The Mandan City Commission, unable to come to mutual terms with its present formal agreement with Captain Freddy’s, has agreed to allow the establishment to write up a revised set of terms that both sides will agree to.

Last Tuesday the city agreed to accept the terms from Captain Freddy’s by mid-August, in time for the commission to review it for its Tuesday, Aug. 17, meeting.

Commissioner Thomas Jackson said at the time of July 20 commission meeting, no agreement had been reached, as the business isn’t willing to accept the agreement as it is. “Freddy’s is still willing to an agreement, but said it was not acceptable in the present form,” Jackson said.

Captain Freddy’s representative, attorney Todd Kranda, said the reason the agreement can’t be reached is because the city changed its noise reading formula, in order to cover not only noise but vibrations as well. This, Kranda said, made things too difficult to not only monitor, but to enforce. “You changed the reading standard in the agreement, which is a very difficult formula for converting the decibel level,” Kranda said.

Complaints this summer have been significantly lower than the previous summer, when the business had 67 noise complaints. This year, there have been 11, which have all occurred on three separate nights.

Since the city began discussions with Captain Freddy’s, the establishment has invested thousands of dollars in order to damper the noise, including adding a taller fence and a tent cover on its patio. Despite this, the group of homeowners that originally brought this issue to the city commission have backed out of the agreement process.

“They (Captain Freddy’s) have done significant work to mitigate the issues, but the homeowners are out of the discussion,” Jackson said, “and quite frankly, I’m not sure what to do at this point.”

Mayor Tim Helbling said he is pleased to see noise complaints have been minimal, but pointed out that this process has been going on for nearly a year. “I’m happy that the complaints are going down, and that progress is being made,” he said. “But we need to come to some agreement. I think you’re trying to correct the situation, but if it does get out of hand we’ll have to revoke the license.”

One option Jackson proposed was a cabaret ordinance, which is currently in effect within the city, but not enforced. The ordinance does not allow any music inside or outside a business without a license, which would require a nominal fee.

Kranda told the commission that in addition to the new reading standard, he is worried what kind of repercussions this agreement may have on the city.

“Do we accept an agreement that is only on (Captain) Freddy’s? I’m still not sure what the consequences are, but there will have to be some safeguards to say that we are not being unfairly treated,” he said.

Helbling said since the establishment has a history of noise complaints which are significantly higher than any other business in Mandan, a signed agreement is needed.

Kranda told the commission that a revised agreement will submitted to the city before the Aug. 17 meeting, and the commission will revisit the issue at that time.

The 50th annual Morton County Fair is scheduled from Thursday, Aug. 5, to Sunday, Aug. 8. The four-day event is set to take place at the Morton County Fairgrounds, located in New Salem.

A number of events will highlight the county fair, including a Friday and Saturday night rodeo, livestock judging, an antique tractor pull and a street dance on Friday and Saturday, in addition to live music daily and several games and events for children.

Thursday, Aug. 5, will kick off with General 4-H Achievement Day, with a 4-H horse show set for 10 a.m. and the public display of exhibits beginning at 1 p.m. that day.

On Friday, Aug. 6, the NDRA Rodeo will begin at 6:30 p.m., which will feature mutton busting. Admission to the rodeo is $6 for seniors and students and $8 for adults. A Friday night dance will take place from 8 p.m. to midnight with the music of Rock Creek.

Saturday, Aug. 7, will include a barrel racing competition at 11 a.m. and a tractor pull at 1 p.m. Live music and a variety of entertainment from several area acts, including The Old Five and Dimers and Marv & The Moonlighters, will take place throughout the day. A chicken supper is set to take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The second night of the NDRA Rodeo will continue that night at 6:30 p.m. A Saturday night dance will be held from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with the music group Thunder Road proving the entertainment.

The final day of the county fair, Sunday, Aug. 8, will begin with live musical acts all day, and a Morton County Power Pull event set to start at 1 p.m.

Learn more about the Morton County Fair online at co.morton.nd.us.

-Brian L. Gray

Lt. Col. Warren Pauling (left) with the North Dakota National Guard's demobilization team welcomes home 1st. Sgt. Richard Marschner, Mandan, as he exits the plane at Camp Atterbury, Ind., on July 18. Marschner served as the 1st Sgt. with the North Dakota Army National Guard's 957th Liaison Monitoring Team with the KFOR 12 contingent. Marschner is at Camp Atterbury participating in the demobilization process before returning home to North Dakota. Photo by Staff Sgt. Billie Jo Lorius, N.D. National Guard Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and other senior leaders, greeted nearly 400 North Dakota Soldiers who have spent the past year serving as part of the Kosovo Force 12 as they arrived at their respective demobilization stations at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and Fort Benning, Ga., July 18 to 20.

The first group of about 225 Guardsmen arrived in Ind. on July 18 with the second group of about 131 soldiers arriving this evening about 8:20 p.m. About 15 soldiers that were stationed in Pristina, Kosovo and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina arrived at Fort Benning that weekend. They are arrived home to North Dakota by the end of the week after participating in the demobilization process.

“It’s a great day in North Dakota when soldiers return home from a successful mission,” Sprynczynatyk said. “Let’s remember all of the other North Dakota soldiers and airmen still serving in countries all across the world. Their ongoing efforts in defense of our nation will always be greatly appreciated.”

About 40 North Dakota Soldiers will remain in Kosovo in order to effectively coordinate mission handover to the succeeding unit, the Puerto Rican National Guard, which will lead KFOR 13. A ceremony to formally assume mission responsibility from the North Dakota National Guard took place July 24 in Kosovo. These remaining soldiers are expected home by the end of the month.

About 160 Soldiers of the 231st Maneuver Task Force (231st Brigade Support Battalion), Valley City, N.D., and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade returned home early last May. The soldiers were mobilized last August.

Functioning as part of the Multinational Battle Group East, the charter mission of KFOR is maintaining a safe and secure environment and providing freedom of movement for the people in Kosovo. MNBG E is comprised of nearly 2,200 soldiers, including Task Force Hellas and Task Force POL-UKR (Polish and Ukraine) and Turkey.

Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, of Bismarck, commanded MNBG E during the KFOR 12 rotation.

The KFOR 12 mission was the largest mobilization for the North Dakota National Guard since the Korean War. While many units have deployed simultaneously for separate Global War on Terrorism missions in recent years, the KFOR mobilization encompasses the largest single element to mobilize in more than five decades.

Mandan Public Schools Foundation Chairman Lee Fleischer (left) and board member Wayne Papke (right) extend appreciation to donors Jack and Kristin Paris. Submitted photo

The Mandan Public Schools Foundation for Education applauded its first major donors at a board of directors meeting last week.

Jack and Kristin Paris contributed $5,000 to help catapult the foundation towards its goals of providing student scholarships, grants for school employees and students, and carrying out projects that meet student needs.

Kristin Paris served as a teacher in Mandan Public Schools for 23 years. Jack Paris is an alumnus of Mandan High School.

The foundation was formed in April and has filed for not-for-profit tax exempt status. Foundation Chairman Lee Fleischer thanked the Paris’ for their leadership and sizeable contribution to the foundation in its infancy.

“We greatly appreciate the Paris’ generous donation to help get the foundation off the ground. This will assist us in achieving the goals of the foundation, which is to reward our students and staff,” Fleischer said.

The foundation welcomes additional donations and is seeking ways to reach out to current and former teachers, alumni and other potential supporters. For forms and more information, visit the website mandanschoolsfoundation.org, or call Fleischer at 220-8939.

The need for a public schools foundation was reinforced during Mandan’s strategic planning process conducted in 2009 as a means of augmenting available funding for local education.

The Mandan Public Schools Foundation for Education board of directors is comprised of Lee Fleischer, president; Wayne Papke, vice president; Jim Neubauer, treasurer; Tom Bair, secretary; along with Karen Kautzmann, Gordon Binek, Ellen Huber, Ryan Leingang, Vicki Roehl, Tim Tausend and Marilyn Keller.

-Brian L. Gray

North Dakota National Guard airmen and soldiers gather at Camp Grafton South, for a two-day marksmanship contest July 17 and 18. The N.D. National Guard Adjutant General's Combat Marksmanship Match takes place annually, and offers soldiers and airmen in the North Dakota National Guard an opportunity to test their marksmanship skills and weapon systems in a shoulder-to-shoulder competition.

Story and photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard

Some of the best shooters in the North Dakota National Guard gathered at the firing range at Camp Grafton South July 17 and 18 to test their skills in the N.D. National Guard Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship Match. 

The marksmanship match is an annual state competition held “to promote battle-focused marksmanship training and to enhance overall marksmanship proficiency,” said Lt. Col. Stephen P. Herda, of Mandan, who works with the North Dakota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters. “This match offers soldiers and airmen in the North Dakota National Guard an opportunity to test their marksmanship skills and weapon systems in a shoulder-to-shoulder competition. The Adjutant General’s Match is designed to test and improve the capabilities of our National Guard forces in a tactically oriented environment.”

The competition involves the use of both pistols and rifles in various shooting scenarios.

A team from the 817th Engineer Company, in Jamestown, took top honors in the event and produced the best individual shooter, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Varberg.

Varberg and the 817th – which is comprised of many members from the former 141st Engineer Combat Battalion’s Company B – are no strangers to the winners’ circle. Varberg has been the best individual shooter 29 out of 30 years, by his own account, and his team has finished first all 30 times that he’s competed.

Varberg, of Cooperstown, has competed on the national-level All-Guard Shooting Team several times and has traveled to places such as Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, Canada and England with the team.

“I’ve qualified to shoot for the Queen’s Medal Match, held in three different countries. I’ve even had dinner with the Queen. Marksmanship has taken me places that I thought I’d never see. It’s been awesome,” Varberg said.

The North Dakota Air National Guard team finished a respectable sixth place out of 12 teams in its first time back to the competition in several years.

“We have had great support from our leadership at the Wing for this contest and we hope to make a better showing next year,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua VonBank, of Fargo, the North Dakota Air National Guard’s team leader. “The North Dakota Air National Guard can have as many as four teams in the competition. It’s a good time… a good experience.”

The top scoring team and individuals move on to a regional competition at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., and the top finishers at that contest will advance to the Winston P. Wilson National Championship, which will be in Little Rock, Ark., later this year.

My 13-year-old son has been playing Babe Ruth baseball this summer, reminding me that base hits win games. And so it goes with business development. Residents clamor and would certainly stand up and cheer for the home run of a big box store, but meanwhile Mandan is scoring some base hits with new and expanding retail and service sector businesses. There are also relocations to report, and unfortunately some closings as well.

Following is a summary of the latest business happenings:

• Grube Retina Clinic is opening in August at 107 Third Avenue N.W. Dr. Tom Grube has been investing in leasehold improvements to the building as part of an approved Renaissance Zone project. He anticipates attracting 40 to 60 patients daily from throughout the regions for treatment and care of eye problems related to diabetes, macular degeneration, and injuries.

• Tech24 is a new computer sales and repair business opening Aug. 2 at 102 First Avenue N.W. Partners Josh Smith, Kirk Eslinger and Chad Kay specialize in new and used computers and accessories, Boost Mobile cell phone service and accessories, and computer repair and consulting. Repair experts provide in-store repairs or in-home service. For more information, call 751-2009.

• Advanced Indoor Solutions plans to be open by Sept. 1 at 104 Second Avenue N.W. The business moved from Bismarck and will offer vacuums, air purifiers, rug shampooers as well as power chairs and scooters. The owners are Mark Wanner and Kori Roth. They can be reached at 255-2606.

• A Box of Chocolates Dance is opening soon at 320 West Main Street. Cedric Tillman will be offering a variety of classes including pointe, ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, tap, African, acro, contemporary, choreography, ballroom, stretch and zoomba. For more info, call 425-5706.

• Kandace Kemmet has opened Calming Tranquility Massage in the Styler Den beauty salon at 204 Third Avenue N.W. Call 663-7610 for more info.

• Sacred Heart Tattoo and Piercing will be open in August at 103 Fourth Avenue N.W., phone 471-0304.

• HUB Insurance has moved from 500 West Main Street to Library Square II at 200 First Avenue N.W., Suite 50, phone 663-7585.

• Horace Mann Insurance, agent Kirby Johnson moved from 104 Third Avenue N.W. to 301 First Street N.E. For more info, call 663-6271.

• Lauinger Accounting will be moving from 608 E. Main Street to 718 West Main Street. The new location is in a property rehabilitated as a Renaissance Zone and Storefront Improvement project. The move was prompted by the sale of the Lauinger building. The new location allows the business to add an additional employee.

Please help welcome and congratulate these folks.

At the same time, Mandan has bid farewell to a few businesses. We thank them for taking entrepreneurial risk.

• The legendary Lindy Sue’s Candies and Soda Fountain closed store doors July 10, but will continue the candy-making and wholesale side of the business. The ground floor of the building at 316 West Main Street is available for lease.

• La Boutique and Fancy Klancy’s Jewelry had each operated for about a year in respective spaces at 102 First Avenue N.W. and 406 West Main Street. The La Boutique space is now occupied by Tech24, while the other space remains available for lease.

To help residents keep track of Mandan businesses and alert visitors to the products and services available in the community, an online and interactive business directory will be added as part of a new city website set to debut in August. For more information on business opportunities in Mandan, call the Business Development Office at 667-3485.

Either of my loyal readers will tell ya that I take a vacation at Lake Tschida this time of year, so it’s once again time to tell you about it…

Day 1 – Had to work until noon and it rained, but the rain didn’t really get underway until I got to the Wet Spot Bar in Glen Ullin. I stop there every Friday so they can set their watches on Friday. The rain was pretty intense so while waiting for it to let up I noticed a bulletin on the wall inviting folks to “The Testicle Festival” in Almont on July 31. “Come have a ball,” it said. For a moment I wondered if you can say that in public, but since they did, I figured I could too.

The rain let up so I traveled on, got to the cabin and took a nap. Pretty exciting stuff so far huh?

Maybe if I shared the plans I made for my summer vacation… you see, the first week I’m on my own out here. Then the first weekend we have to head to the Ulmer Family Re-Onion in Park Rapids, Minn. Then the $10,853.27 worth of garage parts I’ve recently purchased is due to be delivered, and my vacation should pretty much be consumed by levitating them into position.

So that’s the plan, and as you know, most plans get put together so one can look back and see where he went wrong.

Anyway, back to Day 1 – the nap was short and then we went fishing. We boarded the pontoon, my son slipped the Allman Brothers into the CD player and we boogied out of the bay to the tune of “Blue Sky”… and it sure was a blue sky evening. 

We tossed some Rapala’s over the side (fishing rigs for you non fisher people) and trolled off into the evening. After an afternoon of rain the lake was flat and the sun had finally come out in full force. I sat back in my seat to quaff my beer, looked around and decided it I was in the midst of another perfect evening on the prairie.

We putt-putted along the banks towards Rattlesnake Point and a huge northern pike decided to make my day. He slammed my line and it took about 20 minutes to pull him in. Before releasing it we took a photo and texted it to all our contacts and then we went back to the cabin, ate supper, and went to bed. Pretty exciting first day, huh?

Oh ya, I forgot to tell you about the rainstorm we ran into on the way home, but since most folks think I’m all wet most of the time anyway, I figured you really didn’t want to know much about how we miscalculated the cloud and drove through a wall of water on the way home… but I got to figuring again, and figured that you’ve probably been soaking wet, so you already knew how that felt too…

So like I was saying, that was day one and I think I’ll close here by letting both my loyal readers know that it only took me three days to get over the dizziness caused by the six wasps bites I got last weekend when I decided to meddle with their hive… but then I figured they figured I musta’ survived ’cause here I am talking to them again.

And on that note I’ll get back to you later, ’cause I got three weeks of vacation to keep notes on.

Here’s hoping that you’re allowed some time to do whatever you wanna do too… later…

You may have noticed it by now, but this column is a refuge from news.

I don’t like to talk business. This column is a place where you’ll see me shoot the breeze. A place to get personal. A place where you can sit down, relax, reflect, and read about some guy’s life that you may have never even met before.

And who knows, maybe my mundane thoughts will allow you to reflect on your own life. I like to think of my column as a funny mirror, interspersed with the classic joys of a fireside chat. Just take a moment to look at my picture as you read this. Notice how friendly and amicable I appear to be. It’s like I have a joke in my head that I can’t wait to share with you, or that I have contained inside me some secret about life that keeps me perpetually content and carefree. And that’s what I’m about in these columns. I’m here to share, to let you in on my life, and I want us both to be better people by the end of this column. That is my hope, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this.

These columns are a break from the news. A vacation, if you will. Because when I’m stuck in an office, I need something to transcend me from the strictures of the work environment. Some people have photos of family or loved ones (which are sometimes mutually exclusive), or mementos that serve as reminders of good times outside of the office, like a bowling trophy or ribbons from their days in youth basketball. I don’t get into many offices, so I really don’t know exactly what people put on display. But I imagine some CEO, somewhere, is really proud of his or her pubescent hoops career.

Business has its place in the world, and that place is called an office. I try not to let it stray much further from that. But this job I have is a hard one to run from. Even here, in my column – my haven from work – I find myself discussing work, which is what I’m doing right now. This job is that tough to get away from. But no more. If ever you see my face with a bunch of words around it, you can know with absolute certainty that no business at all is taking place here.

I write my columns because I love vacations – figurative and literal ones. So I struggle with that urge to escape quite often. Because I’ll admit – I have a pretty boring life. I don’t have a life filled with adventures. All I really have in my vault of memories are the type of awe-inspiring tales you’ll hear from the game show contestants on Jeopardy:

ME: Well, Alex, the biggest thing that’s happened to me in my life was when I was 23. I was at a zoo, feeding the monkeys, when the llamas were watching this and getting jealous because I was feeding the monkeys and not them. By the time I walked up to the llamas to feed them, one of them spit on me. That made me angry. SO I SPIT ON THE LLAMA! HA HA! Then they kicked me out of the zoo.

I could only wish my life was like that dude’s from the Dos Equis commercials. It may seem admirable that a youngster like myself is in the position of an editor, but let me tell you – this job is no jolly walk through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It doesn’t pay very much, and I’m often up until 3 or 4 a.m. working on stories. But that’s the nature of this business; journalism is suffering these days. So subsequently, I suffer.

But here, in this column, I have the opportunity to separate myself from the medium of journalism, an irrelevant, antiquated pursuit, of which its only visible lasting impression it leaves on its readers are ink stains on their fingers.

Even though these words are ensconced in the medium of a drowning profession, I feel this column, like the alleged ribbons in CEOs’ offices, offer a momentary glimpse of something better, something not bound by limits. In columns I can talk about anything. There are no rules, no parameters, only an ever-expanding myriad of topics I’m able to explore. And I don’t even need to use segues.

I like cotton candy.

Because a column is what you make of it. You throw in some humor, some heart, some insight, some spontaneity, and you’ve done your job.

But you always need a big finish. This column is near its end, and I don’t know if I’ve even said anything of significance yet. Yet I feel every single experience in life is significant. Each waking moment we live constantly shapes us in a different way, whether we realize it or not – every sight we see, every sound we hear, affects us. The slightest breeze or the smallest of insects can awaken us to the most beautiful of things we often ignore.

And the fact that you continue to read this column speaks volumes to me. It tells me you’re reaching out for something, like me with my need for getting away. I am heinously guilty of constantly running from myself. But it’s not just work I try to escape from. I’m always drawn towards learning new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s not good for the nervous system, but it’s good for the soul. Keeping myself aware of what’s around me, and allowing it to impact me, is what revives and fuels me. And that’s part of the reason we reach out. Maybe that’s why you’re still reading this. Because you want to relate to something, you want to improve, you want to understand.

Many people, unfortunately, are built on a foundation where their individuality, their differences, not only define them, but separate them from others. I believe we need to begin embracing the differences among us, instead of using them to keep us apart. After all, change is not that bad. It is, after all, inevitable. It’s happening all the time.

And I congratulate you for getting this far in the column. Change, even in the smallest of forms, has just happened to you.

Well, that’s my big denouement, my spectacular grammatical fireworks display. There’s always a cool down process that must follow the climax, which is what I’m doing right now. It’s meant to be a moment set aside for reflection, which allows you to ease your way back into your normal routine, so as to make the transition more seamless, before we have to turn our attention away from what we’ve been focusing on and get back to our usual business at hand. This period also lets us absorb the new experience, as it integrates itself into what we already know.

Once that is over, we move on to the next experience.

And now that time has come. As much as I hate to say it, I need to get back to work now.

10 Years Ago – 2000

The Mandan Chiefs, coached by Randy Will, clinched the West Region Baseball title after defeating Williston, in a western conference double header. The Chiefs had only to win one game out of the next four when the Chiefs met and lost the first two games with Dickinson. Next up was a two-game battle with Williston. In the first game, the two were tied in the seventh inning when a single by Nate Lighthizer drove in Tate Meyhoff, which clinched the western division conference title. Mandan went on to also defeat Williston in the evening’s second game, the Chiefs ended their regular season, 14-6 and 40-23 overall.

In a unanimous decision of a four round-fight at the North Dakota State Fair, Mandan’s Shelby Pudwill defeated Delbert Chasing Hawk of Pine Ridge, S.D., improving Pudwill’s record to 12-1-1.

25 Years Ago – 1985

North Dakota scored 875 points to finish 15th at the High School National Finals Rodeo held at Rapid City, S.D. Texas won the team title, after competing against more than 30 states and two Canadian provinces. Mandan’s David Berg finished fourth in the Bareback event and received a buckle and a plaque. Brian Hartman, who took first in saddle bronc at the state finals in New Salem, ended with another fifth place finish at the national event. Others Mandan participants were Dean Breuer, Glenn Renner and Lisa Schaff.

Chris Boehm of Mandan hit a hole-in-one with a four-iron at the Municipal Golf Course on Saturday, July 27. Witnesses were Bill Block, Mel Miller and Harney Just. “It was my first one in 45 years of playing,” said an elated Boehm. 

The Big Bend Homemakers Club of Flasher is celebrating their 50th anniversary. The club was organized with 14 members at Big Bend School in May 1935 by R.C. Newcomer, Morton County Agent. Its name was derived from the big bend the river takes in that area. Of the original 14 members, Alice Toman and Josie Novotny still maintain their Homemakers Club membership.

50 Years Ago – 1960

The Bill’s Super Value amateur baseball team defeated the Carson Indies, 3-0, this week in a contest which gave Mandan pitcher Bill Bragg a no-hitter and, with the exception of four walks and a hit batter coupled with three errors by his teammates, a perfect game.

Bragg mustered 12 strikeouts, facing 35 batters in his nine innings of play; only 10 Carson players reached first base. Bill’s scored all their runs in the third inning. Howard Koch was the “Big Gun” for Bill’s, hitting 2 for 4.

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Mandan policemen and their families and members of the city commission and their families were guests at the annual policemen’s picnic on a Sunday afternoon at the home of Chief of Police and Mrs. Earl Vredenburg, east of the city. More than 40 persons were present for the steak fry. Special entertainment included guitar music by Patrolmen Armin Lennick and Bill Blotsky, plus singing by Sgt. George Doll and Patrolman Ed Wingenbach.

The first wheat of the 1960 season has been brought into Mandan and marketed at the Occident Elevator, according to Al Fasching, elevator manager. A.C. Graner and sons, south of Mandan in the Huff vicinity, brought in the first load, which graded the average of 60 pounds to the bushel. Yield per acre was 20 bushels.

Mrs. C.F. (Jane) Ellis, of Mandan, is this year’s first golfer to shoot a hole-in-one on the Apple Creek Country Club in Bismarck. The feat happened on the 87-yard Number Seven hole, using a seven-iron. Mrs. Ellis was playing in a foursome on July 27 during the Ladies Day events at the club.

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Miss Loretta Rosita Schmidt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Schmidt, and Paul J. Joersz, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Joersz, Sr., exchanged wedding vows at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Saturday, July 23, in a nuptial mass performed by Father Treinen.

The bride, carrying a bouquet of white carnations and pink roses, wore a floor-length gown of nylon tulle over taffeta. Her queen’s crown of seed pearls and sequins held her veil of French illusion.

Miss Agnes Marking, Bismarck, was maid of honor. Serving as bridesmaids were Delores Zander and Marlene Schmidt, both of Mandan. Their identical gowns were of street length blue organza over taffeta. They also wore blue veiled crowns and carried bouquets of white carnations.

Casper Schmidt, brother of the bride, was best man. Groomsmen were Leonard Beckler, Mandan, cousin of the bride, and Melvin Bobb, Minneapolis.

The bride attended Mandan High School and Bismarck Junior College and is employed at First National Bank of Mandan. The groom is a graduate of New Salem High School, served two years in the U.S. Army and is employed by the State Highway Department.

Miss Loretta Rosita Schmidt and Paul J. Joersz, Jr., who were married on July 23, 1960. Submitted photo

75 Years Ago – 1935

As flood waters receded in Mandan, hundreds of gardens, muddied lawns and water-soaked homes were seen. The stench from the rotting vegetation was especially strong due to excessive heat and humidity in the area. Riverside Park remains closed; no band concerts are being planned for several weeks. Ten south side families are being cared for in the new Memorial Building by the local Red Cross, and three families have temporary quarters in one of the schools. Flood damage in Mandan is estimated at $40,000.

To combat the hoards of mosquitoes now covering the entire city due to the flooding, crude oil is being spread over ponds, sloughs and potholes in and near Mandan in an effort to kill the hatching pests. Local filling stations are providing waste oil for the citywide project; the crude is being distributed by federal relief employees and the city’s health service workers.

Hundreds of Mandan residents were able to see the full stage of the eclipse of the moon this past week. Beginning at 8:30, the watchers could plainly see the shadow of the earth pass across the face of the moon until it was totally obscured. The moon then turned a rich copper shade and early in the morning, there was a great, round, coppery background around the moon. 

100 Years Ago – 1910

“LaRue Shaw, while at work on the Fraser farm fixing a hay rake to which a team was attached, was quite badly injured by the horses starting to run away and dragging him for quite a distance. He was considerably bruised by coming in contact with a stump at a twenty-mile gait. While the injuries are not serious, he will be laid up for some weeks.”

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“The Railroad Hospital operated by Drs. Dutton and Russell of Spokane, Wash., is to be abolished and the railroad patients taken care of at the Mandan hospital. The doctors and their assistants are busy at this time packing the equipment for shipment back to Spokane. It was decided to abandon the hospital, since the Mandan Hospital is finished and is amply able to care for any unfortunates.”

(To contact Diane, email dboit4thosedays@aol.com)

The Mandan Chiefs' Jay Flaa pitched a strong game against Dickinson in the 2010 west region tournament, helping Mandan to win over Dickinson 9 to 6, and get them qualified for state. Rick Scharf photo

By Brian L. Gray

After four games at the west region tournament, the Mandan Chiefs split an even 2-2 record, which was enough to move them forward to the state tournament.

The opening round of the tournament was not an easy opener by any means for the Chiefs, who faced the Minot Vistas.

But Mandan came out strong, working their way to an early 3-0 lead over Minot, scoring one in the third and two in the fifth. The first run came from Sam Salveson, while the two runs in the fifth were scored thanks to a two-run single from Jay Flaa.

But from there, Minot managed to keep the Chiefs scoreless as they made a rally of their own. The Vistas responded with two runs in the fifth inning and five in the sixth, punctuated by pinch hitter Trevor Gust, who hit a three-run homerun, as Mandan fell in the first round, 7 to 3.

The Chiefs’ Reid Jungling, who was given the loss, had a strong day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles.

Facing a possible elimination, the Chiefs then took on the Dickinson Roughriders, last year’s state champions. Like they did against Minot, Mandan kicked things off with an early lead, putting up five runs in the top of the first inning.

Salveson, Aaron Janz, Dwight Mack and Steve Serr all hit RBI singles, while Andy Conlon hit a sacrifice fly, as the Chiefs claimed the early 5-0 lead.

Two more runs came for the Chiefs in the second inning, as Jungling knocked a shot over the field for a solo homerun, and Mack was brought home after hitting a single, putting Mandan ahead 7-2.

Dickinson chipped away at the deficit, but their efforts weren’t enough, as Mandan won the game. Down 9-4 in the bottom of the ninth, the Roughriders did manage to bring in two runs against Chiefs closer Jordy Wenstrom, who allowed only one hit, as Mandan won 9 to 6.

With the win, Mandan clinched its spot in the state tournament. Starting pitcher Jay Flaa received the win, giving him a 7-2 record. Three Mandan batters – Brent Stoltz, Jungling and Janz – all went 3-for-5 at the plate in the victory.

The third game of the tournament pitted the Chiefs against the Williston Keybirds. The Chiefs once again started off well, with three runs scored in the first, with the assistance of another homerun from Jungling, which brought in all three runs.  

The eighth inning was when Williston pulled ahead with a confident lead, scoring three runs to get in front of the Chiefs 8 to 5.

But in the top of the ninth, the Chiefs really came alive.

With only two outs to go, Mack hit a double, while Jungling was walked. Sam Salveson then drilled a single to load the bases.

A wild pitch drove Mack home. Up next was Janz, who hit a single to score Jungling. Another wild pitch from an intentional walk to batter Flaa brought in Salveson, which tied the game 8 to 8.

Flaa, upon receiving the wild pitch, continued on to second base, forging a double steal, allowing Mandan to score another and regain its lead.

The Chiefs remained ahead after keeping Williston scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, as Mandan won with a 9 to 8 victory.

The fourth game in the tournament had Mandan fall to the Bismarck Governors 11 to 7.

A fourth inning, four error performance by the Chiefs helped the Governors put six runs on the board, following a four run rally by Bismarck in the previous inning.

Down 10 to 1, the Chiefs were able to recover, with back-to-back three run innings in the seventh and eighth. Janz brought in two runs with a single in the seventh, while Mack hit another single in the eighth to bring in two more runs.

The loss places the Chiefs in the west’s number three seed in this weekend’s state tournament.

West region tournament results

at Mandan Memorial Ballpark

Minot 7, Mandan 3

July 22

Mandan 001 020 000 – 3 11 2

Minot  000 025 00x – 7 12 2

Reid Jungling, Andy Conlon (8) and Steve Serr; Ben Magnuson and Cody Danielson, Trevor Gust (5), Ben Ware (9). W – Magnuson, 7-0. L – Jungling, 4-3. HR – Minot, Gust.

Highlights: Man – Brent Stoltz 2-for-5, 1 R; Reid Jungling 4-for-4, 2 doubles; Jay Flaa 1-for-3, 2 RBIs. Min – Darin Back 2-for-4, 1 SB; Derek Somerville 2-for-4, 1 R; Kris Winkels 2-for-4, 1 R; Eric Merck 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI; Gust 2-for-2, double, HR, 1 R, 4 RBIs; Magnuson 9 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.

Mandan 9, Dickinson 6

July 22

Mandan    520 100 010 – 9 16 5

Dickinson 110 011 002 – 6 10 1

Jay Flaa, Sam Salveson (8), Jordy Wenstrom (9) and Steve Serr; Sean Kelly, Aaron Berg (3) and Nick Rohwedder. W – Flaa, 7-2. L – Kelly. HR – M, Reid Jungling.

Highlights: M – Brent Stoltz 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 SB; Reid Jungling 3-for-5, double, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI; Aaron Janz 3-for-5, double 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB; Dwight Mack 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 SB; Andy Conlon 2-for-4, 2 RBIs. D – Caleb Burgard 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI; Tevin Papineau 2-for-5; Grant Dvorak 2-for-4, double, 1 R, 1 RBI; Nick Rohwedder 2-for-5; Berg 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO.

Mandan 9, Williston 8

July 24

Mandan    311 000 004 – 9 10 2

Williston 102 200 030 – 8 14 3

Brett Bryan, Andy Conlon (8), Jordy Wenstrom (9) and Steve Serr; Josh Solem, Cory Vinger (7), Collin Lynch (9), Austin Grundstad (9) and Oliver Sogard. W – Conlon, 6-2. L – Lynch, 0-1. Save – Wenstrom. HR – M, Reid Jungling; W, Alex Hanson.

Highlights: M – Dwight Mack 2-for-4, double, 2 R; Jungling 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBIs; Aaron Janz 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB; Trevor Huck 2-for-4, double; Wenstrom 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO. W – Jeff Beckman 2-for-4, double, 3 R; Hanson 3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBIs; C.J. Vinger 4-for-5, 2 doubles, 1 R, 3 RBIs; Jon Westphal 2-for-5, 2 RBIs.

Bismarck 11, Mandan 7

July 24

Mandan   000 100 330 -  7  9 5

Bismarck 004 601 00x – 11 15 3

Jordy Wenstrom, Andy Conlon (5) and Steve Serr; Tate Leapaldt, Alex Deyle (7), Dan Bihrle (8), Jordan Kenner (9) and Sam Ingemansen. W – Leapaldt, 4-0. L – Wenstrom, 7-4. HR – None.

Highlights: M – Brent Stoltz 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 SB; Dwight Mack 1-for-4, 2 RBIs; Reid Jungling 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs; Aaron Janz 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs; Conlon 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO. B – Deyle 2-for-5, 2 R; Erik Peterson 2-for-4, double, triple, 2 R, 4 RBIs; Carson Wentz 3-for-5, 1 RBI; Austin Zorn 2-for-4, 1 R; Leapaldt 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBIs; 62/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO.

Record: Mandan 34-20.