Tablescapes 2024 - Carrington, ND

 

Did you go to "Tablescapes" at Calvary Baptist Church on Saturday, October 12th?  One could tell it was a popular  event for ladies because they filled the church dining room to view the tables... each with a beautiful, unique table setting! 

The sponsor, Carrington Medical Center Auxiliary, did a great job of recruiting community ladies to decorate each of the 15 tables with their best ideas... including a theme for each table. 

 After visiting and viewing the tables at 11 a.m., everyone sat down to a nutritious lunch provided by the auxiliary.

 They enjoyed listening to a short program by Sherry Florhaug, as well as musical entertainment by her grandson, Austin Trelstad (who received a standing ovation!).

 The money raised from this event will be used for medical equipment and furnishings for the Carrington Medical Center. 

The Market - August 8, 2023 - Carrington, ND

 Hello everyone! Did you get to come to The Market in Carrington on Tuesday, August 8th?  One whole side of Carrington City Park was filled with all kinds of awesome products being displayed and sold to a huge crowd of community folks. 

As you can see from these pictures, there were quite a few enterprising youngsters selling their own creative products... some who could actually explain how much money they had invested and what kind of profit they hoped to make. Such amazing young people... with whom it was so much fun to visit!  Huge compliments to the parents who supported their children with these projects!!!

Of course, there were all kinds of wonderful baked goods, canned goods, fresh produce, arts and crafts, flower arrangements, food vendors and so much more.  You could tell from the crowds of people that our community is absolutely thrilled with this bi-weekly event and is looking forward to the next Market on Tuesday, August 22nd. 

 #themarket #marketplace #foodvendors #artsandcrafts #photography #freshproduce #bakedgoods #youngentrepreneurs #educationaldisplays

American Legion Post 25 - New Officers - 2023

On Tuesday, August 22, 2023, two men from the Carrington community, Tom Sauby and Ryan Zink, were elected as Commander and Adjutant of John Raymond O'Hara American Legion Post 25. 

As many of you know, the meeting was called to discuss whether or not to close the post due to lack of active members.  Several American Legion leaders from across the state came to offer their suggestions/support because they didn't want to see Post 25 close.

 The closure would have affected many important events/activities which we take for granted in Carrington, such as American Legion baseball, Veterans Day and Memorial Day festivities, placing flags in the Carrington cemetery, providing education scholarships and more. 

 Also, the American Legion Auxiliary ladies who are very active in supporting veterans' issues and organizing community events, would also have had to close. 

Hopefully, Carrington folks will show their appreciation to newly-elected Commander Tom Soube and Adjutant Ryan Zink for being willing to take over the important responsibility of managing Post 25. Because of them, Carrington can continue to benefit from and look forward to so many worthwhile Legion activities. 

(Way to go, Tom and Ryan!)

#americanlegion #commander #adjutant #post25 #johnraymondohara #carringtonnd #carringtonndnews

Zink Farms Garden Tour - Carrington, ND

 

Tuesday, July 18, 2023, was the perfect time of year for some Carrington community ladies to tour Brenda Zink's flower gardens. 

 They were thrilled to see such an abundant variety of flowers and colors on such a wonderful, sunny day!  

As you can see from the pictures, Brenda has interspersed rustic tools and antiques throughout her flowers... which enhances the overall beauty of her landscaping.

  

And, if you look closely, you can see all kinds of interesting items peeking out... in, around, and through the green foliage. 

 Not only did the ladies appreciate the immense amount of time and effort that Brenda had dedicated to her gardens, but they also appreciated the yummy luncheon which she prepared for them.  

One of the ladies remarked that it would be wonderful if Brenda would host a tour open to the entire community... as she had done once in years past.

 So, what do you think, Carrington? Maybe we can talk her into to it for next year... when her flowers are at the height of their beauty... just waiting for admirers to come and appreciate them!

Memorial Day Ceremony - Carrington, ND - 2023

 

For those of you who live locally, don't forget to attend Carrington's Memorial Day Ceremony & Luncheon next Monday, May 29th, at Trinity Lutheran Church. 

 The American Legion and VFW Auxiliaries have arranged the program and are providing lunch for the entire community.   The community Memorial Day program and luncheon will be at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. 

The auxiliaries were happy to see that many community folks came out to Carrington Cemetery to help them place flags on veterans' graves.  Every year they can depend on the thoughtful help of the community to make the cemetery look especially beautiful. 

Attached is a picture of the Veterans' Memorial where our ceremonies were held in the past.  The memorial was placed in the cemetery in 1949 in honor of all military individuals who have given their lives for our country.

America Legions Poppy Poster Winners Honoring Veterans

 

Every year the American Legion Auxiliary, John Raymond O'hara, Post 25, sponsors a poppy poster contest.  Students from Carrington Elementary School create posters which show their honor and respect for our veterans.  This year the auxiliary gave certificates and monetary awards to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd-place winners of their Poppy Day Poster Contest.  Just take a look at their awesome creations! 

 The winners are:  6th grade: 1st: Mya Neis; 2nd: Laken Johnson; 3rd: Parents don't want his name published. (back row)5th Grade:  1st: Anna VanRay; 2nd: Emerson Bauman; 3rd: Jennie Lee (front row)  Posters of the 1st place winners are sent on to be entered into the contest at the ND state level.  

Be sure to drop by Leevers and look at many of the posters that were entered this year.  Thank you to all students who put effort, time and artistry into their entries... and to the Carrington Elementary School teachers who supported their endeavors. 

Dandelions & Military Children

 

Hello to everyone on this beautiful late-Spring day!  Now that the dandelions are flourishing all over town, I'm hopeful that our ND Summer is finally almost here... especially since our temperature is 85 degrees right now!  When I was looking through some of my American Legion Auxiliary papers this morning, I found an awesome clipping which compares military children to dandelions.  I'm sure many of you have been in the military and perhaps in the position of being a military child, so I'm sharing this ALA article with you.  Hope you enjoy it.

THE OFFICIAL FLOWER OF THE  MILITARY CHILD IS THE DANDELION.  WHY?

"Dandelions put down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy them.  It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking... and it's a survivor in a broad range of climates.

"Like dandelions, military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them.  They are hardy and upright.  Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military... planted swiftly and surly.  They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.

"Military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant and extremely resilient.  They have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are... and that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world.

"They learn that to survive means to adapt... that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences."

I drove around town, trying to find a picture of children playing in the dandelions... but I guess they were all in school.  I did find an interesting looking little deer in a dandelion patch that I thought was cute enough to share.

Wherever you live, I hope you're having a beautiful day!  Good-bye till next time! 

NOTE: The American Legion and VFW Auxiliaries are providing a Memorial Day Program & Luncheon for the community next Monday, May 29th, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Hope you can attend!

 #dandelions #militarychildren #memorialday #americanlegionauxiliary #carringtonnd #carringtonndnews

Hills of Snow around Carrington, ND

 Hello everyone!  I finally got a chance to drive around Carrington and take a few pictures of our piles of snow!

 That last blizzard dropped around 6-12 inches of snow... depending on where we live... and the high wind gusts since then have been spreading it all around. 

 

Our road crews have been great, though... and I want to thank them for doing their best to keep our roads clear.

  The problem with so much snow is... where do you put it?! 

Many of our street corners are piled so high that we can't see over the banks of snow. We have to drive very cautiously and practically stop at each intersection.

 We actually had a bright, sunny day today, but we're supposed to have snow showers tonight and tomorrow morning. 

 Today I heard from some pretty tough, resilient North Dakotans that they've finally had it with all the snow.  Even for them, it's time for a break!!! 

 Wherever you live, I hope you're enjoying your day... and hopefully your weather, too.  Thanks for dropping by!

 #snowystreets #snowyweather #goawaysnow #carringtonnd #carringtonndnew

Comfort Bears for St. Alexius Hospital in Carrington, ND

Hello Everyone! 

Here are a couple of pictures I took at St. Alexius Hospital here in Carrington on Monday, March 6th.  Bernice Sandvol and I had the pleasure of delivering "comfort bears" to the nurses with the idea that they could use the bears to comfort children who are ill/hospitalized. 

 Our local American Legion Auxiliary got the bears from Don Weible, a veteran from Wilton, North Dakota, whose goal is to make these cuddly "comfort bears" available in every hospital in North Dakota. 

Kristy Konschak and Hannah Brandner, the RN's who were on duty Monday, were happy to receive the bears and thought it was a great way to help children who were stressed about being in a hospital.  Hannah mentioned that in the past she had seen how the presence of a teddy bear had comforted a child while he was getting shots. You can just picture a little child hugging a teddy bear for comfort! 

Thanks to the American Legion's Children and Youth Program, and thanks to our Carrington AL Auxiliary ladies for incorporating this program into our local hospital! 

                                 (The American Legion Auxiliary meets every second Tuesday of the month at 4pm at the Carrington City Library's Community Room. If you're interested in being involved in programs like this... or other projects to help veterans, first responders and their families, please come and join them!)

 #comfortbears #teddybears #stressrelief #hospitalizedchildren #americanlegion #carringtonnd #carringtonndnews 

Carrington ND Blizzard - December 13-16, 2022

 Happy Thursday to everyone! Right now (Thursday, December 15, 2022) I'm sitting at my computer, watching the snow blow sideways outside my window.  For those of you who don't live in the Carrington area, we're in the midst of a blizzard.  By tomorrow evening, it will have been snowing for four straight days. 

This blizzard reminded me of a book that I picked up at the Carrington Library a few days ago: The Relentless Blizzard of 1966 by Douglas Ramsey and Larry Skroch.  Hopefully, our current storm won't cause anywhere near the damage/devastation that the 1966 blizzard caused. 

The pictures and stories from folks who lived through that storm are simply incredible. A section in the book which tells about the Carrington/Foster County area made me wonder if you or anyone else in our Memories of Carrington group experienced that 1966 blizzard.  There were several names that I recognized... along with stories about their experiences. 

Dr. Vogelwede was stalled for 31 hours on the road between Carrington and New Rockford without food or water. Luckily, he had sleeping bags to protect him from the cold... and was unharmed when two truckdrivers came along and rescued him.  

Don and Ron Theis went out to get some bales of hay from a stack near their barn and completely lost their bearings.  They wandered around for hours before they found a fence a mile away which led back to their barn. 

 The Vernon Topp family, in the midst of calving season, spent the time shoveling snow away from their herd of cattle in order to protect them.  Without power for forty-five hours, they used kerosene lamps and had one pot of coffee to last them through that time.  

The Foster County Independent said that "...it was one of the worst storms of recorded history."  KDAY became the voice for emergency services and messages from people around the area. 

 For those of you who experienced that blizzard, please let us know about it from your point of view.  By the way, I'm going to stop typing now because our electricity keeps going off for split seconds at a time and may go off completely at any minute.  #memories #1966blizzard #carringtonnd #carringtonndnews