Marilyn Hagerty: Hockey pucks are flying, basketballs bouncing as March begins

The first weekend of March arrives with hockey pucks flying and basketballs bouncing all around.

There’s a camper show at the Alerus. Ronald the Rabbit is seeking out a summer home for the family he soon will be feeding. And the hockey team from University of Nebraska Omaha has been up and down Interstate 29 so many times the players probably know all the rabbits along the roadside.

The Grand Forks Library is more open now than is has been during the plague of coronavirus. For this, the late Andrew Carnegie would be happy. As the Herald reported in 1901, the multi-millionaire philanthropist made a $20,000 donation to the City of Grand Forks for a public library.

The gift, the Herald said at the time, was brought about through untiring efforts of F.W. Wilder. Library directors and several leading gentlemen of the city met in the library rooms, then over the post office, to hear the formal offer made by Mr. Carnegie.

After all, Mr. Carnegie made the gift with the stipulation the city could bind itself to support the library with not less than $2,000 a year and a suitable site.

And the library this week has been getting back on track at its current home after having been limited in services inside during the days of coronavirus limits.

Life now seems as though it is trending ever so cautiously back to normal. People get their shots. They hold their distances. They wear their masks.

On the UND campus, life goes on – coronavirus or not. Another week, and it will be time for spring break.

Matt Ternus is winding down his year as president of the student body. Kaelan Reedy and Dawson Dutchak already are in the contest for leaders in the election set for mid-April. Ternus says he is looking beyond his graduation this spring with law school in mind. He’s hoping to find a job – and says he would quickly take one in this area.

Ternus, from Rogers, Minn., just north of Minneapolis, says in spite of coronavirus, it has been a good year on the university campus. He thinks some students will find a way to spend their break in popular spots in Florida or other sunny beaches. But he thinks many others will just go home.

Q. Have you seen any interesting license plates around here lately?

A. Yes, there was TEERUK, NINION and 1PIECE all on the streets of Grand Forks.

Q. Whatever happened to Ron Oltmanns who once sang with the Singing Sergeants and ended up teaching here and directing the choir at United Lutheran Church for a while?

A. He shows up online now and then – still interested in Grand Forks. He and Pastor Scott Hove combine for a “Good News at Good Sam” devotional on Tuesdays in Las Vegas. The show can be found at goodsamlv.com at noon there or 2 p.m. here. And he’s always up front during livestreaming of hymn singing on Sundays that would be at 10:30 a.m. out time. He works with the Good Sam pastor Scott Hove who formerly was in the Grafton and Park River area.

Cheerful people of the week: Cody Varnson and Val Sussex