3/29/2006 – News
Volume 123, Number 8
New organ to be dedicated
The Leeds Lutheran Church will hold an organ dedication concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2 to celebrate its acquisition of a new Rodgers 927 Trillium organ. Playing for the program will be Dan Nybo from the Leeds congregation, as well as Peggy Bartunek from Grafton, who is a Rodgers organ dealer. MiChelle Nybo from Leeds will join Peggy in a piano-organ duet. Music will include works by Bach, Beethoven (the famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor), Purvis and modern arranger Dan Miller. There will be congregational hymn singing and a brief dedication service. Lunch will be served following the concert and the public is invited to attend.
The Rodgers 927 is a three manual keyboard, draw knob instrument and it includes an MX200 organ sound expansion (midi) and an MR200 player recorder. The organ itself can play 94 different sounds or "voices."
With the expansion unit the organ can produce an additional 1,122 different voices. The recorder allows the pre-recording of music and the organist can play along with the pre-recorded music so the result sounds like a virtual orchestra. Some of the unique voice sounds are the festival trumpet and a zimbelstern, a kind of bell used in baroque music. The organ can even produce human voice sounds, including Amens and Alleluias.
Organist Dan Nybo describes this organ as truly an extraordinary instrument for such a small congregation. Much larger St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Devils Lake bought the same model last year. However, the Leeds congregation fell in love with the instrument and decided last summer to purchase the organ, and it was paid for in six months time. Leeds Lutheran member Magnus Lysne made oak cabinets for the organ speakers, a backrest for the organ bench and a cabinet for the organ sheet music. Leeds has a number of organists, including Dan and MiChelle Nybo, Jeanette Kenner, Lisa Anderson and Lucia Jacobson.
Dan Nybo sits at the keyboard of the new Rodgers 927 Trillium organ which will be dedicated Sunday at the Leeds Lutheran Church. Others who will play the new organ are Peggy Bartunek of Grafton and MiChelle Nybo of Leeds.
Farmers Union Oil Co. of Maddock to observe diamond jubilee
The Farmers Union Oil Co. of Maddock will observe its 75th anniversary on Saturday, April 1 in the new Multi-Purpose Building at Maddock. The event will begin with hors d’oeuvres and beverages at 3 p.m. followed by registration for door prizes, viewing of historical displays and photos and William Jackson presenting his program on North Dakota’s oddities. An anniversary supper will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by a business meeting. Bill Sorenson, magician and humorist, will present a program at 8 p.m. There will be drawings for door prizes and anniversary cake and coffee will be served.
The first meeting of the business was held Feb. 11, 1931. In March directors were elected and the articles of incorporation and bylaws were adopted. N.E. Liudahl and sons were given the contract to handle Farmers Union products and business commenced April 23, 1931.
Members of the original board were Matthew Duffey, O.P. Lalum, M.M. Camrud, Carl N. Nelson and O.J. Freeman. Gilbert Hillestad was elected manager and Carl Nelson and Gustav Lalum were the first truckers. Peter Lomsdalen was given full rights to handle Farmers Union Oil products at Esmond and Eilert Johnson handled the pumps at Minnewaukan. The original service station at Maddock was rented for $25 per month. In February of 1932 the board of directors was paid $1 to cover expenses in driving to Devils Lake to attend a meeting.
On Aug. 14, 1933 a substation was started at York with Bill Silliman as truck driver.
The company purchased the Standard Oil pumps at Lalum Hardware in Harlow.
In 1935 a substation was started at Fillmore with L.C. Iverson as driver. Later that same month a station opened in Brinsmade with James Blackmore as driver.
In 1937 Gilbert Hillestad resigned and Reuben Liudahl replaced him as manager. That summer the service station was purchased from Mrs. Marie Liudahl for $2,000.
In 1939 authority was given by the board to build a service station in Minnewaukan at a cost not to exceed $3,000.
In 1940 the Hesper 4-H Club was paid 15c for each lunch served after the annual meeting. Two hundred twenty-one lunches were served.
In 1942 Reuben Liudahl resigned as manager and Norman Liudahl became manager. Gordon Twedt became manager in 1952.
In 1962 the company began handling Oliver machinery. In 1965 the company built a bulk fertilizer plant at an approximate cost of $8,500. A new fertilizer plant was built in 1968 at a cost of $25,926.92.
In 1970 the board signed a contract to sell Oliver-White tractors.
A tire truck was purchased in 1973 for $7,142.
Unleaded gas pumps were installed in June of 1974.
Walt Weaver became manager in December of 1977 after the retirement of Gordon Twedt.
In 1978 the company began handling anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous plants at Minnewaukan and Esmond were purchased from Fertilizer, Inc.
In 1979 the Maddock and Oberon Farmers Union Oil Companies merged. A Terra-gator was purchased that same year.
John Halvorson became manager in 1982 and he continues as manager to this day. A 24-hour Cardtrol system was installed in 1982. This was one of the first Cardtrols to use ethanol in super unleaded gas.
During the 1980’s more custom application of crops inputs in addition to fertilizer were offered.
In 1986 the machinery business was dropped. This created quite a bit of controversy, but the parts department was kept intact, which proved to be profitable.
LP gas was offered in the early 1990’s.
In 1998 the company purchased the bulk and station business from Gene Reierson in Esmond. A Cardtrol was installed at that location.
Last year the Cardtrol was upgraded at a cost of $92,000. About 60 percent of the upgrade was due to mandated EPA regulations.
Earnings over the 75 years of operation total $7.8 million. Of that figure $3.9 million has been paid out in cash to patrons and about $300,000 went to educational funds. The remainder, $3.6 million, is the net worth of the company. Seventy percent of the company is owned by stockholder-patrons and 30 percent is owned by Cenex-Harvest States, Land O’ Lakes and CoBank (Bank for Cooperatives). The Farmers Union Oil Co. of Maddock has been debt-free for the past 18 years, although short-term seasonal borrowing is necessary.
Halvorson says the major challenges for the future are fragmentation of the market (for instance there are nine sellers of fertilizer in Benson County) and government regulations.
The company has only had six managers over the past 75 years. Twedt was manager 25 of those years and Halvorson has passed him with more than 25 years as manager.
Other members of the board have been Albert Grasser, Emil Rosenberg, Anthon Thompson, R.B. Huffman, Knute Bondeli, Carl Helgeson, Albin Smith, Eric Olson, E.F. Schuman, Curtis Bergrud, Henning Jacobson, Carl Faleide, Fred Halvorson, Gordon Smith, Gordon Lynne, Christ Jaeger, Kenneth Erickson, Marvin Norell, Kenneth Simon, Kermit Bergsgaard, Alf Dybing, Duane Randle, Reuben Smith, Nolan Halvorson, Allen Tweten, Curtis Hvinden, Roger Jaeger, Jim Gilbertson, Richard Lynne, Randy Simon, Jarvis Hegland, Jon Bergrud and Perry Glover.
There are a lot of father-son combinations who’ve served on the board.
The present board is composed of Dave Holje, Greg Maddock, Jerry Sears, Tom Gilbertson and Mark Kallenbach.
John Halvorson, manager of the Farmers Union Oil Co. of Maddock stands in front of the main office of the company. There have only been six managers in the past 75 years and Halvorson has been manager longer than any of the others. The oil company will observe its 75th anniversary with an open house, displays, entertainment and the annual meeting this Saturday, April 1.
Leeds students view Tar Wars
Dr. Brian Selland, Allen Meckle, medical student John Hoyt and Leeds parent Terri Stoll presented their "Tar Wars" program to Leeds fourth graders March 1. They shared statistics with the students, health risks, long- and short-term effects, high costs and ways to say no to peer pressure. The students’ favorite part was when they were given an advertisement on cigarettes, chewing tobacco or cigars and discussed why the articles were misleading and who the articles were targeting. Students all pledged to stay tobacco-free. Ms. Stoll stands behind Shelby Jorgenson and Mylie Herman as they view an advertisement.
Medical student John Hoyt helps Taryn Bjerke and Alyssa Anderson.
Allen Meckle stands behind Michael Ellison and Jessica Peterson as they view the advertisement.
Colton Wangler and Clay Kitzmann are shown with Dr. Brian Selland.
Girl hockey player with Oberon roots "something special"
Kayla Thorson was named most valuable player of the Minot Majettes girls’ hockey team at its annual banquet. She is a senior captain and scored 60 goals and 61 assists in her three years of competition. She is the daughter of Michael and Lezlee Thorson of Rugby. Grandparents are Jackie and Lester Roberts of Oberon and Kathryn Thorson of Rugby.
The Majettes won third place at the state tournament February 23-25 at Dickinson. At the tourney Kayla scored a hat trick (3 goals), a winning goal and an assist to a winning goal. She was named to the all-tournament team and was a finalist for the outstanding senior award.
She has been selected to skate with Team North Dakota at Minneapolis, Minn. and the Chicago Showcase Tournament in Illinois April 19-22.
Editor’s note: This article appeared in the Minot Daily News on the eve of the girls’ state hockey tournament Feb. 23-25 in Dickinson.
By CHRIS AARHUS
Minot Daily News
The second year of sanctioned girls’ hockey brought plenty of excitement. Players, coaches and fans found out, from the first season, how the state of North Dakota would take to girls’ hockey at the high school level. To help get high school girls’ hockey off the ground, the state would need premier players to come out of the woodwork. For the best female players, who were used to playing with boys, to come down a level and play against other girls.
Not more than an hour away from Minot, Kayla Thorson of Rugby was picking herself up after being checked into the boards. Whether she was motivated by the constant injuries she suffered playing hockey with the boys, or if she was eager to see how she stacked up against girls her age, Thorson coming to Minot High School to play girls’ hockey has undeniably helped both parties.
Thorson will attempt to top off her illustrious prep career with a state championship when the North Dakota girls’ state tournament starts today at the Dickinson Recreation Center. Minot High, the No. 3 seed from the West, will play East No. 2 seed Fargo South at 2:30 p.m. (Mountain time).
Thorson will do so using the same factor she’s used to get her this far — heart.
"She’s all heart and commitment," Minot High School coach Pat Morelli said. "The sacrifices she’s made. The kid’s middle name is heart."
Thorson came to Minot for a camp put on by former Minot High School boys’ hockey coach Gary Samson the summer before she entered high school. Thorson and her parents worked out the kinks, moved to Minot and have been here since.
"I was really excited," Thorson recalled when she heard she was moving to Minot for hockey. "I only had one friend, Erin Bruce. These girls have been with me the entire way."
Thorson’s first year on varsity might be looked at as a learning experience. Her learning experience consisted of scoring 23 goals and adding 22 assists, tops on the team.
"We knew we had something special," Morelli said. "A diamond in the rough."
Thorson’s name has become known not just for her ability to put the puck in the net, but the way she is able to clean up.
"If she shoots the puck (and misses), nine out of 10 times she’s the first one to the puck," Morelli said.
Morelli stated Thorson’s ability to chase down the puck is one of the main reasons she has become the player she is.
"She wants the puck like I’ve never seen before," Morelli said. "She doesn’t care if it’s boys’ or girls’ (hockey). She wants the puck."
Thorson’s scoring dipped her junior season, as did the entire Minot High School team as a whole. She managed just 12 goals, but still contributed 21 assists.
This year, Thorson is back to her goal-scoring ways. She has 22 goals and 17 assists.
"When she gets going, she has it in her mind that the puck is going in the net," Morelli said. "Wherever she is on the ice, she goes right to the net. Some girls aren’t great at getting to the net."
The switch from boys’ to girls’ hockey didn’t come easy for Thorson.
She said the transition is harder than expected.
"Even though we don’t hit, it’s still a boys’ sport," Thorson said.
Kayla Thorson
‘Old pros’ still play basketball
The Bonzers basketball team consisting of players age 30 and over finished its 2005-06 season with 14 wins and no losses, the first unbeaten team in the Grand Forks League since 1994. Named for the pub which sponsors the team, it is managed by Oberon native Monty Stensland, who is also one of the players.
Stensland, 42, formed the team in 1998 and since that time the team record is 99 wins and 16 losses. The team won the Grand Forks League title in 1998-99, 2000-01, 2003-04 and 2005-06. Stensland, right, grew up in Oberon and played high school basketball in Maddock, graduating in 1981. He is an attorney in Grand Forks. This season Jason Haagenson, left, a Leeds native, joined the team. Other team members are from the Grand Forks area.
Haagenson, 32, says that when he played for Leeds, his team never lost to Maddock. Stensland counters that when he played for Maddock, his team never lost to Leeds.
Active women support local literacy program
The Active Women of Maddock have long encouraged literacy in Maddock by offering free books to grade school children at the Maddock School. For many years, the organization provided free books while affiliated with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), a nationwide literacy program. With RIF, the group distributed free books to students in grades one through four every year. After a few years with the RIF program, the Active Women of Maddock decided to begin its own literacy program.
Having decided to forego the affiliation with RIF, and needing an acronym that was easy to remember and appealed to young kids, they settled on BARF, which stands for Books Are Really Fun. With this program, they expanded the distributions to twice a year and added kindergarten students to the list of recipients.
For the 2004/2005 school year, the group added a reading incentive element to the BARF program: When students reach the reading goal they have set for themselves, they receive a coupon, redeemable at select local businesses for a treat. Every month the coupons can be redeemed at a different local business. At the end of each month, the participating business presents the redeemed coupons to the Active Women and is reimbursed a set amount for each coupon. This reading incentive program is supported by six local businesses: The Bread Box, Farmers Union Oil Co., HomeTown Grocery, Maddock Caf? & Lanes, Maddock Mini-Mart and Thrifty White Drug.
The BARF reading incentive program operated for six months of the 2004/05 school year, with a different business offering treats each month. In the 2005/06 school year the program was expanded to eight months, with all the businesses participating in the months of December and May in addition to a month of their own choosing. This program encourages literacy in the community, provides the added benefit of receiving a reward that can be redeemed on a local level, and supports the local businesses because kids and families do not have to travel out of town to redeem a prize coupon, as had been the case in the past.
Funds raised by the Active Women support the BARF program, as well as many other programs and activities in the community. Organizations which have a project that would benefit from the support of the Active Women may send a request to Kaaren Duren, treasurer, 4554 31st St. NE, Maddock, ND 58348.
Maddock School second graders are shown choosing their free book in November, 2005. Left to right are Natalia Wright, partially obscured child unknown, Nora and Greta Duren and Jaydin Risovi. The free books were distributed to children in grades kindergarten through fourth grade through the Active Women of Maddock’s Books Are Really Fun (BARF) literacy program. This spring, the distributions will expand to include grades five and six at the Maddock School.
Colors presented
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 123 of Maddock presented the colors at girls’ basketball games played at Maddock during the season. Left to right are Lois Johnson, Hazel Williams, Lucille Westby and Bernice Aanderud.
Creativity at Leeds
The Leeds High School advanced art class with eight students from grades 9-12 worked together starting February 27 to revitalize two old tables into collages fitting the subject matter of the rooms in which they were placed. In the English/art room, one table has been completed with themes from studied literature by Lowry, Poe, Gibson, London, Tolkien, pieces of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, and components from the color wheel and figure drawing, as well as a reminder of jigsaw puzzles that are part of junior high units. Artists who designed and painted this table were, left to right, Cameron Leibfried, Kendall Boyles, Alisha Strand and Brittnee Tarang.
The patriotic table, which can be viewed in the social studies room, features such memorable events as Martin Luther King’s speech, the Twin Trade Towers burning on 9-11, the Star of David, Hurricane Katrina, Pearl Harbor, WWII and the Boston Tea Party. All are tied together in flowing red, white and blue stripes. Students responsible for this artwork are, left to right, Trevor Torgerson, Amber Bracken, Kacy Strand and Dustin Paulson. Visitors to the school may view the students’ contribution during this summer’s all-school reunion.
Four from Maddock take part in GF performances
Four Maddock High School students were recently selected by live audition to be members of this year’s North Dakota Music Educators’ National Conference All-State performing groups. Selected for the orchestra was senior Elisa Buehler, daughter of Todd and Nadley Beuhler. Senior Erin Markestad, daughter of Dean and Rachel Markestad, was selected as a member of the women’s choir.
Junior Isaac Engels, son of Joseph and Merritt Engels, and senior Heidi Simon, daughter of Randy and Charlotte Simon, were both selected to the mixed choir. The festival took place in the Grand Forks Alerus Center beginning with rehearsals on Thursday, March 23. Two separate concerts were presented on Saturday, March 25 with the orchestra and women’s choir performing at 1:30 p.m. and the mixed choir and band performing at 4 p.m.
Elisa Buehler
Erin Markestad
Heidi Simon
Isaac Engels
Win Savings Bonds
US Savings Bonds winners at the financial aid meeting at the Maddock School were Elisa Buehler, left, and Danae Kenner, right. Each won a $50 US Savings Bond given by Ramsey Bank and the North Star Community Credit Union, both of Maddock.
Receive blankets
Sandy Shively, left, director of the Good Samaritan Health Services Foundation, and Karla Spence, RN from the Heart of America Medical Center, both in Rugby, show blankets donated by the Community Resource Center in Bottineau. The blankets are part of "Project Linus," a 100% volunteer non-profit national organization with a mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need. The Heart of America Medical Center will give the blankets to children when they use emergency or hospital services at the medical center.
Market Day at Leeds
Third through sixth grade students recently took part in a Market Day at the Leeds Elementary School. Concepts of this program teach students about creating and marketing products along with determining income and expenses. Students bought tickets to race remote-controlled snowmobiles.
Left to right are Joe Strand, Kyle Jorgenson, Thomas Urness and Tristan Henderson.
Students created pocket purses, door hangers, magnets, frames, Easter decorations and more to sell to students, staff and administrative customers at Market Day. Left to right are Alyssa Anderson, Julissa McGarvey, Sara Galbraith, Annie Jorgenson and Paige Johnson.
In Moorhead art show
A watercolor painting named "Paneless" by Oberon artist Marilyn.K. Ingwaldson-Poulsen was selected by the Red River Watercolor Society in Fargo for inclusion in the prestigious National Juried Watermedia Exhibition and Sale, May 1 through June 20. An artist reception will be held May 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minn. The event is open to the public. The painting is not for sale but she has 50 limited edition prints of the painting for sale. She operates out of her Key-Art Studio & Gallery south of Oberon. Other samples of her work are available at www.key-art.biz.
Spelling champs
The 25th annual Benson County Spelling Bee was held March 4 at the Minnewaukan School under the direction of Jean Olson, Benson County Superintendent of Schools. The 2006 Benson County spelling champ is Matthew Swanson, a seventh grader from the Leeds School. Runner-up is eighth grader Sharisa Yri, a student at Maddock. Swanson and alternate Logan Gunderson of the Leeds School represented Benson County at the state contest March 24. Sharisa Yri had a conflict with a track meet and decided to forego the state spelling contest.
Trophies were furnished by the Benson County Farmers Press.
The top five finalists were, left to right, Stevie Bull of Four Winds, Sadie Vallier of Leeds, Sharisa Yri of Maddock and Logan Gunderson and Matthew Swanson of Leeds.
Eighth grade winners were, left to right, in order of first up to sixth place in all photos, Sharisa Yri of Maddock, Sadie Vallier of Leeds, Maria Serrano of Four Winds and John Sears of Maddock.
Seventh grade winners were Logan Gunderson and Matthew Swanson of Leeds, Stevie Bull of Four Winds, Miriah Thompson of Minnewaukan and Preston Gilderhus and Kayla Lauinger of Maddock.
Sixth grade winners were Kendra Leibfried of Leeds, James Johnson of Maddock, Christina Cloud of Minnewaukan, Michelle Spottedhorse of Four Winds, Michael Lunde of Maddock and Thomas Urness of Leeds.
Fifth grade winners were Katherine Sears of Maddock, Kayla Matlock of Leeds, Sara Schwanke of Maddock, Adrian Feather of Four Winds, Chelsea Rallo of Minnewaukan and McKenzie Silliman of Leeds.
Fourth grade winners were Shelby Jorgenson of Leeds, Justin Johnson and Kaleb Westad of Maddock, Lacey Grann of Minnewaukan and Taryn Bjerke of Leeds. Not pictured is sixth place winner Damien Greywater of Minnewaukan.
Third grade winners were Maria Sears and Alyssa Armentrout of Maddock, Julissa McGarvey of Leeds, Sierra Charboneau of Oberon, Kalvin Slaubaugh of Leeds and Emily Thumb of Oberon.
Second grade winners were Nora Duren of Maddock, Mathias Follman of Leeds, Nadean Goodbird of Minnewaukan, Aaron Ellingson of Maddock, Taylor Bisbee of Leeds and Shandiin Goodbird of Minnewaukan.
First grade winners were Cherise Robertson of Minnewaukan, LinElla Pistol of Maddock, Joshua Bowman of Leeds, Tiana Thumb of Oberon, Emily Sears of Maddock and Katelyn Omen of Warwick.
Maddock students go to event
The Maddock fourth and fifth grade classes attended Marketplace for Kids at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake. The event was sponsored by Ag Commissioner Roger Johnson, Superintendent of Schools Wayne Sanstead and Senator Kent Conrad. The program is set up to show elementary students aspects of the business world through entrepreneurship by seeing how businesses are set up and run. Some of the businesses included a bed and breakfast, Devils Lake Speedway and a fitness and nutrition specialist. Left to right, front row, are Sara Schwanke, Katelynn Engh, Alexis Huffman, Kelsey Smith, Alecz Hill, Dylan Lauinger and Shawn Aabrekke. Middle row: Katherine Sears, Alyssa Nystrom, Renae Lauinger, Shelby Brandvold, Zane Paulson, Alex Sabbe and Justin Johnson. Back row: Jessica Johnson, Savana Nystrom, Erik Broten, Carah Hestdalen, Chelsey Weigler, Jaden Kallenbach, Andrew Pranke, Zach Eyl and DJ Yri. Linda Hovland and Penny Leier are the fourth grade teachers and JoLynn Jacobson is the fifth grade teacher.
Catch a Painted Pony
The full-sized fiber glass horse painted by Oberon artist Marilyn K. Ingwaldson-Poulsen for Easter Seals "Catch a Painted Pony" fund-raiser will be unveiled at a reception for the artists on Friday, April 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Seven Seas Inn & Convention Center near Mandan. The public is welcome. The auction of all the horses will be held August 25 at the Seven Seas. For further information, call Easter Seals at 1-800-247-0698, ext. 601. The official "Catch a Painted Pony" Web page is coming soon at www.catchapaintedpony.com. The artist’s Web site is at www.key-art.biz.
Active women donate
The Active Women recently supported the Artist-In-Residence program at the Maddock School. Kaaren Duren, right, presents a check to principal Penny Leier, center, while artist-in-residence Gretchen Bederman looks on. In addition to monetary support, the group provided some of the volunteers who assisted the artist during her two-week stay and also coordinated housing for a portion of her time in Maddock.