The Borderland Press, V4, N31, Friday, Aug. 8

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ROMFO, KINGZETT AND WELSH FINISH CAREERS WITH RED SOX

The official newspaper of Cavalier County Theborderlandpress.com

In this issue:

Friday, August 8, 2025

Volume 4, Number 31

CaNDak – The rendezvous tour By Rebecca Davis

News: Rural grocery store pilot project aims to prevent food deserts in North Dakota, Pg. A2

The CanDak cycling group touring the offices of Simmons Multimedia as a part of their week-long adventure through Pembina, Walhalla, Langdon, Graham’s Island, Park River, and Hallock. Photo by Nick Vorlage.

Ag: North Dakota farmers, ag businesses brace for tariff blowback, Pg. A3

The Cycling Around North Dakota (CaNDak) Tour rolled through the Borderland area Aug. 2–9, covering a full loop of 454 miles. Cyclists made overnight stops in Pembina, Walhalla, Langdon, Graham’s Island, Park River, and Hallock, before returning to Pembina to complete the tour. Participants could opt into a meal plan that included breakfast and supper provided by local community groups. Along the route, various organizations hosted rest stops offering sandwiches, protein balls, snack bars, and sports drinks as fundraising opportunities.

Lifestyle: Read about an outdoor chore that’s good for your health, Pg. A7

“CaNDak is a group of high school coaches, teachers, administrators,

and volunteers that make possible an exciting and adventurous bicycle tour in the state of N.D.,” explained James Andersen, tour director. “We started this journey back in 2017 when the popular and long-running CANDISC (Cycling Around North Dakota in Sakakawea Country) tour was ceasing operations. We were approached to take over the tour and carry on the torch, so we banded together to acquire the CANDISC tour and reimagined it into what we now call CaNDak.” Andersen continued, “Our mission is to provide a great bicycle tour experience for our guests and use the proceeds from each tour to help fund the activities of our local participating schools and clubs.”

Andersen emphasized that CaNDak is a tour, not a race. He worked for months with local communities and organizations to plan rest areas, meals, lodging, and activities, focusing on the small details that made a big difference. Riders were treated to a variety of experiences in each community. In Pembina, riders enjoyed tours of the Pembina State Museum, a scavenger hunt, and a DJ street party. In Walhalla, cyclists walked the town, shuttled to scenic and historical areas, listened to music in the park by Jordan Thornberg, participated in an ice cream social, and watched The Great Outdoors on the outdoor stage. Meals were provided by the Swim-

ming Pool Committee. Langdon welcomed cyclists with shopping on Main Street, a movie at the Roxy Theater, live music by the Langdon Community Band at Boyd Block, and BINGO at the Eagles Club. Participants ranged in age from 16 to over 80 with the average age being 63. During their stop in Langdon, 18 riders from the CaNDak tour visited the radio and newspaper operations at Simmons Multimedia. President and CEO Bob Simmons provided a tour of the radio station, while Terry Hinnenkamp, also known as “Rat” to the cont’d. on page B11

126th Annual Deuce of August hosted in Mountain By Rebecca Davis

Photo by Larry Stokke.

Reily Bata took home two wins and a fourth place landing at the tractor pull in Mountain. Photo by Larry Stokke.

The 126th Annual Deuce of August Icelandic Celebration brought sunshine, smiles, and a strong turnout to Mountain over the weekend with events running Friday through Sunday.

shine Friday and Saturday and comfortable cloud cover on Sunday, keeping things cooler for the popular tractor pull. Olafson said crowds rivaled last year’s turnout during the 125th anniversary celebration.

“We really did have a great weekend,” said longtime organizer Curtis Olafson. “It was a phenomenal success all the way through.”

Volunteers play a big role in making the three-day event possible.

The weather played along with sun-

“It takes a lot of volunteers, and we are very fortunate to have many—from not only the Mountain community but

Confetti flies at the Deuce of August's annual parade. Photo by Larry Stokke.

also the surrounding areas and even people who come back home from across the country,” Olafson said. “The Deuce is an annual pilgrimage for many.”

we’ve done a horse show,” Olafson said. “We were happy to see it come back. The people who brought it back handled everything, which was a huge help to us.”

showed up the morning of,” Olafson said with a laugh. “It was great.”

Saturday morning’s parade was, as expected, the biggest crowd-drawer of the weekend, but every event saw strong attendance. That included the return of the horse show.

Even the 5K, which struggled with preregistration, ended up with more than 40 participants, which Olafson said might have tied last year's numbers or possibly broken a record.

“It’s been a number of years since

“They didn’t register early, but they

cont’d. on page A6

sports alive, and making sure they all have a chance to experience the game and curate a love for it,” said Josh Overby, president of the Langdon Boosters. “When they get older, they just have that much more experience.”

The Boosters have historically funded varsity-level athletes by providing assistance for items the school couldn’t cover, such as warm-up jerseys, transportation, tournament expenses and meals while attending competitions. cont’d. on page B2

While the community might take a breath this week, planning for the 127th Deuce of August begins next month. “We never really take a break,” Olafson said. “We’ll already be talking about next year at our September

Cardinal Boosters to manage elementary sports By Hilary Nowatzki

A group of individuals in the Langdon Area School District are teaming up on innovative ways to keep the elementary sports programs alive amid funding cuts. After the referendum vote in June failed, the Langdon Area School Board announced at its

meeting the week before last what cuts would be made in order to fund necessary maintenance costs, and elementary sports was first up on the chopping block. Now the Cardinal Sports Boosters

have stepped up to the plate to help keep athletics going for younger age groups in Langdon and Munich. “The number one focus for our Sports Boosters is just keeping the kids active in the sports and just keeping


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