Anyone going to Bismarck with a pickup or a van?

update: the treadmill is repaired as of 3/28/08

Kathy from the Wellness Center is in need of someone to take a treadmill to Bismarck for repair under warrantee. We only need transportation to Bismarck for the treadmill-Scheel’s will unload it & order the parts after they inspect it.
If you know of anyone that plans to go to Bismarck in the near future, please let Kathy know. #842-6307

This would be a great way to lend a hand in keeping the people of our county healthy!

If it’s Tuesday, ladies are quilting at Wilmington Lutheran Church in Arnegard. Pictured are Phylis Hystad, Margaret Eikren, Ida Harmon, Margaret Hovde, Gen Bruins and Carol Mjelstad as they lay out fabric.

Ladies of Arnegard and Alexander Lutheran Parish meet every Tuesday to quilt for Lutheran World Relief, for people in the county who may have lost their homes to fire and for presentation to high school graduates who are members of the congregation(s). They sent quilts away last spring and resumed quilting Aug. 1, 2007. So far this winter they have 84 quilts prepared. They expect to send away more than 100 quilts this spring.

Lutheran World Relief is an international nonprofit organization that works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world’s most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives.

The Horizons program in McKenzie County is just 16 months old, and is scheduled to end the end of June, 2008, compared to LWR, which has worked in international development and relief since 1945. However, the organizations are both nonprofit and work to end poverty.

Please read Our Vision statement on the right column at the top of this page by clicking on the words. You will see 22 strategies. Why not volunteer to help with one you favor most? Leave a comment to that extent, please.

If you are at least 18 you may be interested in serving as a VISTA worker.

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is the domestic version of the Peace Corps. VISTA members sign up with a host agency to a full-time term of service - 365 days. In return for their service, members are provided with orientation and training, a living stipend calculated at no less than 95% of the poverty line, settling in and transportation costs, child care benefits, and a basic health care plan. Upon completion of their one-year term, VISTA members have the option of receiving $1,200 or an education award of $4,725.

A VISTA is a catalyst for change. They channel their ideals and energy into becoming poverty-fighters who build successful and sustainable programs that help people and communities lift themselves out of poverty.

While VISTAs appreciate these benefits, many say the most attractive part of VISTA is the skills and leadership they gain and the deep sense of satisfaction they feel when they know they’ve made a difference.

If you are trying to figure out what they want to do with your life, or if you are through college and want to gain skills, experience, and a network, please look into a year with VISTA. Information for this article was obtained from http://www.americorps.org
and from the area contact person:

Miriam Smette
RSVP Project Director and who also signs up Vista workers.
307 5th Avenue SE
Minot ND 58701
701-852-3799 Williston Area Phone 701-770-7905

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) offers maximum flexibility and choice to its volunteers as it matches the personal interests and skills of older Americans with opportunities to serve their communities. RSVP volunteers choose how and where they want to serve—from a few hours to more than 40 hours a week. RSVP volunteers provide hundreds of community services.

Some of the areas that would directly affect the Horizons Vision would be for volunteers to do the following:

Modeling parenting skills to teen parents;
Participating in neighborhood watch programs;
Planting community gardens;
Helping community organizations operate more efficiently;
Providing counsel to new business owners;
Building houses.

Several other important areas where RSVP’s could serve are:
Offering relief services to victims of natural disasters; and
Tutoring children in reading and math;
And helping get children immunized;

RSVP volunteers must be at least 55 years of age.

Benefits: RSVP volunteers are able to put their unique talents to work for community and faith-based organizations that are significant to them. In addition, they receive the following benefits:
Pre-service orientation;
On-the-job training from the agency or organization where they are placed;
Supplemental insurance while on duty.

For anyone interested in becoming a volunteer please contact:
Miriam Smette
RSVP Project Director
307 5th Avenue SE
Minot ND 58701
701-852-3799 Williston Area Phone 701-770-7905
http://rsvp.ndsu.nodak.edu

Bouyed by their success last year (they were the “People’s Choice” winners) at the “Soup Cook Off,” the residents of Horizons Assisted Living–part of the McKenzie County Healthcare System–went all out at this year’s second annual event.

Having cooked up a an aromatic and delicious pot of Chicken Corn Chowder, these hard-working participants came prepared. They were costumed–portraying ingredients from their chowder and its preparer. Their serving station well decorated and signed–complete with pot above a roaring fire.

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Doris Olson costumed as an “ear of corn” awaits her turn at the pot.

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Certainly some of the most entertaining folks of the evening, they were “shut out” from the winner’s circle. I guess the competition had really “heated up” after last year’s event. After all there were “wise guys” and “Poly and the Esters” and other hot items.

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Their fire blazed, their pot was hot, but so was the competition.

While one crew served up steaming portions of their Chowder, the ingredients wandered about engaging the crowd of about two hundred “soup-er” consumers milling around in the Veterans’ Memorial Building.

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The cook exhorts the crowd to “come and take a taste!”

They may not have won big but those Horizons’ residents joined with the rest of the soup-making crew and and soup-consuming community in order to a “pot” of fun and support the Relay for Life efforts as well.

What a great community!

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Mabel Norgard poses with “yours truly” as one hen who escaped the pot.

The day’s thermometer had marked 20 below zero but inspite of the cold, about 200 people were ready to eat soup to their satisfaction! Choices came as Reuben, Chicken corn chowder, Beef Bulalo soup, Bean, Wisconsin Cheese, Minestrone, Homemade Chicken Noodle and more, more, and more! Even Chick pea and Potato soup, from an original recipe, were served with homemade bread from home grown and ground grains. (See photo of Lael and Don Reed of rural Alexander holding buns and pitchfork, respectively.)

“This is a great turn-out,” smiled Merle Daley of Watford City, as she assisted her husband, Floyd by fetching him another soup sample.

The Second Annual Relay for Life Homemade Soup Cook-Off, sponsored by McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, attracted a warm-hearted and more numerous crowd than last year into the gymnasium of the Veterans Memorial Building Jan. 30, 2008.

Soup’s On winners were determined as follows:

All 16 booths had themes around their choice of soup to serve and some surprising costuming. One booth served two soups.

Three booths were selling items as their fund-raising effort, and among them was the eternal favorite, the Cake Walk. Refer to photo of Suzie Lundin, the last winner who happened to get the tray-sized cookie prize.

The seventh graders were ‘Eating up Cancer one bite at a time,’ and selling chocolate candies in support of their classmate, Reese Frick, who is an old hand at winning the battle against childhood cancer. (See classmates in orange t-shirts.)

Team Keene was there selling the pink ribbon ‘dog tags’ and magnetic car/fridge ribbons. Each purchase came with the option of decorating a commemorative bag to be displayed at a later Relay for Life event.

Malts were served up by the Soupranos, dressed like the Sopranos ‘Wise Guys’ of TV acclaim. But these ‘tough guy’ women turned their cheek to the splashes of malt while their white shirts caught splatters of dark chocolate.

As brave Soupranos faced down duals with chocolate, Ginny’s Restaurant was ‘Lookin Out Back for a Cancer Cure’ with lanterns, outhouse decorations and good ol’ fashioned Bean Soup. See below.

These fund-raisers encourage anyone and everyone to team up to fight Cancer and they do a variety of fund-raisers throughout the winter and spring.

The American Cancer Association’s Relay for Life provided the opportunity for 16 different organizations and individuals to come together as voluntary teams under their own form of structure and raise money as they wish in order to help with research as the battles against the ravages of Cancer continue. The Rugged West Relay for Life, which has a committee that guides the framework of the teams and plans the ultimate summer celebration for everyone, not just the fund-raisers, county-wide, will mark the end of the fund-raising efforts in June with an overnight celebration. But in the meantime, watch for more Relay for Life events across the county.

What a good time we had! Good Shepherd Home invited me and my wife to what turned out to be a marvelous celebration. All year long volunteers–both pastors and lay people–provide daily chapel services for the Home’s residents and for the residents of the Horizon assisted living center. In recognition of such commitment, the McKenzie County Health Care System invites those volunteers to have a Christmas party with the residents.

This year’s event saw us gathering on Thursday, December 6th, for a marvelous roast beef supper, a gracious welcome by CEO Dan Kelly, the singing of Christmas carols, and the receiving of gifts. But by far the best part of the evening was sharing the joy of the season with our fellow volunteers and the Home’s residents in delightful conversation and fellowship.

Many members of the McKenzie County Ministerial Association (MCMA) were among those gathered. Alton Hillesland, a pastor emeritus of the county, lead the group in prayer. “Twenty-two years I’ve been attending these parties,” he announced after the prayer. Many other volunteer preachers joined the MCMA for a very festive night.

The 26-members of Masque & Gavel enthralled full houses in three nights of The Spell of Sleeping Beauty, performed in the Watford City High School Media Center Nov. 15,16 and 17, 2007.
The seven scenes were well-rehearsed and very entertaining, complete with dancing to the tune of The Macarena!
The children’s production was set “Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Never Nod,” with costuming and props, done by the deft extraordinary talent of Jamie Jokela, and set design and construction accomplished along with Director Charles Simpson. Hair and makeup were believably done by citizens Vicky Schaff, Jokela, Jena Jenks, Joy Patten, Kelly Shively, Carol Sanford, Karen Holte and JoLynn Pelton.

Extra seating was necessary for the audience, which responded very well to the performers, and particularly to the cast call, by delivering a standing ovation. Children, too, filled the audience and interacted with the dark character of the Evilina, played deliciously evil by Alesia, who was dressed entirely in black.

In the end, Prince Alexander, portrayed by Zane, hopped out of his frog role, faced off the Dark Knight, played stunningly by Vincent, kissed the cheek of sleeping Princess Briar Rose, played by Missy and saved the entire castle of sleeping folks.

Other cast members were: Naomi as Baroness, Marissa as Lady Jessica, Kendra as Queen Eleanor, Abigail as False Princess and one of three Quills, Christina and Amanda as the other two Quills, Joel as King Rudolf, Andrew as Prime Minister, Kyle as Chef, Lisa as Nursemaid, Mike as Spider, Jayson as Bat, Katie as Black Cat, Chelsey as Queen Samantha, Chans as Baron, Katie as Blue Witch, MeLinda as Red Witch, Jana as White Witch, Jamie as Green Witch, Krista as Yellow Witch, and Molly as Pink Witch. The Seamstress was played by Valerie.

Once again the community of McKenzie County has enjoyed the fine art of theater, thanks to the Watford City High School members’ performances and valuable contributions by community citizens.