News Around Town

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.

Our insurance representatives located in Casselton always want to be sure you’re prepared in the best way possible. We invited them to provide their thoughts on what you need to consider to be prepared for  what you might encounter in the next few months.

Check coverage on sewer backup or sump pump failure

It is no secret that our area often faces of periods of time with excess moisture and precipitation, especially during the spring thaw.  Most insurance policies specifically exclude losses caused by sewer backup or sump pump overflow/failure.  Typically, you must add an endorsement coverage to your policy.  If your sump pump can’t keep up or quits, are you covered?  If so, do you have adequate coverage? 

We have seen several instances in the last year where a sump pump failure resulted in a homeowner needing to replace carpets, padding, trim, doors, drywall/paint, and even furniture.  With the prices of materials and labor steadily on the rise, it would be wise to visit with your agent to make sure your coverage levels are appropriate to cover you should that scenario arise.

A tip from Farmers Union Insurance

Gain peace of mind when you’re most vulnerable

Are you aware of the limits of coverage on your home, auto, or farm policies?  An umbrella policy will go over your home, auto or farm policies.  Unfortunately, bad things can happen to good people, usually in the blink of an eye.  An umbrella policy can offer additional liability coverage and cover legal fees to defend against lawsuits from claims covered by the policy.  The more assets you have, the higher umbrella coverage you should carry.  We never know what the future may bring, but an umbrella policy will provide peace of mind when we are most vulnerable.

A tip from Weber Insurance

Find ways to cut insurance costs

Your insurance agent can help you reduce your costs across your portfolio. Think about what you own and what you insure. Here are some examples.

• Are you getting a multi-line discount if your coverage is with the same company/agent?
• Look at the deductible options available as well as that can factor into the cost of your coverage
• We all drive somewhere, and your auto policy can provide some cost savings to you also.
• Don't overlook if your son/daughter excels in the classroom. Take that GPA transcript to your agent to take advantage of the student discount that is offered there.
• Approved defensive driver courses are a way to not only brush up on your driving habits but will provide a little savings to your premium as well. But be sure to check with your agent to make sure you enroll in an approved course. These are available to all ages as we are never too experienced to learn.

A tip from Nodak Insurance Company

When two ash trees had to be taken down in 2021 due to disease, Jim and Jayne Meyer decided to turn that negative into a beautiful positive in their yard at 361 4th Ave N in Casselton.

“The boys and I thought of doing something cool with a wood carving,” says Jim, who prepared for the carving by having the tree topped off at 12 feet instead of complexly removing it. His friend suggested that he contact Andy Lake of Glyndon, MN to check out their front yard tree.

After some creative thinking, the Meyers decided to make their tree patriotic by having it carved into an American eagle. Jim says they first thought they might make it into a yeti, the small “manlike” animal, not the insulated mug.

“We thought of the kids on the school bus looking at it,” added Jim. “Hopefully they can feel proud.”

If you ever have a moment, stop and check out all the intricate cuts made with his chain saw., says Jim. The project took Lake about 3 days to complete.

by Emma Schneider, a freshman at Central Cass High School

My cousin comes to Casselton from St. Cloud, MN every year. Here are five things we love to do here in Casselton:

1. Percy's Place
2. Tinta Tawa Park
3. Governor’s Inn water park
4. Vibe Nutrition
5. Bike riding around town

The first thing we like is to go to Percy's Place. Percy's Place is a small American bakery that has anything from cookies to burgers. It's great to go with family or friends. You can order in the bakery or order online and pick it up there. My cousin and I always get their cookies. They're the best because they have many great exotic flavors including my favorite: lemon poppyseed.

The second place is Tinta Tawa Park. They have many trails you can walk, take your dogs, or bike on. They also have three playgrounds, baseball fields, picnic tables and a lake where you can fish, take a boat, kayak, or paddle board. In the winter you can sled down a big hill, ice skate on the lake, or ice fish.

The third thing to go to is the Governor’s Inn water park. It is a hotel that has an amazing water park and arcade. You don’t have to get a room to go to in the water park. You can buy a wristband to get in. They also have a diner where you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The fourth place is Vibe Nutrition, it is a shake and tea place. It's the most positive shake place I have ever been to. The people who work there are so kind. One person who works there is the sweetest. I walk in and she knows my name and what I always have. My first time ever going there was with my cousin and it was amazing. I aways get the pina colada pineapple shake with vanilla protein powder. It's delicious.

The last thing we do is ride our bikes around the town of Casselton. We ride our bikes wherever we go. Our favorite place to go when riding our bikes is the reservoir because of the trails they have there. Casselton is a great town to ride bikes in because so many people do the same things and it’s peaceful.

Schneider is the daughter of Steve and Susan Schneider.