langdon Airport Authority at the Mead & Hunt Fargo Office, 2505 N. University Drive, Suite 100, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, until 10:00 AM local time on April 26, 2024, and then publicly opened and read aloud.

Project work consists of but is not limited to the following: Base Bid: Apron Pavement Rehabilitation will consist of crack sealing, catch basin casting installation, and concrete.

Construction for this project shall be completed by October 31, 2024, for all bid schedules and alternates.

The complete set of Plans, Specifications, and Contract Documents can be obtained for a non-refundable fee of $200.00 at the office of Mead & Hunt, Inc. located at 2505

N. University Drive, Suite 100, Fargo, ND 58102 or may be downloaded for a fee of $25 at www.questcdn.com #9054772. Those wishing to download the bidding documents electronically, do so at their own risk for completeness of the bidding documents.

Each bid must be accompanied by a separate envelope containing the contractor's license and bid security. The bid security must be in a sum equal to five percent of the full amount of the bid and must be in the form of a bidder's bond. A bidder's bond must be executed by the bidder as principal and by a surety, conditioned that if the principal's bid is accepted and the contract awarded to the principal, the principal, within ten days after notice of the award, shall execute a contract in accordance with the terms of the bid and the bid bond and any condition of the governing body. If a successful bidder does not execute a contract within the ten days allowed, the bidder's bond must be forfeited to the governing body and the project awarded to the next lowest responsible bidder.

The airport reserves the right to reject any and all bids and rebid the project.

No bid will be read or considered if the bid does not fully comply with the

bidding requirements. Deficient bids will be resealed and returned to the bidder.

The award of the contract is subject to approval of the Federal Aviation Administration and availability of federal funding. See instruction to bidders for additional information. The following Federal Provisions are required: Affirmative Action Requirement, 41 CFR Part 60-04 & Executive Order 11246 Civil Rights – Title VI Assurance, 49 USC 47123 & FAA Order 1400.11 Disadvantage Business Enterprise, 49 CFR Part 26 Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 USC § 201, et seq & 2 CFR § 200.430 Foreign Trade Restriction, 49 USC § 50104 & 49 CFR Part 30 The full text of the above provisions can be found in the bid documents or will be provided by request.

Any questions regarding bids are to be directed to: Mead & Hunt, Inc. Address: 2505 N. University Drive, Suite 100, Fargo, ND 58102 Phone: 1-701-566-6450 Advertised on: April 5th, 12th and 19th 2024

The Borderland Press

Public Notices

The Borderland Press

Cavalier County Commission Proceedings On April 2, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. the Board of Commissioners of Cavalier County, North Dakota, met at the Cavalier County Courthouse in regular session, with all members present.

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance. Chairman David Zeis called the meeting to order and proceeded as follows: Zeis asked if there were any changes to the agenda.

Austin Lafrenz made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Greg Goodman; motion carried. Stanley Dick made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Greg Goodman; motion carried. Vicki Kubat, Recorder, met with the commissioners and requested closing the courthouse for the four hours it is scheduled to be open on Friday, July 5th. Austin Lafrenz made a motion to approve the request, seconded by Greg Goodman, motion carried. Greg Goodman visited with the commission regarding proposed salary increases for the upcoming budgets. It was decided that the department heads will bring a proposal to the commission for discussion at the next commission meeting; the following meeting the commissioners will decide what the departments should put in the budgets for salary increases for 2025; with the final salary approval at the budget hearing in September. Terry Johnston, Road Supervisor, met with the commissioners and reviewed the project updates from KLJ. There was discussion on plans for gravel, drainage, and dust control for County 55 through the gorge for this summer.

Load limits were discussed and it was decided to continue to wait until the state puts load limits on. There was discussion on remaining FEMA funds for each district, as well as gravel budgets. It was decided that the road department would use their discretion for use of the gravel budget beyond the planned gravel maintenance lifts.

The closing on the shop in the Langdon industrial park was completed.

Johnston was asked to get insurance put on the shop and get the utilities switched. The following department updates were given to the commissioners: Angelo Mondragon, State’s Attorney; Shannon Duerr, JDA; Karen Kempert, Emergency Manager/911 Coordinator; Katie Henry and Bailey Reiser, NDSU Extension; Josh Plummer, Maintenance; and Matt Wright, Sheriff. Greg Goodman made a motion, seconded by Stanley Dick to review and approve the following audit of claims; motion carried: NDACTVSO | $60.00 | VSO R. SCOTT STEWART TRUST ACCOUNT | $558,000.00 | R&B R SCOTT STEWART TRUST ACCOUNT | $ 45,000.00 | R&B R. SCOTT STEWART TRUST ACCOUNT | $ 800.00 | R&B ND STATE TAX COMMISSIONER | $ 2,858.85 | QUARTERLY JOB SERVICE OF NORTH DAKOTA | $1,894.74 | QUARTERLY WAYNE & SUSAN GRATTON | $71.53 | ABATEMENT WAYNE & SUSAN GRATTON | $89.54 | ABATEMENT ND STATE TREASURER | $788.56 | FEES ND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT | $120,927.66 | HEALTH INS ND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT | $1,089.68 | RETIREMENT COMPUTER EXPRESS | $1,400.00 | MISC DAVID J. ZEIS | $328.30 | COMM STANLEY DICK | $483.91 | COMM ND COUNTY COMMISSION ASSOC | $100.00 | COMM VICKI KUBAT | $93.80 | REC BUSINESS ESSENTIALS | $397.96 | AUD BUSINESS ESSENTIALS | $82.86 | TREAS BORDERLAND PRESS, INC. | $184.04 | COMM BORDERLAND PRESS, INC. | $762.82 | COMM ADVANCED BUSINESS METHODS

| $558.38 | CLERK LANGDON HARDWARE & RENTAL | $295.33 | MAINT MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES | $1,776.60 | MAINT MOSTAD INSURANCE SERVICES | $60,750.00 | MISC COMPUTER EXPRESS | $1,150.00 | SHERIFF ADVANCED BUSINESS METHODS | $193.74 | SHERIFF AT&T MOBILITY | $1,143.32 | SHERIFF LAKE REGION LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER | $4,950.00 | SHERIFF STREICHER'S | $ 47.99 | SHERIFF CAVALIER COUNTY ABSTRACT | $ 341.00 | R&B MONDRAGON LAW OFFICE | $ 400.00 | R&B RAZOR TRACKING, INC. | $325.00 | R&B NORTHEAST REGIONAL WATER | $ 89.25 | R&B ALSEN FARMER'S ELEVATOR | $122.22 | R&B FARMERS UNION OIL OF DEVILS LAKE | $ 1,505.66 | R&B BUTLER MACHINERY CO. | $ 3,017.16 | R&B HOME OF ECONOMY | $ 59.98 | R&B ADAM WEBER | $ 180.00 | R&B JAMES RADEMACHER | $ 180.00 | R&B SHAWN AMUNDSON | $180.00 | R&B NICHOLAS LILL | $ 120.00 | R&B STEVE AMES | $ 180.00 | R&B MATTHEW HEIL | $ 360.00 | R&B VERIZON WIRELESS | $ 47.50 | EMG MGR KATIE HENRY | $ 427.46 | NDSU EXT. BAILEY REISER | $ 266.84 | NDSU EXT. NDSU - DEPT 3110 | $ 120.00 | NDSU EXT. BUSINESS ESSENTIALS | $ 38.49 | NDSU EXT. ADVANCED BUSINESS METHODS | $ 204.97 | NDSU EXT. AMERICAN INCOME LIFE INSURANCE | $ 8.00 | NDSU EX TR LEEVERS FOODS | $ 3.99 | NDSU EX TR LEEVERS FOODS | $ 20.15 | NDSU EX TR D & B MOTORS, INC. | $ 221.92 | WEED OTTER TAIL POWER CO | $ 39.72 | WEED MARCOTTE BUILDER'S SUPPLY CO. | $50.00 | WEED MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES | $86.41 | WEED CARQUEST OF LANGDON | $404.96 | WEED SPORTS & SHIRTS | $411.00 | WEED CAVALIER COUNTY AUDITOR | $25.61 | WEED FORESTRY SUPPLIERS | $1,567.27 | WEED MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES | $143.03 | SS OTTER TAIL POWER CO | $142.21 | SS THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE | $141.00 | NVHSZ PEMBINA COUNTY AUDITOR/ TREAS | $68.26 | NVHSZ GLOBAL SAFETY NETWORK | $325.45 | NVHSZ SANFORD HEALTH OCC MED CLINIC | $105.00 | NVHSZ LERNA PAULSON | $58.29 | NVHSZ MADISON PRITCHARD | $244.00 | NVHSZ WINDWOOD ESTATES | $945.76 | NVHSZ D & B MOTORS, INC. | $146.18 | NVHSZ US POSTAL SERVICE | $119.20 | NVHSZ RORY JOHNSON | $600.00 | NVHSZ KNDK | $152.00 | NVHSZ WALSH CO SHERIFFS OFFICE | $28.00 | NVHSZ ADVANCED BUSINESS METHODS | $400.72 | NVHSZ TOLLEFSON FUNERAL HOME | $3,500.00 | NVHSZ QUADIENT FINANCE USA, INC | $190.44 | NVHSZ At 12:40 p.m., Greg Goodman made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Austin Lafrenz; motion carried.

Cavalier County, North Dakota David J. Zeis – Chairman Attest: Lisa Gellner – Auditor Received by The Borderland Press on 4/16/2024

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B7

Cont’d. From Page A3 Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years; infringement on copyright. However, the ruling fell short of requiring equipment manufacturers to make their diagnostic tools publicly available.

Customer tools leave much to be desired With nearly 6 million members nationally and 400,000 in Illinois, the American Farm Bureau Federation is the largest organization of farm and ranch families in the country and a powerful agriculture industry lobbying group. (The Census of Agriculture counts about 3 million farmers total in the U.S.; the farm bureau invites non-farmers to apply to be members.)

The organization has drawn the ire of repair advocates over the memorandum of understanding.

The 2023 MOU was brokered between the farm bureau, John Deere, CNH Industrial, CLAAS, AGCO, and Kubota. The companies agreed to release customer diagnostic tools, which range in annual subscriptions, for example, between $1,500 from CNH to $3,100 from John Deere.

Repair advocates with the Public Interest Research Group, a federation of nonprofits focused on consumer protection issues, compared the John Deere customer tool to the authorized company tool, and said the customer version leaves much to be desired.

That is why state or federal regulation is required, advocates argue.

PIRG Director Nathan Proctor said he took it personally when he saw the differences. “It was almost like (the customer’s tool) is redacted or obfuscated,” he said.

The tool provides a lot of information, Proctor said, but it’s inferior compared to what dealers have, and requires customers to go through extra steps in order to accurately diagnose issues and clear codes once the repair is complete. This leaves independent technicians and farmers at an unfair advantage in the market of equipment repair, he said.

“Essentially, the dealers have a privileged level of access,” said O’Reilly, former right-to-repair campaign director for PIRG. “They can get through a digital door to press a button that you need to press in order to fix the thing, and farmers either don’t have access to that door, the door was locked, or they had to go through three, six, nine different doors just to get to the same place that the dealer was able to get to, right away.”

troduced in Illinois in 2018. It would have applied to a broad category of electronic equipment, including electric wheelchairs, laptops, smart phones, and medical equipment, had it passed. After lining up nine bipartisan co-sponsors and hearing debate, it died on the House floor. It was opposed by numerous associations and large agribusinesses, including John Deere and CNH. The company’s rapid technological innovations over the past decade coincided with an aggressive merger and acquisition strategy, which the federal government has said erodes competition. Deere has acquired multiple machine learning and artificial intelligence companies over the last decade and recently announced a partnership with SpaceX, all but dissolving the categorical differences between Big Tech and Big Ag. These trends worry elected officials in the White House and around the country. In 2021, President Biden issued an executive order promoting competition and targeting repair restrictions that violate antitrust laws.

The order was supported by the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces federal consumer protection laws.

In 2023, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of attorney generals around the country urging Congress to pass right-to-repair legislation, specifically for farm equipment. And 15 states are currently considering right-to-repair bills that cover agriculture equipment, after Colorado passed the first in the country in 2023.

Why groups oppose legislation Equipment manufacturers and private business interest groups such as the Illinois Chamber of Commerce have spent the past seven years lobbying against proposed right-to-repair legislation in Illinois, according to witness slip records on the state’s General Assembly website. They’re concerned about safety and emissions tampering, whether intentional or accidental, according to those records.

A spokesperson for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers said in a written statement to Investigate Midwest that current legislative proposals go further than what is safe and could “increase the likelihood of cybersecurity attacks on equipment…and leave equipment vulnerable to untrained or unauthorized parties looking to steal or use it for an unintended purpose.”

PIRG focused their study solely on Deere tools because of the company’s dominance in the market. “When people think of agriculture or farming, John Deere is one of the first brands that comes to mind,” O’Reilly said.

“They definitely have a level of dominance both as far as in the market but culturally as well.”

Mark Denzler, president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, said that he’s not opposed to farmers repairing their equipment, he’s opposed to modifications. “You can get in and either accidentally or intentionally, for example, change coding, and suddenly you're emitting past what you're supposed to.”

Only three companies control the highly concentrated U.S. market for agricultural equipment — CNH, AGCO and Deere — and Deere commands nearly half of that. Globally, Deere controls a quarter of the market share of all ag equipment sales worldwide.

Farmers, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates emissions standards, say this isn’t the point of repair advocacy.

An influential giant in agricultural equipment The first right-to-repair bill was in-

The EPA sent a letter to the National Farmers Union in August 2023 stating that the Clean Air Act and the EPA’s policies of implementing regulations are “aligned in preventing tampering, not by limiting access to independent

repair, but rather by enforcing the prohibition against tampering against any party that does so.”

“We're not looking to turn our tractors into hot rods and soup them up,” said Lieb, the central Illinois corn and soybean farmer. “We need them for longevity, and when you start turning up horsepower and messing with things that they're not designed to do, inevitably, you're going to shorten the lifespan.”

‘The people calling for change are farmers’ Last October, members of the National Farmers Union, an organization representing 200,000 farmers and ranchers across the U.S., went to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers about the impact of what they say are monopolies in the ag sector.

Mike Stranz, vice president of advocacy at National Farmers Union, said that passing right-to-repair legislation will bring more competition, openness and transparency to the market for farm equipment repair.

“Having more choices in the marketplace and a more open repair market that drives competition makes things work better for farmers,” he said.

“What big companies are pushing against is more competition — they want less.”

Farmers aren’t the only ones who depend on John Deere. The state of Illinois has paid the company $42.8 million in contracts since 2005, according to state comptroller records.

The state mostly depends on John Deere machines for lawn service, trail maintenance, highway and roadside mowing.

All off-road diesel engine machines, such as construction equipment and forestry machines, have internal computers and repair restrictions similar to tractors and combines. However, the difference between a $500,000 John Deere combine and a $40,000 utility tractor for landscaping is that the software isn’t as integrated into the utility tractor and most repairs are still analog.

Farmers are concerned with repair restrictions because of the differences in the distribution models. Farmers typically own their equipment, while construction companies generally rent equipment for the duration of a project. The overhead, the budget and the time scale of farming and construction also is different, said O’Reilly, formerly with the Public Interest Research Group.

Ultimately, O’Reilly hopes that right-torepair laws will pass across industries, including construction and forestry.

“But right now,” he said, “the people calling for change are the farmers.”

Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org

Friday, April 19, 2024 - Page B8

The Borderland Press

Views from the Borderland - Wales

Photos by Larry Stokke.

The Wales Fire Department hosted the Wales Mud Fest on Saturday, April 15. The event had free chili and bar service by Kyle’s Place in Sarles. The event had games, such as cornhole, for friendly competition.

Raffle ticket drawings happened during the event and yielded many winners.

Ryan Boesl, Tiffany Hetletved, and Wayne Chale won $250.

Brian Muhs won the Traeger 885 IronWood.

Landon Plummer of Hannah won the grand prize, the CanAm 1000. He is pictured with his son, Owen, and Brian Hart of the Wales Fire Department.

The event served as a fundraiser for the Wales Fire Department.

Submitted photo.