Steele, ND

The flower bandit

alva — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:16:01 +0000

Within our midst lurks a mysterious flower bandit. This amazing thief attacks only once a year, at county fair time, and whisks away only the most beautiful flowers from the garden and only the loveliest of hanging baskets.

And what happens to the stolen merchandise? They end up at the Kidder County Historical Flower show! It’s a fact. This year one of the baskets won the prize for Grand Champion Hanging arrangement. The bandit strikes only in daylight hours and only the homes of vacationers. So beware!

I had a chance to visit with the bandit in my office today and she freely admits to moving flowers to the show. And then moving them back home again. In fact, she was very apologetic that she missed my yellow tiger lilies. I assured her they were not the same prize winning flowers as last year which is why I didn’t enter them myself.

One of the things that make small town living so much fun are people who go the extra mile.

So here’s to you flower bandit! Thanks for bringing so much joy to so many people.

Yes I will reveal the identity of the bandit but not unless you respond to this blog!

Horizons Journey Completed

alva — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:57:59 +0000

On Wednesday we gathered together in Bismarck for our “graduation” from the Horizons program. Words simply can not tell how proud I am of our community. Like a great stone thrown in a quiet pond the ripples of Horizons will continue to be felt for a long time.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made graduation possible. Looking back on the last eighteen months I am able to see that once we began the journey it took on a life of its own.

People came and went. Some chose to participate here but not there. Some came once. Some came every-time. Together we made it to the end…stronger than we began.

The Coteau and its people

alva — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:43:50 +0000

One of the loveliest places on the prairie lies just southeast of Steele on the Kidder and Stutsman County line. In 1977 the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center (CGREC) was built 6 1/2 miles northwest of Streeter. It serves 18 counties in what is known as the Missouri Coteau region, an area bound by the Missouri River on the west and the James River on the east. This is a land of rolling hills and shallow wetlands. Hence the name so familiar to birders “the Prairie Pothole region”.

Although I was swamped with things to do last Thursday I decided to attended the Grasslands annual field tour and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the land and it people.

I love the prairie with its changing seasons. Spring always brings the birding migration of literally hundreds of birds. When I tell you I need a check list to just to keep track of how many different species I see while birding I am not kidding. Summer brings the smell of clover and alfalfa being made into hay under the blazing prairie sun and clear blue sky. Sometimes the heat is so intense that just for a split second it takes your breath away. Then fall comes and trees shimmer with gold, red, and green leaves as the migrating birds say good by and make the long trek to warmer lands in the south. And who can not love winter? The howling winds, the dark nights snuggled under a quilt drinking hot chocolate and watching all the movies you didn’t have time to catch in the summer.

Perhaps living here I may miss out on some “cultural” opportunities that large cities offer but my life is rich and full.

Bill Well from Medina summed up my feelings with this quote, “I came to Medina to teach Vocational Agriculture in 1956 and I’m still here. The Coteau is where my wife Janet and I built our homestead and raised our family. The Coteau offers such a variety of opportunities to raise crops and livestock that is almost unequaled. The wildlife and migratory bird populations on the Coteau has been a definite influence on our family as they grew and started careers in agriculture and education here in North Dakota on the Coteau. I wouldn’t have traded my life and my experiences on the Coteau for anything.”

Kids Day Camp

alva — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:35:59 +0000

Isn’t hard to believe that summer is flying by? Next week will be the 4th of July already and then it will be time for busy Moms to think about school shopping.

Butthis week something special just for kids is happening at the Four Seasons Park next to the football field. Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) will be holding a free day camp for kids in the park on Monday and Tuesday from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm. The outdoor camp is geared for elementary kids. Pre-schoolers are welcome too but they must be accompanied by an adult. The only thing you will need to bring is a sack lunch.

memorial day wrap up

agthomas — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:19:11 +0000

It is a little late to wrap up, but better late than never. this years veterans thank you pic-nic and BBQ was held at the Steele Vets Club with close to 300 attending. A display of over 100 kidder County veterans pictures were on display, with other military things being shown throughout the hall. A Major Hartter was the speaker who thalked about his recent time in Iraq where he was wounded. A very good speaker who moved the crowd. A young singer/songwriter came and sang very moving songs about veterans.. the color guard from both Dawson and Tappen presented the colors and looked great doing it. The food was super and the help was out of this world..Again they just showed up and went to work, I can’t thank them enough for all they do. Now I will start working on next years program and I am still looking for pictures of local vets still with us or passed on so I can frame them for next year..Again thanks to all who came ans a special thanks to all who helped..Skip Thomas Veteran Service Officer kidder County ND

Steele Senior Center getting a New Look!

mary — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:34:41 +0000

The Steele Senior Center is in the process of getting an new coat of paint! Kathy Oster has been busy since last week scraping, priming and painting the outside of the senior center. A cool gray with dark gray accents give this building, that sees a lot of comings and goings, an updated look.

The center is owned by the Active Seniors Club and houses such businesses as Sandi’s Hair and Nail Salon, Kidder County Food Pantry and the Kidder Emmons Senior Services.

Sandi’s is open three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sandi also does hair at the Golden Manor on Monday mornings.

The Kidder County Food Pantry is open by appointment only. Appointments may be made by calling Brends Schultz, coordinator. They also organize and distribute senior commodities and regular commodities.

Kidder Emmons Senior Serivies (KESS) provides the aging population in the are with great hot meals five days a week and meals on wheels to homebound people. Frozen meals are available to out of towners and Outreach is a service that helps connect people to needed services, And last but certainly not least is the adult bus service. Going to Bismarck twice weekly and to Jamestown twice a month allows many to get to doctor appointments with very little effort. Cost for the bus is just $7.00 round trip. Consider the cost of a priovate vehicle. Lets say that your car gets 25 miles to the gallon. It is 84 miles round trip to Bismarck from Steele (this does not include any in town driving). The price of gas is $4.00 a gallon. So, roughly, it will cost you at least $13.00+ to drive to Bismarck. Add the price of the fuel to your grocery bill and see if you really have “saved” by driving to Bismarck. This is definetly a plus to shopping
at home! No only is it extremely economical it is a real treat to be dropped off and picked up at the door to the clinic or shoppiong mall. No looking for parking or braving the cold or wind to find your vehicle. Any one may ride the bus by making reservation at the senior center. Children that must be in car or booster seats must have seats provided by the parent.

Kidder County Community Health Clinic a True Gift

kathyi — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:50:45 +0000

During a recent visit to the Kidder County Community Health Clinic in Steele, I asked a waiting patient what it meant to her to have the clinic. “I love it and I’m glad we have the clinic. It is very much needed and it saves in time and travel,” said Dora. Since I had heard the great story of how the community came together to open the clinic I wanted to see the clinic first-hand. Both patients and clinic staff talk about the benefits of having the clinic. According to Anna, the clinic receptionist, “The clinic offers a service that really benefits the community. From our elderly population to our young families, the clinic provides access to basic health care. It’s also about being convenient, keeping jobs in the community, and saving long distance travel expenses for our patients.” The Clinic opened in December of 2006 and the people of Kidder County will tell you it was a true Christmas present.

Frisbee Golf Brings Friends and Families Together in Steele

kathyi — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:21:57 +0000

If you are looking for a fun family sport try disc golf. I found a new twelve-hole disc golf course nestled in Steele’s Four Seasons Community Park. The twelve hole disc golf course is designed for a novice beginner like me and the most avid Frisbee golfers. Named after the heritage of many local area residents and funded in part by the Horizon Program, the ‘Norse Course Disc Golf Santuary’ is also becoming a popular spot for birding information. I found information on 48 different birds that can be found and heard around the Steele area. At first, the word ’sanctuary’ seemed a odd word for a place to throw a flying disc into a basket. However, the more I tried to get the fewest number of disc throws into the baskets throughout the course, the more I was also learning about birds. The combined challenges of improving my Frisbee skills and expanding my knowledge of birds brought about a new appreciation for the the word ’sanctuary.’ I could have spent the entire day in Steele at the Norse Course Disc Golf Sanctuary. It’s free to the public. Bring your own discs, family and friends and enjoy a great day of golfing and birding in Steele.

Steele Selected as Finalist for Capital Community Award

kathyi — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:34:47 +0000

Congratulations to the community of Steele on your recent selection as one of the top three finalist for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines’ Capital Community Award. This award recongizes Steele’s strong commitment to economic development and their efforts to creating innovative solutions to small community challenges and building a lasting future for their residents. It is exciting to hear that Steele was selected from a five state nomination list that included the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. More details on the award are available at www.fhlbdm.com

Kidder County Fair Days

kctpc bschoepp — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:53:43 +0000

The Kidder County Fair Days are just around the corner. You don’t want to miss them, so mark your calendars right now for July 9-12. The fair is one of those family events that build memories.

But I want to focus on one event that ladies seem to particularly enjoy; the annual flower show sponsored by the Kidder County Historical Society. It’s held in the basement of the Steele Community Center on Friday and Saturday of the fair and is “open class”, meaning anyone one can enter their flowers. You can pick up more information types of enteries at the Kidder County Extension office.

Last year, Alva entered some of her yellow tiger lilies and won reserved grand champion. She was thrilled because her theory of gardening is “I Plant you…give you water….and I hope you can grow because now you are on your own here.” Plants must be tough to live in her garden. No sissies there. (As you know, if you have been keeping up with the blog, she was recently charged with plant abuse. She did plead innocent and I am happy to report that the plant lives and thrives again.)

I think the ladies enjoy this event so much because of the chance to share their beautiful flowers is so rewarding. Everyone gets a ribbon. The men enjoy the show too. But they tend to focus more on the great bars and cookies rather than the flowers.

It take real commitment on the part of the Historical Society to sponsor this event each year so I hope you will take few minutes out of your busy days to stop in at the show. The museum will be open for tours on that days also. If you would like to volunteer to help with the show or the tours call Verla DeKrey.