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By Holly Jessen
Bobcat’s 50th anniversary celebration in Gwinner is the place to be from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
Various Bobcat employees and executives will be there. Members of the Melroe and Keller families will be there. Even Gov. John Hoeven plans to be there.
“We’re hoping that the public will come out to enjoy the event as well,” said Nikki Bruce, communications manager for Bobcat.
The event is a homecoming for the “50 Years Unleashed North American Road Tour.” Since May, a semi truck has been making its rounds of cities in the United States and Canada, celebrating 50 years since the first compact loader was made.
The celebration in Gwinner kicks off with factory tours beginning at 1:30 p.m. Visitors can get an inside look with tours held every half hour until 4:30 p.m.
At 2 p.m. there will be a program featuring various dignitaries. Some of those speaking include Hoeven and Sylvan Melroe, Melroe’s first advertising manager.
Gregory Stone, the winner of the “How Bobcat Unleashed Me” essay contest, will also be at the event, Bruce said. Stone was one of the equipment owners from across the United States and Canada that submitted brief essays and photographs about their experience with Bobcat equipment. His prize is the 750,001 skid-steer loader to come off the Bobcat production line.
The program, as well as the main bulk of the activities, will be held at the corner of highways 32 and 13. To get to the right spot, visitors should look for the semi truck holding the company history display.
“There will be a number of pieces of memorabilia and historic machines and also a story of Bobcat’s history,” Bruce said. That exhibit will be open from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. four Bobcat operators will put on a square dance – Bobcat style. Four Bobcat loaders will go through their paces in a square dance routine like human dancers do.
“It’s fantastically choreographed,” Bruce said.
According to the Bobcat history book, the original Bobcat square dance was written and planned when “Bobcat is a Farm Boy at Heart” was filmed. Four expert demonstrators took machines to Cliff Melroe’s farm and created a 15-minute routine. Since then, the square dance has been shown off on an episode of “Captain Kangaroo”, in parades, at dealer meetings and other events.
“The idea came about because the machine’s maneuverability, to some, seemed almost human,” according to information in the history book.
Three veteran square dancers will be performing on Aug. 16. They include two Bobcat employees, Glen Koeppe, Milnor, and Janel Ulland, Lisbon, as well as former employee Dale Wunderlich, rural Lisbon. In her first performance is Bobcat employee Bethany Haugen, rural Litchville.
by Terri Kelly Barta
U.S. Senator Kent Conrad made a stop in Lisbon on Wednesday, August 6, to meet with community leaders and discuss record gasoline and energy costs and what can be done.
“Gas and energy prices are taking a real chunk out of the budget of everyday families. We need to do everything we can – from producing more oil here in the U.S. to switching over to biofuels – to bring those consumer costs down,” Senator Conrad said. “I am here to tell the leaders in Lisbon that this is my top priority in Congress. We have to run at this energy crisis with everything we have, and that’s my intention.” Read the rest of this entry »
by Janet Hansen
Wayne Jones reported to his fellow Ransom County Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, August 5 that he had attended a meeting on the proposed Sheyenne Valley Multi-County Correctional Center. The meeting was held in Valley City on Wednesday, July 23. He stated that representatives from all entities involved in the consortium, except for LaMoure County, were present. LaMoure County had previously announced that they will be withdrawing from the group. Griggs County was the first to announce its resignation and Steele County has also announced that it intends to pull out as well. Harlan Opdahl, a member of the consortium board, proposed that the group fold, since it was apparent, in his opinion, that funding could not be found to build the new facility and there were not enough entities left in the consortium to continue to pursue the plan. Others in attendance had differing opinions on the matter.
Jones stated that discussion was held on how much money each of the involved entities would receive if the group were to fold. He reported that, without selling the land, Ransom County, which had invested $37,500.00 (half of what it had pledged) toward the construction of the facility, would receive $12,060.35 plus interest back. Read the rest of this entry »
Bikers have long been known to have big hearts and ABATE (American Bikers Aiming Towards Education) of North Dakota wants to make this point in a big way. ABATE is holding Thunder in the Valley, a motorcycle rally, at Fort Ransom State Park on the weekend of August 22-24. During the rally, a motorcycle fun run will be held, on Saturday, August 23, and the funds raised will go to support Hospice organizations all over the state of North Dakota.
According to Janet Frost, Marketing and Promotions Director with ABATE of ND, the organization is hoping to have 200 riders participate in the fundraiser.
The idea for the event originated with Paul Dellaneva, one of the ABATE district representatives. Dellaneva had a friend who was served by Hospice of the Red River Valley, Fargo. Paul was so impressed by the care his friend received, he was determined to give back somehow. Since ABATE of ND is a statewide organization, Paul had the vision to hold a rally, on a large scale, that would support hospices all over the state.
Although the event is being sponsored by ABATE of ND, event organizers invite others – car clubs, motorcycle clubs, or individuals – to participate in the fun run and raise money for hospice care. For more information about the rally or the fund raiser, contact Janet Frost at 800-726-4094 or Paul Dellaneva at 701-371-7309.
by Coach Brad Bittner
On July 31, Lisbon traveled to Rolla for the State Babe Ruth Tournament and tried to squeeze in some baseball around the six inches of rain that had fallen in a two-day span.
Lisbon defeated team host Rolla in the first round 22-0, as Derek Lyons went three for four with five runs knocked in. Nathan Qual and Derek Lyons combined to no-hit Rolla and shut them out. Nathan picked up the win as he struck out eight batters.
In the second round, Read the rest of this entry »
Name: Rose Quast
Age: 96
Residence: LaMoure, N.D.
Funeral -
Date: August 6, 2008
Location: Trinity English Lutheran Church, LaMoure, N.D.
Date of Death: August 2, 2008
Birthplace: McGrath, Minn.
Name: Ruth Synstelien
Age: 80
Residence: Moorhead, Minn.
Funeral -
Date: August 4, 2008
Location: Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead, Minn.
Date of Death: July 30, 2008
Birthplace: Ransom County, N.D.
Name: Marguerite Stangler
Age: 104
Residence: Maryhill Manor, Enderlin, N.D., formerly Casselton
Funeral -
Date: August 7, 2008
Location: West Funeral Chapel, Casselton, N.D.
Date of Death: August 4, 2008
Birthplace: Enderlin, N.D
Name: Ella Sullivan
Age: 80
Residence: Lisbon, ND
Funeral – Private service
Date of Death: August 7, 2008
Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
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