Fessenden, ND

         Here’s your chance to take the flame of your life out while supporting your local fire department.  Saturday, February 13 will be the __annual Valentine Suppper and Wine Tasting Fundraiser.  It will be at 7pm at the Festival Hall in Fessenden and the meal will be Prime Rib and Shrimp.  The tickets are $30 per person and only 140 tickets will be sold.  Tickets can be purchased from the firemen, Farmers Union Insurance, or First International Bank.

On February 19-20, the Dakota Grown Local Foods Conference will take place in Jamestown, ND.  This is a great opportunity for communities that have listed communty gardens and farmer’s markets as strategies in their community plans to help those in poverty.  The cost is only $25 and Horizons will pay for up to 8 people to attend as well as mileage for up to 2 vehicles from each current and alumni community.  This sounds really interesting and as we have listed these as possibilities in our community plan, if anyone thinks they could go, contact Laurel Wentz at 701-399-9741.

    A Basic Dog Obedience Class will be offered in Fessenden beginning February 11 and will continue weekly through March 25.  Classes will be on Thursdays starting at 6:30pm on February 11.  Classes will be held in the basement of the Computer Loft building on Railway Street in Fessenden.  You and your dog will learn basic commands such as: sit, sit/stay, down, come, heel.  Information on canine behavior and socialization will also be discussed. 

Jenny Iverson, owner of Ruff Cutz in Fessenden will be the instructor.  Jenny has many years of experience in working with dogs.  She is a Registered Veterinary Technician and has worked 12 years in that position.  Jenny has worked 3 years as a Humane Officer and has worked with City and County K-9 departments. She has taken personal retriever training for hunting tests and worked with professional trainers in many area.

Class size is limited to 12 owners with their dogs, so if interested in this class call soon.  The cost will be $40.  To register contact Jenny Iverson at 341-0624 before February 8th.

Classes to start soon - Thursdays at 6:30pm - February 11- March 25

More information to come soon.  Class size limited.  Call Jenny Iverson at 341-0624. 

Motorheads is a busy place these days.  The bar opened early in June after being closed for over a year.  Shawn Weltz bought and renovated the former Cabaret building, decorating it in a muscle car motif.  Early in December, Motorheads opened their newly remodeled dining room.  The dining room is open from 11:00am-7:00pm Tuesday- - Thursday, from 11:00am-9:00pm on Friday and from 5:00pm-9:00pm on Saturday.  On Sunday, Motorheads serves a noon buffet from 11:00am - 1:00pm.  All these new opportunities to eat out are being taken advantage of by the people of Fessenden and surrounding area who have had limited choices to “eat out” since the devastating fire that burned the “Main Street Cafe” and the “T-Bones Steak House & Lounge”, almost a year ago.  

Horizon’s committee meetings are being scheduled in January to get moving on the projects that have been identified as priorities.  Watch for more information as soon as meetings are scheduled.  The Day Care Committee met yesterday and the Business Committee and Fair Grounds Utilization Committee will be scheduled soon. 

The Fessenden Cafe will soon be completed and open for business.  Watch for it!!

   The Horizon’s Day Care Committee is looking for input concerning the potential for a day care center in Fessenden.  Surveys will be sent out to parents with day care aged children as well as other persons with an interest in the idea.  What times would the service be needed? Would Saturday be needed?  What kind of payment plan would you like to see?   Where would be a good location?  Would grants be available for the center?  Any other comments?

      The First Lutheran Church of Fessenden had its annual “Cookie Walk” on Wednesday night.  The tables were loaded with goodies and sweets of all kinds.  Customers filled their “boxes” with the treats they selected.  Trays are filled for the shut-ins and elderly of the community, so this doubles as a action project as well.  This fund raiser for the women of the church is always a big boost to whichever project they choose to designate the funds to.  This year will be no exception I am sure judging by the looks of the sweets!! 

Kids at the Fessenden-Bowdon School Gym were excited to see Santa on Monday night.  The Civic & Commerce Assn treated the kids to free movies, popcorn and drink as they waited for Santa to arrive.  Pictures with Santa, candy bags, and toys to choose from were some of the treats for the night!!

The Wells County Free Stages have again been awarded grant money from the ND Council on the Arts for the Wells County Fair 2010.  In an email received on Monday, the Council has awarded $1600 to be used for the Free Stages during the Fair.  This money will be used to pay entertainers for their wonderful performances at the fair.  Any ideas for entertainment???

            On Thursday, November 19 Horizon’s Board Members from the Fessenden Community met to plan the Community Appreciation Supper.  See related article.  Pictures of us at our meeting were taken because we have seldom thought to take pictures until after everyone is gone.  In the 1st and 2nd pictures are:  Marla Haugen, Jeff Davis, Eric Bollingberg, Anita Schindler (guest), and Pastor Shirley Teske. Pictured in the 3rd picture are Marla Haugen, Nancy Bollingberg, Jeff Davis,Dee Hirsch, Eric Bollingberg, and Pastor Shirley Teske.  In the last picture are Eric Bollingberg, Pastor Shirley Teske, Laurel Wentz, Nancy Bollingberg, Marla Haugen, and Jeff Davis.

Does your dog always listen to your commands?  Basic dog obediance classes will be offered after the first of the year in Fessenden.  Participants will learn about dog behavior and teaching the basic commands - sit, stay, heel, down, come. 

A suitable building will be needed for class space.  Preferably insulated or heated with a concrete or dirt floor. 

Classes will be held two times a week for 3 weeks.  Please contact Jenny Iverson, owner of Ruff Cutz Grooming, for information or site ideas.  341-0624

            LYO students from 1st Lutheran Church, Fessenden are planning to again make Turkey Supper for their grandparents (and many others from the community that fall in that age group).  The Sunday before Thanksgiving has been the day for this celebration for about 10 years. 

 The supper will be held on Sunday, November 22 at 5:00pm in the church basement.  Students prepare the supper, peeling potatoes and carrots, carving the turkey, making dressing, gravy, and pumpkin dessert, setting the tables, making coffee and hot spiced cider, and delivering the “stay at home” meals.  After the meals are delivered to the people unable to attend the meal, the family style meal begins.  Each student is a “host” at his/her table; with the servers and the guests eating together.  The meal is a unique opportunity for high school and junior high students to visit with and serve a meal to some of the elders of our community.

Students are calling guests now, but if you do not get called, please call Laurel Wentz at 547-3416 or 399-9741.  Let us know if you are coming or if you would like a meal delivered to your home within the city of Fessenden.  

As always, there is no cost–it is simply our way of celebrating Thanksgiving.

Create your own visitor map!

Check where people are from that have visited our blog page for today, by clicking on the words “__ places today”.  Some of the places from the past weeks include:  Fessenden, ND;  Grand Forks, ND;  Bismarck, ND;  Mountain View, CA;  San Francisco, CA;  Butte, MT;  Minnewaukan, ND;  Logan, UT;  Devils Lake, ND;  Tolna, ND;  Cando, ND;  Minot, ND;  Maddock, ND;  Cathay, ND;  New Rockford, ND;  Harvey, ND; Fargo, ND; Anchorage, AK; Arvada, CO; Sykeston, ND; Berkeley, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Walhalla, ND; Lansford, ND; Vilonia, AR; Victor, NY;  Canandaigua, NY;  Torrance, CA;  Flaxville, MT;  Soro, Denmark; Guatemala City, Guatemala;  Tuscon, AZ;  Raleigh, NC;  New Leipzig, ND;  Watertown, SD;  Naperville, IL;  Delta Junction, AK;  Moore, ID;  Darlington, SC;  Cincinnati, OH; McClusky, ND; Orlando, FA;  Adair, IA; Toledo, OH; Grafton, ND; Dayton, OH; Lovell, WY; ForestHills, NY; Charlevoix, MI; West Fargo, ND; Coalville, United Kingdom; San Marcos, TX; Largo, FL; Denver, CO;  Carbondale, IL; Wyndmere, ND;  New Delhi, India; Lappeenranta, Finland; Lilburn, GA; Pascagoula, MS; Bolivar, MO;  SanDiego, CA;  Cleveland, ND;  Pensacola, FL;  Dickinson, ND;  Scottsdale, AZ;  Langley, WA; Mandan, ND; Fort Yates, ND;  Boston, MA;  Eustis, FL;  St. Louis, MO; Owatonna, MN; Knoxville, TN; Casa Grande, AZ;

There will be a “Cafe Kickoff” held on Thursday, November 5, from 11:00am-1:30pm.  It will feature a soup and sandwich meal with a fancy dessert.  Soups include Knephla and Vegetable Beef and the choices of sandwiches will be Egg Salad and Ham.  This will give everyone a chance to come out and support the cafe as it is being build.  Information about cafe plans will be available as well.  Come on out and show our support.

I was amazed to see the progress on the cafe just since Sunday.  Walls are up, rafters up and even the roof looks like it might keep out the rain (or snow).  Next door to the North, John Overbeck has been making progress on his new building, too.  His cement has been finished off and the walls will be going up soon.  John has plans of starting a sports bar and supper club, last I heard. 

 The Free Stages at the Wells County Fair are being planned for the 2010 fair.  Any input, comments on past artists, or ideas for next year’s fair are very welcome. 

As the end of October comes around the corner, so comes the end of the opportunity to complete the grant for the ND Council on the Arts.  The grant is almost finished and so is the time to add ideas for next year’s free stages.   Please respond!!

The annual Hostfest in Minot is over again for another year.  I hope many of you were able to attend the “almost a week long” event featuring Scandinavian Ethnic food, crafts, venders, talent, etc.  Although we were only able to attend on Saturday, the day was well worth the wait.  We enjoyed the George Jones Concert in the afternoon and the Oakridge Boys performance in the evening–and many even more entertaining talents demonstrated throughout the afternoon. 

Trolls and Dala Horses everywhere.  Viking Ships and wood carving of many kinds were being demonstrated as well as Hardanger lace crafting, weaving, felting and all other kinds of crafts.  Amazing talent in every room–did I mention there were about 10 rooms, maybe 12, full of stages, venders, and crafters?  Accordions, banjos, and guitars on every corner.  I’m not even sure we hit all the “hot spots.” 

Did I mention the food?  It was super.  Lutefisk, meatballs, mashed potatoes & gravy, rummegrot, rice pudding with fruit topping, “Viking on a stick” (a meatball with breading on it), Norwegian hot dog, fleishkiekle, cheese buttons, bisquits and sausage gravy, donuts, and a whole list of foods from Denmark that I can’t spell. 

What a fun way to spend the day!! 

Hey, add to this post with your comments on what else I missed!

What a great time!!!  Laurel Wentz took 4 Junior Luther League children to Camp Metigoshe on Friday night for their famous “Friday Nite Live” event.  It is a bi-annual event scheduled every fall and spring for students Grades 3-6.   (There are also Jr High “Friday Nite Lives” and High School “Snow Spectaculars” scheduled throughout the school year.)  Even though Laurel estimates that she has gone to these events once or twice a year since her kids were first of age in 1993, she has continued going with other people’s kids because it is such a fun time for kids (and adults)!!!  There are always fun and exciting games, crazy music and dancing, and fabulous food in the midst of spectacular natural beauty of the Turtle Mountain/Lake Metigoshe area.  Of course fun Bible Studies and prayers are enjoyed by the 40-100 participants from all over the area:  Fessenden, Harvey, Velva, Minot, Bottineau, Rugby, Towner, Surrey, and Lake Metigoshe.  A beautiful Saturday morning canoe trip was a highlight of this trip.  Most of the students had never been in a canoe, so that was a real treat for them.  Campfires and S’mores rounded out the fun!!  The Beattitudes were the focus for this trip. 

The Jr High “Friday Nite Live” is scheduled for Oct 9th and 10th.  Contact Laurel  (399-9741) or Kelly Jones if interested.

Old buried concrete, rocks, and dirt are moving!!  Something exciting is happening on Main Street Fessenden.  Details to come!!!