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5/20/2009 – News


Volume 126, Number 16           Wednesday, May 20th, 2009



Governor visits Minnewaukan
Gov. John Hoeven looks out the window of a school bus on a 15-minute tour of Minnewaukan on May 13. Bus driver Kevin Thompson piloted the school bus. The governor was shown water encroaching on the city from all directions. Hoeven’s office provided $300,000 from the state for a project to protect the Minnewaukan sewer system. Work is expected to begin on the project any day. Members of the Minnewaukan City Council provided the tour for the governor.



School parking lot
Gov. John Hoeven, front, center, and others gather on the parking lot of the Minnewaukan School on May 13, less than 200 feet from growing Devils Lake in the background. Left to right are unidentified; Verdeen Backstrom, Minnewaukan water, sewer and street superintendent; Connie Ambers, Minnewaukan City Council member; Rep. Ben Vig (D-Aneta); Gov. Hoeven; and Mark Motis and Steven Huffman, members of the Minnewaukan City Council.



Perfect attendance
Students who attained perfect attendance at the Warwick School in April are pictured with elementary principal Steve Jacobson. They are pre-kindergarten, Glenna Rue and Shealey Touche; kindergarten, Marlin Demarce, Tabitha Joramo, Benjamin Longie, Keyen Omen and Cole Smith; first grade, Jackson Delorme, Mallory Demarce and David Mandan; second grade, Samantha Archambault and Jordan Bertsch; third grade, Sage Bertsch and Destiny Lozensky; fourth grade, Katelyn Omen and Aiana Richotte; fifth grade, Jace Baker and Samantha Owlboy; and sixth grade, Danielle Owlboy and Lichelle Richotte.



Team to be in state
This year’s Leeds boys’ golf team accomplished something no other team in school history has done: advance as a team to the state golf tournament on grass greens. The Lions finished third at the region team qualifier meet held at the Souris Valley Golf Course in Minot on May 11. Also qualifying as individual participants in the state golf meet are Trevor Torgerson, who finished ninth with an 87 and Dustin Paulson, who finished 10th with an 88. The state meet will be held at Jamestown’s Hillcrest Golf Course on May 26 and 27. The Lions finished the regular season with a first place team victory at the individual qualifying meet held at the Rugby Golf Course on May 14. Members of the team are, left to right, Dylan Torgerson (Grade 8), Dustin Paulson (Grade 12), Brad Nelson (Grade 11), Steve Hausmann (Grade 12), Darren Young (Grade 9), Trevor Torgerson (Grade 12) and Brady Stoll (Grade 8). David Young is the team’s coach.



Boys #2 in region
The Region 3 Boys’ Track & Field runner up team is the Benson County Wildcats. They scored a team total of 151 points at the meet on Saturday, May 16. Standing, left to right, are Colton Wangler, Seth Bisbee, Rafael Barragan, Thomas Urness, Dallas Welch, Blake Darling, Kyle Britsch, Derek Engh, Daniel Luhman, Beau Buehler, Andy Backstrom, Matt Knudson, Trey Benson with Brennan Eyl on his shoulders, Ben Backstrom and Trevor Knutson. Kneeling/sitting, left to right, are Dalton Longie, Justin Wangler, Drew Lauinger, JD Schmid, Jason Smith and Alex Beecroft.



Washburn field trip
On May 8, 2009 the Minnewaukan eighth grade, along with instructors David and Ellen Salisbury, went to Washburn to tour the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan. They enjoyed seeing some things they had been studying in North Dakota history class. They also saw a blacksmith demonstration. Students on the trip were, left to right, front row, Brionna Green, Chelsea Rallo, Katilyn Kutz, Ivy Littlewind and Penny Mudgett. Back row: Ben Barranger, Devin Anderson, Jordan Every, Perry Mudgett, Brody Cavanaugh, Brad Jensen and Treasa Santos.



Successful fund
Corinne Stadum, left, and Flo Kallenbach, center, are happy to accept a check of $2,500 from Dean Knutson, right, president of Ramsey Bank at Maddock. The donation blows the top off the bleacher fund thermometer with a little bit extra to go toward removal of the old bleachers. Other recent donations were from Randy Benson $500, Pam and Tom Schmid $500, Rodger and Sharon Benson $100, in recognition of friends Mike and Flo Kallenbach $50, in memory of Noreen Bergrud $15 and Annette Tandeski $15. The bleachers are scheduled to be installed this summer.



Class donates
The third grade class at the Maddock School gave a portion of their charity bake sale proceeds to the Maddock Memorial Home bathtub/jacuzzi fund. Pictured left to right in the back row are Adeline Dickinson, Garrett Tandeski, Leo and Bennie Marquart, Hilda Kotaska, Zachary Hill, Spencer Olson and Tate Benson. Middle row: Lula Rader, Joyce Vallier, Mamie Johnson, Orville Stadum, Ruth Sorenson, Florence Johnson and Stella Benson. Front row: Greta Duren, Kerington Lee, Kevin Johnson and Austin Doornbos.



Minnewaukan’s turn to flood still in the works
Devils Lake continues to lay siege to Minnewaukan. This is Main Street looking east from Old US 281. At the end of the street the lake begins. Shane Monda has his boat parked handily in case he needs it to evacuate. This is the first time in history Minnewaukan has been threatened by a flood. The city is going to make some modifications to the sewer system which should make it possible for the city to survive to a level of about 1455. After that, nobody knows what will happen.

The lake has taken over D Street on the north side of Minnewaukan.
The Trinity Lutheran Church used to stand on the left but was moved to Main Street a few years ago. If you look closely you’ll see a goose near the caution cone on the right. An enlarged picture of the goose is shown in the inset. The goose appears to have only one leg.

This view looking southwest from the road leading to the flooded boat ramp shows the school and its bus barn. On the left is the flooded softball diamond.

This view, looking north from the same spot, shows the bait shop in the background. In the foreground was the park board’s asphalt recreation area. A flooded basketball hoop can be seen.

The parking lot of Minnewaukan’s boat ramp has been flooded. The ramp is no longer useable and the ND Game and Fish Department plans to install another ramp near the city’s inert landfill half a mile south of town, so there will still be access to the lake for boaters on the west side of the lake.

Old US 281 north of Minnewaukan has been opened at Minnewaukan so fishermen can use it. The gate at ND 19 remains closed, so there is no through traffic on this road. The road is littered with flotsam and jetsam thrown onto the road by the waves. The road is expected to go under water this summer.

The Mauvais Coulee bridge west of the Antiochia Church near the Arden Helgeseth farm in Normania Township is under water. The coulee is flowing heavily. When it crosses under the bridge on Old US 281 just south of the Brinsmade Road, the coulee becomes another part of Devils Lake.



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