Winter is planning season

Amid all this wonderful wintery weather we’ve been experiencing, it may appear that no work is getting done. To the contrary, winter is what I refer to as “planning season.” Whether we gaze out the window from our warm offices or hunker down by the fireplace in our homes, our wheels are turning thinking about the months ahead.

What kind of a year will we have? When and where will we travel? How many weddings and graduations are on the calendar? Do we have proper attire for them all?

Here at the newspaper office, designer Ash Schuster and I are putting the final touches on one of our central North Dakota travel guides this week. We publish the Turtle Mountain Guide, which covers Bottineau, Rolette and Pierce counties in north central North Dakota, in late February each year. The Lake Region Guide, which focuses on travel in the Devils Lake Basin, goes to press in April. Carrington and New Rockford are both featured in the latter.

Area Chambers of Commerce and Visitors Bureaus are putting together plans for the upcoming travel season. We’re in regular contact with them to make sure information about their events and attractions is up to date and visually appealing.

The New Rockford Chamber of Commerce, NRABC and New Rockford Park District are planning a special social event on March 25. Preparations for that event have been underway since December, and we look forward to highlighting the work done in 2021 and recognizing businesses for their efforts.

Reporter Nathan Price spoke to Justin Stanton, the new owner of Schuster RV Park in New Rockford, this past week. Stanton is planning for the upcoming travel season as well, ensuring that everything is in order as visitors begin making their travel plans.

Businesses are purchasing their inventory for the entire year. Hope and Erin from Lioness, our downtown clothing store in Carrington, returned from the market in Las Vegas a week ago. Barb and Faith at Central Pharmacy in New Rockford did the same earlier this month. They spent days walking miles on concrete through convention centers, gazing at rows and rows of merchandise to fill their stores. It amazes me how they can shop for Christmas in February, and know what customers will come looking for in November and December.

Public officials are working on plans and specifications for construction projects they want to complete once the ground thaws. The New Rockford City Commission expects to review and approve the plans for citywide street improvements at their March meeting.

Farmers are preparing for the coming growing season by budgeting for and purchasing things like seed and fertilizer. Some spend winter shipping grain from farm to market, whether it be to elevators, ethanol plants, or feed mills. Many work on farm equipment, fine-tuning their tractors and planters for spring tillage and planting. They make final decisions about what crops to plant on which fields.

Ranchers are in the “calm before the storm,” as calving season is about to get underway. In fact, by the time this column reaches readers, some will likely have already watched the first babies of the season come into the world. In our special Ag Week feature in late March, we’ll highlight the agriculture industry and its impact on our area. Readers, send us your photos of baby calves and lambs!

We are all looking forward to warmer days with more hours of daylight to get the things done we love to do.

What are you planning?