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Theborderlandpress.com
Friday, February 4, 2022
Volume 1, Number 1
was a good way to make things fair, having pledged $50,000 to baseball and $50,000 to the Langdon pool over two years, at the end of 2021.
In this Issue: Letter from the Publisher Page 4
They also were planning to give big to St. Alphonsus School, the other nonprofit in Cavalier County participating in Giving Hearts Day, and were trying to level the playing field with schools and kids in Langdon.
Letter from the Editor Page 4 “Who Will Be the Biggest Loser in Munich? by Matt Mitzel Page 4 Walhalla School News by Principal Phil Leitner Page 6
Board members decided to give St. Alphonsus School $25,000 and give the Pembina Gorge Foundation $25,000 in the form of a giant check.
Family Makes Winter Fun with Old-Fashioned Tradition Page 7
“Our president picked the check up and turned it around, and the look on everyone’s faces was priceless,” Witzel said. “The smiles and the tears of joy were more than any thank you. Every one of ‘em if they weren’t teared up…there were a lot of happy laughs. To bring that happiness to an organization, it’s just priceless.”
Jake’s Take On Sports Page 8 Back Row: Shawn Amundson, David Hein, Pat Hardy, Steve Anderson, with the Langdon Eagles Club; Patty Gorder, Frost Fire Park general manager, Dallas Witzel and Patrick Hoffarth, Langdon Eagles Club; Randy Bata and Dustin Gorder, Pembina Gorge Foundation. Front row - Dean Agnes and Tyler Feist, Langdon Eagles Club; Van Howatt and Patrick Chaput, Pembina Gorge Foundation board. Photo by Lisa Howatt.
Index: News Agriculture Columns Community Education Outdoors Jake’s Take On Sports Sports Obituaries
LANGDON EAGLES CLUB
Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Pages 8-10 Page 11
Stuns Nonprofits with Big Donations
cont’d. on page 12
Borderland Press staff
Langdon Eagles Club Aerie 3454 gave back to the community in a big way by jump-starting the match dollar account for two Cavalier County nonprofit organizations that are participating in Giving Hearts Day on Feb. 10. Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour fundraiser that has more than 500 North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota nonprofits that participate. The event was started in 2008; the group encourages people to donate $10 or more to unlock the match dollars of their favorite nonprofit organization.
FOR A LAUGH: Why did the orange lose the race? It ran out of juice. What do you think of that new diner on the moon? Food was good, but there really wasn’t much atmosphere. What did one plate say to the other plate? Dinner is on me.
“Giving Hearts Day is a very fun one to donate to because it’s a match donation. That’s one way we can really
give back stronger. It’s an easy one to donate to because your money is doubled,” said Dallas Witzel, past president of the Langdon Eagles Club. “If you can give a $250 donation, you turn it into $500. That’s how we looked at it as a board - that we technically helped raise $100,000 in the county.” The Eagles had an idea of what they wanted to donate to Frost Fire Park to help with the match dollars. After stopping out to Frost Fire for a tour and hearing from general manager Patty Gorder, they thought they should do something bigger. They also thought the $25,000 donation
Steve Anderson, Langdon Eagles Club president; Lindsey Meidinger, St. Alphonsus School Board; Carrie Hope, St. Alphonsus School principal; Koree Hoffman, St. Alphonsus School Board; and Dallas Witzel, Langdon Eagles Club past president. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Recreating and Completing the
HISTORIC I-500 SNOWMOBILE CHALLENGE
By Hilary Nowatzki
Up in the Borderland, it’s cold enough to make even long-time residents bundle up simply to get into their cars to run errands. In the midst of deep win-
bly, a little crazy. Their family is based out of Fargo, N.D. with ties to Cavalier County, and they each own a 1973 model John Deere snowmobile with
finish line with one ski. The race faded out in the 1980s, but as Roger and his wife were on a long
complete the challenge last year, but plans were halted because of the pandemic. Not to mention, putting off the ride one more year simply meant
At the start of day three of the I-500 Challenge Ride. Submitted photo.
ter up North, temperatures can range from freezing to -40 with winds that cut like a knife, omnipresent snow, all on top of sketchy terrain. None of that stopped a father-son, vintage John Deere snowmobile enthusiast duo from recreating the I-500 mile challenge ride in celebration of the 50th year anniversary of the release of John Deere snowmobiles. The ride began in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Jan. 24 and finished in Elk River, Minn., on Jan. 29. These courageous souls are Roger and Wyatt Kram. They are mechanics, snowmobile enthusiasts, and, possi-
their names affectionately printed on the front. The I-500 Challenge Ride was created in 1966 and ran through the 1980s as a cut-throat race with millions invested and at stake. Those years were the peak of the release of snowmobiles and all their glory which attracted crowds of all ages, sponsorships, attention from schools, and brought excitement to each city as racers passed through. Weather was much less predictable then, trails were less maintained, and wrecks happened along with injuries. Wyatt recalls hearing of men pushing their own snowmobiles or barely scooting across the
drive home around three years ago, Roger looked out over the endless fields conjoined with gray skies and told his wife, “There’s something new I’ve got to put on my bucket list.” Within weeks maps were pulled out, research began, and overhauls revamped on the pair’s vintage snowmobiles began. Roger knew his son wouldn’t take much convincing to join him, since he’s got what Roger calls ‘snowmobile disease'. Both men have expressed that although the original I-500 was all about speed, this version is different. The riders attempted to recreate and
the ride could be in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first John Deere snowmobile in 1972. Considering both of their mounts are 49 years old, the men focused solely on finishing the ride, not beating a time or competitors, although they did have plenty of company on the trails from other snowmobile riders, enthusiasts, and helping hands. “Each of the snowmobiles have been reconstructed, refurbished, and every single nut and bolt has been touched, replaced, or adjusted,” Roger said. His snowmobile has its roots in Langdon, N.D., where he bought it from a friend with 700 miles on it, although
that engine has been fully replaced as well. Wyatt’s mount is actually reconstructed from two separate 1973 snowmobiles, with most of the work
Roger Kram and Wyatt Kram. Submitted photo.
done on it by him and his father. The men rode approximately 100 miles each day for five days. Each
cont’d. on page 12