Smith to Retire From

$1.00 NEW ROCKFORD NEW ROCKFORD Oﬃcial Newspaper of Eddy County Since 1883 Volume 135 Monday, June 24, 2019 Oﬃcial Newspaper of Eddy County Since 1883 Number 5 Fundraising efforts underway for Open Season Lodge by Amy Wobbema book page June 11. stroyed the original school build- result. Meanwhile, the board has necessary to fix the boilers. The Open Season Lodge, locat- The City of Sheyenne owns the ing and caused damage to the exhausted all efforts for recourse Maintaining positive cash flow ed in the former Sheyenne school building, and a volunteer board 1962 addition where the lodge through both the manufactur- is important to retaining the building, is in need of donations is responsible for operating the operates. This was a significant er and the installer of the boilers lodge, which requires more guests to repair the boiler system and lodging business and maintain- blow for the volunteer-run orga- while working to capture as much in all seasons. In order to do that maintain year round operations. ing the building through a verbal nization, as clean-up expenses revenue as possible during the the board plans to broaden mar- The fundraising board of direc- agreement with the city. Sheyenne and repairs negatively affected summer season. keting efforts for the lodge and tors has set the fundraising goal is area residents Alyson Myhre, Sara the operation’s cash flow. Then “The winter is our busiest time, increase exposure with potential $25,000. Myhre, Laurie Westby and Kar- the pair of 10-year old boilers that so it isn’t really feasible to keep guests. “The school building is a com- en Rieger currently serve on that heat the building failed in the fall going like this,” noted Alyson Looking ahead munity landmark and we are board. of 2017, leaving a $25,000 repair Myhre. She added that the lodge As the “Transcript” has report- working diligently to save it,” Two big setbacks bill. The lodge has been closed for will not reopen next summer if CONTINUED ON PG A2 read a post on the Lodge’s Face- A December 6, 2015 fire de- the past two winter seasons as a they are unable to raise the funds Pool hours limited Smith to retire from FSA by Amy Wobbema messy mimeograph machine, and Another veteran local is leav- calling up farmers on rotary dial Children and adults alike wel- ing his post June 30. Kerry Smith, phones at the start of his career. comed the opening of the New Eddy and Foster County Execu- Staff members used aerial photo- Rockford Community Swim- tive Director (CED) for the Farm graphs to measure acreage in the ming pool on June 11. However, Service Agency, has decided to office’s dark room and calculators pool hours may be limited if life- retire after 35 years and 8 months cost $200 apiece. guard stations are not sufficient- of service. His most vivid memory in- ly staffed.The pool requires a Smith isn’t just a veteran direc- volves a convergence of his two minimum of three lifeguards on tor, he’s a native with deep roots worlds, agriculture and busi- staff during any open swimming in agriculture. Born and raised ness. On this particular summer periods, and there aren’t always on a farm near McHenry, Smith day, a runaway sheep from 4-H enough people to cover. worked the family ground along- Achievement Days escaped the Park and Recreation Manager side his father from 1986 to 2001 Eddy County fairgrounds and Dennis Nybo said that staffing is while employed with FSA. He headed east into town. As fran- short this year and the few life- walked away from the farm oper- tic 4-H’ers flocked downtown to guards they do have on staff are ation at that point to focus more capture the animal, it barged right quite active in school sports and on his full-time career. through the window in Richard other activities, making schedul- “I take a lot of pride and satis- Elkins’ office! ing a challenge. This past Thurs- faction in being able to work with In the early 1990s the Eddy day, Friday and Saturday was one farmers in my home area,” he County offices moved to U.S. of those times, as staff members said. Smith has spent 33 years of Hwy. 281, where they remained were either participating in a vol- his tenure here in Eddy County, until their newly constructed leyball team camp or attending from 1986 to 2019. downtown building was opera- lifeguard certification classes. His career with the agency be- tional last December. Swimmers are encouraged to gan in 1983 when he entered the In 1997 the agency decided to watch the downtown electron- 12-month County Operations consolidate management in Eddy ic sign or check Facebook to be Trainee (COT) program. He then and Foster counties. Larry Ode- aware of when the pool might be spent time working in the Nelson gaard, the former Foster County closed for business. County office in Lakota and the Director, chose to leave the agen- Nybo noted that community Slope County office in Amidon cy and enter the private sector at support of all park district sum- before having the opportunity to that time. As a result, Smith was mer programs has been tremen- move back home to serve Eddy chosen to manage both counties. dous, with an average of 130 peo- County farmers as CED. There were 10 employees between ple swimming each day during In 1986 he had eight employees the two counties at that time. opening week. The baseball and in the Eddy County office, which Now only three employees han- softball programs have great par- was located in the building where dle the same number of programs ticipation, and the athletes have the Evangelical Free Church now in both counties, a reduction of had successful season openers. operates. nearly 80 percent from the 14 em- The tennis court has even seen its He distinctly remembers typ- ployees between the two counties fair share of action, as a new net Eddy and Foster County Executive Director Kerry Smith will retire ing checks on an IBM Selectric II was installed recently. CONTINUED ON PG A2 from his post on June 30. typewriter, making copies on the Camp Grafton and NORAD Sen. Heckaman recognized for to test long-range radar leadership on rural health The North Dakota Na- "Thorough research and "Camp Grafton provides Senator Joan Heck- tional Guard is partnering prudent investments in all the geographic features aman received the Ru- with U.S. Northern Com- surveillance, communica- critical to a test of this type ral Health Legislator mand (USNORTHCOM) tions and infrastructure and our experience work- of the Year award at and several other agencies, are necessary for devel- ing with the North Dakota the 2019 Dakota Con- including the Air Force Re- oping and maintaining a National Guard has been ference on Rural and search Laboratory (AFRL) threat detection capability exceptional," said Dr. Bra- Public Health June 12 to test a long range radar in order to deter and, if ham Himed, project lead in Minot. The award at Camp Grafton Train- necessary, defeat potential from AFRL. recognizes an outstand- ing Center (CGTC). The threats along our north- Canada and the U.S. are ing North Dakota leg- radar, known as the Arctic ern approaches," said Maj. evaluating the potential islator, congressional "Over-the-Horizon Radar" Gen. David Lowthian, of OTHR systems in the representative, or leg- (OTHR), will be construct- Director of Operations Arctic as possible replace- islative aid for his/her ed at CGTC which is near NORAD. ments and/or to augment work and support of Devils Lake and CGTC Twenty 100-foot anten- the North Warning System rural and public health South in Eddy County. nas will be placed along radars. Data from this proj- initiatives that address "This is an important Highway 20 at Camp Graf- ect will inform U.S. and an identified need in partnership between ton and will serve as the Canadian decision mak- his/her district. NORAD/NORTHCOM, transmit site, while over ers about potential options Gretchen Dobervich, AFRL, and the North Da- 160 smaller antennas will for recapitalization of the policy project manag- kota National Guard," said be placed at CGTC South North Warning System ra- er with the American Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, to serve as the receive site. dars. Indian Public Health adjutant general. "It paves These antennas, part of the The North Dakota Na- Resource Center at the way for testing and re- OTHR, could eventually tional Guard is a trained North Dakota State search on this critical radar be used to monitor and and highly motivated force University, nominated system, and also estab- identify aircraft approach- of about 4,000 Citizen-Sol- Heckaman. “Senator lishes CGTC as a premier ing North America, but as diers and Citizen-Airmen. Heckaman has a long research center for future it stands, the big challenge We are always prepared to history of supporting users." for this OTHR test is to provide ready units, indi- policy that improves Assembly of the anten- establish a clear radar pic- viduals and equipment in the quality of life for nas along Highway 20 has ture in spite of atmospher- support of our communi- families,” Dobervich Pete Antonson, CEO at Northwood Deaconess Health Center, already begun and the as- ic clutter. ties, state and nation. Al- said. “She has worked presents the award to Senator Joan Heckaman. sembly of the antenna ar- In high-latitude regions ways ready, always there.

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