Dolly Footitt Passes Away at Age 103

So sad to say that my dear friend, Dolly Footitt, passed away on Friday morning. At this point it's hard to realize that I won't be able to talk with her again. She has been my best buddy, fun shopping companion, Carrington event partner, coffee klatch friend... and just all-around sweet companion for years. 

Having lived in this area for over 103 years... and being such a wonderful person... Dolly has many, many friends and has contributed so much to our community. We shall all miss her cheery personality, her sharp/funny comments, her coconut-cream pies, and all the yummy baked goods that she contributed to so many families and organizations over the years. 

Dolly's daughter, Susie, tells me there will be a prayer service for Dolly on Tuesday, December 19th... and a funeral service for her in Spring. (Please visit the Evans Funeral Home site for more details.) 

In the meantime, here are a few pictures of good times and good memories with Dolly. Sincere prayers and blessings for her family and friends...

Veterans Day Luncheon - Carrington, ND - 2017

The Veterans Day Luncheon in Carrington is always well-attended.  Folks from all around the area come to have a meal together in honor of our veterans

The local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliaries always furnish a great meal for all to enjoy.  The kitchen at CrossRoads Golf Center is a perfect place to host an event like this..

People can relax and visit in a pleasant atmosphere.  It's especially nice when you can visit warmly inside while you're looking out the large windows at a snowy wonderland.

         

                     

The Veterans Day Luncheon is a great place to bring family and friends.  The cost of the meal is free or a free-will donation which goes to services and activities for veterans.

Kudos to the ladies for these veterans auxiliaries for providing such an excellent activity and support for our veterans ... not only at this luncheon, but throughout the year.

Working at the Top of the Foster County Courthouse

Working at the top of the world!  At least it must seem like that at the top of the Foster County Courthouse dome.  Leo Straley, the contractor in charge of the dome's restoration, seems to be right at home on his immense lift. 

                                      

Notice that Straley is in the process of installing the final small round window and repairing the area around it.  He still has to install the large round windows which you can see at the lower level... the large rectangular windows having already been installed.  These immense round windows are quite heavy, but Straley says they should go in easily... after which he will repair the decorative metal work.

                                      

It might seem that the most complicated aspect of this entire project would be to repair the damage to the metal exterior.  Not so for Straley who has been an exceptional metal fabricator for a large part of his life.  The most strenuous aspect of this work was repairing and recreating all the woodwork inside the dome which supported the metal exterior.  The wood was so seriously damaged (rotting and falling apart) that he practically had to rebuild the whole wood interior.  

                                      

So, many kudos to Straley and people like him who can do this kind of precarious, detailed, beautiful work!  Thanks to him and his crew, our courthouse will eventually be back to its original beauty... with light once again streaming through the beautiful stained glass to the corridors below.

                                      

Courthouse Dome Restoration

There's quite a view from the top of the Foster County Courthouse dome! Leo Straley, the contractor in charge of the restoration of the dome, likes to take pictures of the work as it progresses.

                                      

 Here Straley is photographing one of the four round windows that are being installed at the top of the structure. There are eight much larger and heavier windows which will he and his crew will be installing next.

Although installing the heavy windows is a rather difficult task, Straley says it is easy compared to the detailed restoration work that he and his crew are doing inside and around the dome... due to the intense wood and metal damage that has amassed over the years.

 According to Straley, their work is progressing well, even though they discovered more involved damage than prevously thought.

As far as the Carrington community is concerned, It's comforting to know that our wonderful courthouse dome .. as well as the stained glass, murals and beautiful interior...will now be safely protected as our North Dakota winter approaches.

Excellent Video about Carrington, ND

Love this video about Carrington!  It was created by Hansen Video Services for Carrington Economic Development Authority.  

Honoring Kaye Hier-John - Prairie Paws Rescue

Kaye Heir-John is a well-known, loved person in our Central North Dakota area. I first contacted her years ago when I saw an article in the Jamestown Sun about her Prairie Paws Rescue organization. I loved what she was doing and volunteered to do a website for her.

I can't even begin to tell you the number of animals she and her volunteers have rescued over the years... thousands, for sure! Sometimes I had a hard time keeping up with posting all the pictures of animals ready to be adopted. When Kaye' s daughter came back from Afganistan, she took over the website, and they have continued to work wonders with rescuing and finding homes for needy animals. 

The fact that Kaye is a DJ for Big Dog Country 95.5 in Jamestown and her daughter is a DJ for The Buzz in Nashville has really helped in supporting the work that they do for Prairie Paws Rescue. Kaye has made many great connections with "Country" stars who have helped support her fundraising events in many ways. 

All in all, I continue to admire and greatly respect Kaye Hier-John for all the hard work and effort she has put into accomplishing something she really believes in.... and I'm so glad we made that friend connection on Facebook so many years ago.

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(I will continue to link all of Kaye's PPR posts to my Carrington News site and hope that helps out. The fact that her posts get lots of hits is a sign that people pay attention and really like what she is doing. Way to go, Kaye!!!)
 

Inside the Foster County Courthouse Dome

Leo Straley, contractor in charge of restorning the Foster County Courthouse dome...

 Have you ever been inside the Foster County Courthouse Dome in Carrington, ND? Did you write your name on the brick wall? If so, you might see your name in some of the pictures we took today.

Upon discovering all the different names and dates written on the bricks inside the dome, Leo Straley (the contractor in charge of restoring the dome) asked us to help document them by taking pictures and creating a registry of all the names and dates.

Straley thought that people in our community might be interested in this historical aspect of our courthouse... particularly since some of the signatures date back to the early 1900's. In fact, when we go back to take more careful pictures, I'm hoping that we'll find signatures written in 1910 when the courthouse was built!

Just think. Many of the people who signed these bricks in the last 100 years are very likely relatives of folks who live in the Foster County area today! Fascinating history!

After the dome is restored, we'll return tp take a careful picture of every signature and date. In the meantime, take a look at the quick shots that we took today.

Hope you enjoy this aspect of the dome restoration!
#carringtonndnews #carringtonnd #fostercountynd#fostercountycourthouse

Foster County, ND - Courthouse Dome Renovation - Stained Glass - Part 2

The Foster County Courthouse Dome stained glass artwork without light shining through...

Wow!  I'm really impressed with all the interest in our Foster County Courthouse dome project.  I received many views (over 8,000 so far) with lots of great comments from my visitors on my Carrington News Facebook site!   After reading the comments, I see that I need to explain more clearly what is happening with the dome restoration.  

After a lot of research and input from building experts, the ND Historical Society, and the community, our Foster County Commissioners voted to have the courthouse dome restored.  Leo Straley was awarded the contract, and his pictures show part of the restoration process inside the dome... ABOVE the stained glass artwork.

At some time during the last 100 years, the top of the stained glass had been completely covered inside the dome, therefore not allowing light to pass through to the courthouse below.  When Straley removed the wood covering above the glass and cleaned off the accumulated dust and debris, the light shining through the glass accentuated its true beauty.

When the dome was built in 1910, with lots of light coming in from the large dome windows, it allowed people in the courthouse below to see the stained glass as it was originally intended to be seen.

The picture which accompanies this post shows the stained glass as visitors to the courthouse have seen it for many, many years ... without light beaming through it.  Although still beautiful, I think you might agree that the radiant colors of the glass, aren't truly appreciated without a light source.

The question now is whether to cover the glass back up as it was, to cover it with lights added inside, or to leave the cover off so natural light can show through to the courthouse below.  What do you think is the best solution?
#carringtonndnews #carringtonnews

Foster County, ND - Courthouse Dome Renovation - Stained Glass - Part 1

This is a picture of the floor being removed above the stained glass in the courthouse dome.

Leo Straley, owner of General Roofing & Construction, uncovered the stained glass skylight in the Foster County Courthouse dome this week. He's wondering if anybody knows when this was originally covered.

Notice the beauty of the stained glass as the grime is removed .

This is the old roof which covered the stained glass...being removed... and the light starting to shine through.

As you can see from his pictures, the accumulation of dirt and debris covered the beauty of this 100-year-old-plus work of art. 

The true colors of the glass really start to show up....

When he removed the plywood covering and cleaned the glass, the light which shined through revealed its true beauty. 

At this point, it's undetermined whether the glass will be backlit, covered with plywood, or left for natural light to shine through. Wouldn't it be nice if it could be restored to its original condition? What do you think? 

From inside the courthouse... looking up at the stained glass and murals...
 Such beautiful art, created  over a hundred years ago!