News Around Town

The creation of Casselton’s first dog park is nearing reality this week thanks in large part to a $10,000 gift from local business, Midnight Solutions Technologies. Kaylah Stangler, representing the Casselton Canines, accepted the generous gift. Stangler and other volunteers are facilitating the development and fundraising of the first dog park in Casselton in collaboration with the Casselton Park District.  

The newly named Midnight Solutions Dog Park will be located in Tinta Tawa Park in northwest Casselton. City of Casselton Community and Economic Development Director, Melissa Beach, says the Midnight Solutions Dog Park will benefit pets and pet parents alike.  

“Dog parks provide a gathering space for families and their pets to connect and socialize,” says Beach. “They also offer a safe environment for dogs to get off-leash exercise.” 

The proposed Midnight Solutions Dog Park is still in the fundraising stage but is planned to have over 17,000 sq. ft. of play space and feature two separate areas for small and large dogs. Phase two of the park is expected to add play equipment such as ramps, tunnels and jump hoops.  

The plan for Midnight Solutions Dog Park fits into the City of Casselton’s Comprehensive Plan which calls for additional recreation spaces. Aimed at developing new opportunities in the community, this previously underutilized green space will further enhance the opportunities for recreation in the park.  

“This dog park is a great example of what the community can accomplish when we work together,” says Beach. “Thanks to the generosity of our community partners, we are now one step closer to seeing this project happen.” 

The Casselton Canines will continue to fundraise and hope to secure the remainder of the funding for the park in May and June with construction to begin soon thereafter. 

Midnight Solutions Technologies donated $10,000 to name the first dog park in Casselton. The Midnight Solutions Dog Park will be developed once the remaining funds are secured this spring. Pictured are Kaylah Stangler, Chairperson of Casselton Canines volunteer group who is facilitating the development and fundraising of the project. Doug Howard, owner of Midnight Solutions Technologies and his colleagues Sandy McCune and Helen Loebrick.  

About Midnight Solutions Technologies 

Midnight Solutions Technologies was established in 2004, by Douglas Howard, to provide computer services, wireless internet and data-related services to the City of Casselton and surrounding communities. Current internet equipment includes four internet towers, numerous repeating towers, providing internet service to customers in the following cities and outlying rural communities: Casselton, Mapleton, Amenia, Harwood, West Fargo, Fargo, Moorhead, Horace, Durbin, Davenport, Chaffee and Wheatland.  

Jaden Johnson, a senior at Central Cass High School in Casselton, has been awarded the $1000 CBA Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship is given in recognition of the outstanding contributions made by young people to their home, school, community and country.

Jaden has an impressive list of achievements and involvement in sports and extracurricular activities. The son of Kirk and Sara (Piper) Johnson, Jaden has been accepted into Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ to pursue a degree in business management, and his goal is to own his own business one day.

Throughout high school, Jaden has been actively involved in various sports, clubs, and activities. He has played three different sports, with wrestling being his main sport. Jaden served as team captain and achieved three state individual appearances and two state dual appearances. He also played on both the football and golf team.

“I could not participate on the (football) field my senior year,” said Jaden in his scholarship application. “Although this did not stop me from helping the team. After my injury, I would record games for film, and live broadcast away games for fans that could not make it.”

In addition to his involvement in sports, Jaden has also been involved in Jazz Band, DECA, Academic Olympics, Science Olympiad, National Honors society, and as an energetic sports fan.

Jaden has also worked for two different businesses in Casselton. He worked at Morlock Honey Farms and Mid-Night Solutions Technologies, and has gained valuable experience from both.

“Jaden was an asset to our Mid-Night Solutions Technologies team while he worked for us last summer,” said the team at Mid-Night Solutions. “He is kind, polite, worked well with others. We wish him success at College.”

In his community, Jaden has been involved in his church, sandbagging, officiating little kid wrestling tournaments, helping the food pantry, and performing at the Variety Show.

Jaden Johnson, CBA scholarships recipient in 2023, received the award from CBA President Philip Loy. 

The Casselton Business Association (CBA) Scholarship is given in recognition of the outstanding contributions made by young people to their home, school, community and country.

The members of the CBA sponsor this $1000 scholarship for...

• graduating senior of the Central Cass School District
• planning to pursue a degree at an accredited College or University which can include 2-year Technical colleges or Registered Apprenticeship/Trade programs.

THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30th, 2023 at 11:59pm Casselton local time.  If you have any questions please contact by email to welcome@gocasselton.com.

Submit completed typed responses on Microsoft Word document via email to welcome@gocasselton.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION FORM!

Music has the power to connect people, lift spirits, and create memories that last a lifetime. For the past 15 years, the Martin's Bell Choir has been doing just that, bringing the joy of music to Martin’s Lutheran Church and out into the community.

It all started with a memorial donation to purchase three octaves of Malmark bells and chimes. The handbells used by the choir are made of high-quality cast bronze and are designed to produce a pure, clear tone. The bells are mounted on handles and played by hand, either individually or in combination with other bells, to create melodies and harmonies. In addition to the bells, the choir also uses chimes that are similar to bells but have a slightly different shape and produce a softer, more mellow sound.

The choir played under different directors for several years, taking a short hiatus before restarting six years ago under the leadership of Karen Kost as the new director.

“I like to choose music from our church library for classics such as, How Great Thou Art or Children of the Heavenly Father,” says Kost. “Recently, she has purchased more contemporary pieces like You Raise Me Up and How Majestic Is Your Name.

Since then, the Martin's Bell Choir has performed at various church services, expanding to include occasional performances in the community. From a Thanksgiving service to a Christian unity service and multiple church services, the choir has shared their music with people of all ages and backgrounds.

One of the unique aspects of the Martin's Bell Choir is its inclusivity. Anyone with an interest in music and a willingness to volunteer their time is welcome to join. The age range of members has been from 8 to 88, demonstrating the universal appeal of music and the power to bring people together.

“There is a core group who ring almost every time, and there is always room for others. We've had ringers ranging in age from 3rd grade to beyond retired. The bell choir is truly an intergenerational group,” says Kristen Hackmann of Casselton, who joined the choir in 2018.

The choir typically practices twice a week for a couple of months before a performance. Although they have focused on sacred music thus far, the group has discussed the possibility of putting together a secular piece for the Casselton Summerfest Variety Show. This would be a chance to showcase their versatility and creativity.

“A cute story,” says Kost “is one of our former members, an octogenarian who has moved away, took her music home to practice. At our next rehearsal, we asked how she practiced without bells. She had used fresh pears as a bell substitute.”

“While playing the bells is fun, my favorite part of the process is getting together for the practices and the camaraderie,” adds Hackmann. “My favorite piece has been "How Majestic Is Your Name" - a piece by Michael W. Smith.”

If you're interested in volunteering your time and musical abilities with the Martin’s Bell Choir, reach out to their director.

You drive by the Abbiamo Pasta plant in Casselton all the time, but have you ever wondered what’s happening in that plant?

To find out more about this growing local business, 22 members of the Casselton Business Association toured the plant this week. Plant Manager Kory Johnson and Quality Manager Charlie Johnson gave the tours.

Abbiamo Pasta Company was founded in 2013 by a group of local farmers and experienced industry pros. These guys had a mission to provide top-notch customer service and produce the best pasta around. And that's exactly what they've been doing since 2014 when they started making short goods pasta. Over the years, they've grown and expanded to keep up with demand, adding more production capacity in 2017 and 2021.

"I did not know they made millions of pounds of pasta that went to nationally known companies," said Joan Carvell, who attended the tour. 

For those of you that wish you could have been on this tour, here are 10 fun facts that you probably didn’t know about Abbiamo Pasta Company.

1. Abbiamo Pasta Company is a pasta powerhouse, producing 80-100 million pounds of pasta every year with a capacity to produce up to 120 million pounds annually.
2. This Casselton-based company primarily ships its pasta in bulk, making it a go-to supplier for many businesses.
3. Did you know that all the pasta for Pizza Hut and Domino's comes from Abbiamo Pasta?
4. With three production lines at the moment, the company currently is expanding its facilities by installing 15 more silos for finished product.  
5. They store all their pasta inside to keep the temperature and moisture levels just right, from the moment the flour arrives until the end product is loaded into trucks for transportation.
6. To ensure the highest quality of its pasta, Abbiamo Pasta sources its flour fromthe ND State Mill, which purchases from local co-ops.
7. The company offers a wide variety of pasta shapes and sizes, with 40 dies and molds (like those in the picture at the right) at its disposal, and it is even a backup supplier for “blue box” pasta shapes. (“Blue box” is a nod to one of the brands they make, because they don’t share the brand names.)
8. All the equipment used at Abbiamo Pasta's plant is imported from Italy, adding to the authenticity and quality of its pasta.
9. The plant operates 24 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, ensuring a steady supply of delicious pasta.
10. "Abbiamo" means "we have" in Italian, making the name of this pasta company a fitting one!

Casselton Fire Department responded to 95 calls for service in 2022, according to their year-end report. These calls include 21 fires, 14 rescue/EMS calls, 10 calls related to hazardous conditions, three service calls and 47 Good Intent calls (emergencies that turn out not to be emergencies, like alarm system issues, cancelled calls, etc).

The time from being paged to the first truck leaving the fire station was just four minutes and 2 seconds. Fire Chief John Hejl noted that this is with a fully volunteer firefighting crew, meaning they left their homes or work to get the trucks going that quickly. On average, a fire truck arrived on the scene in 13 minutes.

Fire crews spent an average of 29 minutes and 11 seconds on the scene of a fire call. Personnel logged just over 569 hours on scene in 2022 and spent about that same number of hours getting equipment ready after runs.

It's more than just fire fighting

Besides fighting fires, the firemen also complete other safety activities. In 2022, they completed:

• 10 building inspections
• 8 daycare inspections
• Practice burns at 3 homes that were donated to the department for training and a prescribed burn at Central Cass High School
• Fire extinguisher class at Central Cass School

A key highlight of 2022 was the Casselton Fire Department hosting the state North Dakota Firefighter's Association convention in June. More than 275 firefights from across North Dakota were in Casselton. Hejl noted that it has been 100 years since Casselton last hosted the state convention.

The fire department members put together a 2022 highlights video to also share their year-end highlights.

It's a team of volunteers

Casselton Fire Department is a team of 28 volunteer members who respond from the fire station in Casselton, ND. The department is the primary fire defense for about 5000 residents across 385 square miles in 12 townships in Cass County. They are also responsible for vehicle extrication in a larger area, bringing their total cover to 745 square miles.

Not only are they fighting fires, but they support the community in other ways. Some examples in 2022 include:

• Training with neighboring fire, EMS and law enforcement departments, Mass Casualty training and NDFA sponsored training with Cass County Agencies
• Hosting a Casselton Business Association meeting at the Fire Station to share information on ISO Rating
• Snow removal around fire hydrants as a shared project with the local Boy Scout troop
• Recruiting new members and ensuring to retain current members

Want to check out the Casselton Fire Department's recap video? You can find it here. 

No matter if you’re wrapping up your holiday gift list or just starting to shop, we want to be there to help you get the perfect gift for whoever is left on your shopping list. And we believe that shopping locally in Casselton can prove to be an easy and valuable solution to your gift giving needs.

We polled our members (and a few other Casselton moms) to pull together this list of great ideas for last minute holiday gifts you can find in Casselton.

1. Find a selection of lighted angels, Moravian stars and lighted tree sets in a variety of colors at Casselton Drug and Floral.
2. For someone with a sweet tooth, shop for chocolates, caramels, chocolate- covered pretzels and other candies at Casselton Drug and Floral.
3. For the grillmaster in your family surprise them with a gift card for Casselton Cold Storage to use to fill their freezer with a variety of meats.
4. Help a loved one keep “porch pirates” at bay with a doorbell camera from MidNight Solutions Technology.
5. Holiday gifting is made especially easy - for a teacher, daycare provider, hairdresser, bank teller, employee, boss, customer, or friends- with a Holiday Gift Box curated by the team at Casselton Drug and Floral. Each box will be packed with care and tied with a bow! Prices range from $20-$50. Call to order at 701-347-4281.
6. If you’re an adult child with parents living in Casselton, here’s a unique gift idea. Make a donation in their honor to Community of Care using the blue Donate button on the Community of Care website.. A gift to Community of Care will help others in rural Cass remain in their homes and the community they love.
7. Making it easy to find some last-minute gifts that are “one size fits all” the team at TK3 Designs put together an array of stocking stuffers at this special webpage. (Last day to buy is Dec 21 at 5 PM)
8. Over at Casselton Hardware Hank, you can cross a few off your holiday list when you take advantage of the opportunity to get $25 gift cards for just $20. You’ll find gifts for all ages when you wander through the store.
9. Splurge on that special someone with a 2-burner Blackstone flattop griddle at Casselton Hardware Hank. (We hear prices there are best in the area.)
10. Surprise her with a monthly flower delivery subscription from Casselton Drug and Floral.
11. You can pick out the perfect computers, monitors, or printers for a student from MidNight Solutions Technologies.
12. Stop into BankNorth in Casselton to purchase Casselton Bucks in any denomination. Casselton Bucks can be used at any member of the Casselton Business Association. 

For the 16th year in a row, gift cards are the preferred gift to give others, according to research from NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics. On average, a consumer will purchase 36 gift cards — both physical and digital — this holiday season.

For Casselton residents, we wanted to make it easy to find gift cards (and gift certificates) to support all the local businesses in our community, so we put together this round-up of Casselton Business Association member businesses that offer gift cards. 

Bremer Bank offers gift cards that can be used anywhere VISA is accepted.	Purchase a gift certificate from Cass County Reporter to use for a newspaper subscription.
A gift card from Casselton Drug and Floral can be used for all items in the store.	Use a gift card from Casselton Hardware Hank on all items in the store.
Gift cards can be purchased at the Central Cass Squirrels Den to be used for any products, such as a wide variety of Squirrel Wear-or other items sold in the school store.	Recipients can use Mane Street Hair gift cards for haircuts and other services, plus hair products.
GIft cards can be purchased for use with the Storyline Collection women's clothing brand offered by Style with Char.	Use a gift card from TK3 Designs to get personalized apparel and other items.

Want to get your Casselton business added to this list, email us! 

We have a great team running the city of Casselton, and they do a lot to keep us up to date on what’s happening. But we wondered if they may have something they want you to know that they just haven’t taken the time to say.

So we asked them. And here’s what we heard.

Auditor Sheila Klevgard

“I want people to know that they should sign up for the citywide email list.  They will get emergency notices and council meeting agendas.  They can also find city information on the Facebook, website, digital sign and notices in the newspaper.  And ALWAYS open mail from the city.  We don’t send junk mail, we are just trying to keep people informed about important city topics.”

(Sign up for city email blasts by contacting depaudit@casselton.org)

Deputy Auditor Nikki Geist

“I want everyone to know that the line of communication is open.  If anyone has questions about anything, even if they are just curious, please ask!  Who knows, we might both learn something.  There are several ways to contact, whether it be phone, email, Facebook messenger, or an old fashioned drop in.   I welcome problems, praises, concerns, questions, coffee and Diet Cokes!”

Community and Economic Development Director Melissa Beach

“I want our community to know how much our businesses do "behind the scenes" of their business. We have business owners that spray weeds all around town, not because it helps their business but it helps the community. We have business owners volunteering for many many groups and events, not because it helps their business but because it helps the community. Our businesses are the backbone of our community's character and it's not often we see and acknowledge the little things they do to make the community flourish."

Public Works Director Kevin Mayer

“The Public Works Department works hard every day to keep the city utilities and streets working as they should to maintain a good quality of living in Casselton.

But also, Public Works does not enjoy pulling garbage out of the recycling dumpsters.”

Mayor Mike Faught

“There are 5 words I would like to tell the city of Casselton. 

• 1.      Inspire
• 2.      Change
• 3.      Excite
• 4.      Community
• 5.      Respect

These 5 words put into one sentence is what I believe Casselton is and or should be. Inspire change, excite a community, and respect everyone.

Lastly I have a quote from Vince Lombardi,  one of my ideals -- "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”

The Essentia Health-Casselton Clinic is proud to welcome Cassandra Plante, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner specializing in family medicine.

“My previous background in emergency nursing taught me the importance of prevention through quality primary care,” said Plante. “I look forward to continuing to work with all ages throughout the lifespan in achieving optimal overall health and well-being.”

Plante received her education from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and is certified by the American Board of Nurse Practitioners.

“I value creating an environment where patients can feel comfortable being their authentic selves, feel listened to and where we can work together to achieve shared goals,” said Plante.