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It's hard to tell who had been anticipating Bessie Murray's 100th birthday more, Bessie herself, or her abundance of friends and family. Kathy Meland, resident manager at the Cooperative Living Center, where Bessie has lived for the past twelve years, said that residents at the independent living center started coming to her several weeks ago to remind her to contact the media about Bessie's upcoming party. They wanted it to be even bigger and better than the 99th birthday party held at the center last August in her honor.
The West Fargo Parks and Recreation summer theater program presented two productions in the West Fargo High School theater on July 28 and 29. Students enrolled in the program for 9-11-year-olds performed "Monster in the Closet," followed by "Who Dunit... and to Whom?" presented by students in the 12-15-year-old program. Renee O'Connor was director, with Mike Anderson serving as technical director, Chris Bochman as student director, Chris Taylor, lighting assistant, and Whitney Lindbo, as stage manager.
The United Way of Cass Clay will be distributing backpacks and school supplies for students in grades K-12 on Thursday, August 13, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial Arena, as part of the 11th annual United Way School Supply Drive. Last year, the drive distributed a total of 3,700 backpacks to children and families throughout Cass and Clay county communities. The United Way expects to meet the needs of over 4,000 children and families during this year's drive. Registration forms can be found online at www.uwcc.net , and will be available at the Arena during the backpack distribution.
West Fargo school board members and administrators have been talking to parents and residents one-on-one, and they have been told repeatedly that the first bond election package was too big and too expensive. So they have come up with a new scaled-down school construction project proposal that they hope will pass in a second bond election. But they want input from the community to guide their decisions before moving forward. The district is hosting three community meetings to get input from parents and residents, and to find out what the community would like included in the new proposal.
The West Fargo School Board's Planning and Development Committee met on Thursday, July 30, to discuss a second bond referendum, with a tentative date set for October 6. By eliminating the additions to Horace Elementary and the Sheyenne Ninth Grade Center proposed in the first building proposal, the district could cut $11 million from the total cost of building projects being proposed by the district. The recommendation presented to the committee calls for a special election asking voters to approve $39 million in bonds to build a new high school and a new elementary school.
The West Fargo School Board and administrators held their annual fall retreat on Thursday, July 30, at the Leidal Education Center, with breakfast and lunch catered in from area businesses for the full day of meetings.
On August 21, Air Force Captain Erick Handegard will fly a T-6 turbojet from the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi to Fargo in time for the Fargo AirSho, scheduled at Hector Airport on August 22-23. Handegard, a 1996 West Fargo High School graduate, will be one of two Air Force T-6 instructor pilots stationed on the grounds during the two-day event to talk about the T-6 turbojet and its capabilities. Handegard is the son of Kyle and Russ Handegard of West Fargo. He is married to Tara (Buckman), who also graduated from West Fargo with the class of 1996.
When Florence Myers was honored on her 90th birthday at an open house at the American Legion in Harwood, N.D. on July 26, her two older sisters were there to help her celebrate. Rose Thompson, who is 91, flew in from California with her niece earlier in the week, and Gladys, who is now 96, came from Fargo, so they could spend time with their "little sister." "I felt like a queen for the day," Florence said after the party. "I was well remembered.
Some people say that West Fargo has grown too fast, and has lost a lot of its small town charm. But George Wyum was recently reminded that the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors still exists in West Fargo. On Monday, July 27, Wyum, an 81-year-old gentleman and longstanding West Fargo businessman who has lived in his home on Sheyenne Street for many years, was lying on his front lawn trying to fix his sprinkler system. He said he must have laid there too long, because a young man jumped off the back of a city garbage truck and ran up to Wyum to check on him to see if he was okay.
Joan Degerness has passed along her passion for Trollwood Performing Arts School to her family. Jordan, 15; Walker, 13; and Parker, 7; are all involved in Trollwood programs this summer, and Joan, herself, has been directly involved with Trollwood for over 30 years. Her kids think it's cool that their mom played Dorothy in the 1983 Mainstage musical production of "The Wizard of Oz" at Trollwood. Joan first became involved with Trollwood in 1978 as a student.