Dear Editor,
As I reflect on the outstanding fireworks display on the Fourth of July, I began to realize how lucky Woonsocket residents are. Volunteers do outstanding jobs in this town and surrounding community with no pay and little thanks.
Our fire department not only comes to our fires and ambulance calls, they make our July Fourth so special. The Woonsocket Water Fesitval committee organizes a Fourth full of activities for all ages. Baseball and softball games have unsung heroes who referee, sub for the coach, run the concessions and alert everyone of the games. The Legion and Legion Auxiliary provide patriotic activities for many of the holidays, work at blood drives, etc. Community Club organizes rummage sale day, clean-up day, bought the Christmas display and Woony signs, etc.
If a member of the community dies, family, friends and church organizations provide food and comfort freely. The choirs and organist provide healing music.
The school parent group does so many projects, to encourage the students to learn, succeed and enjoy school. 4-H leaders and helpers volunteer their time to encourage our youth to succeed in so many ways.
I know I left some organizations out. I won’t list names because there are so many outstanding volunteers.
As other towns and cities worry about their youth, I see Woony students enjoying providing a delicious dinner for the community on the Fourth of July.
Woonsocket is small, but it is mighty because of the PEOPLE who give of themselves. Thank you!
Judy Brisbine
Woonsocket

Getting asked to play a part in the “Custer’s Last Stand” reenactment was definitely an honor! June 25, 1876 will forever be remembered as the day that the greatest Union Cavalry General and his entire command was annihilated by the largest force of Sioux and Cheyenne Warriors ever assembled.
My nephew, Wyatt, and I traveled to Hardin, Mont. to participate in the reenactment of the battle. Wyatt was a foot soldier while I rode in the 7th Cavalry on my swift horse named “Conk.”
We spent three nights sleeping in my horse trailer, and three grueling days in the saddle. Conk raced every horse he could, from thoroughbred to Indian pony. Conk isn’t the nicest horse to ride, but he can flat cover ground.
     The Crow Tribe is the local Indian Tribe. These people are the descendants of the Indian Scouts for the 7th Cavalry. The Sioux were getting pushed west by white settlement, and they were invading Crow Territory. The friction between the Crow and the Sioux/Cheyenne Tribes lead to the Crow joining the side of the US Army. To this day the Crow Indian Tribe boosts the highest record of military service on a per capita basis of any ethnic group in America. So it was a bit ironic that the parts of the Warriors in this reenactment were played by local Crow Indians, riding bareback on their ponies.
Later this fall or perhaps this winter, the History Channel expects to run a segment on this reenactment. If you watch it, look for the trooper carrying his reins in his teeth while he fires his rifle at a full gallop, that would be me. In an attempt to maintain the post-battle adrenaline rush, a friend and myself raced our ponies into town where we rode our horses into the bar, talked with locals, and jumped some irrigation canals. Not sure that town is ever gonna be the same.
Blasting past some of the fastest horses in Montana has me very excited about racing Conk at the “Saddle Horse Race” in Lower Brule in August. (The great part about that deal is you can take any horse, you don’t need a trainer, or a trainer’s permit, and you can be your own jockey.)
That’s the best part of the Rez. They don’t let a bunch of nonsense get in the way of fun. For example, at that reenactment in Montana, nobody had to sign any waiver, nobody checked your equipment, there was no paperwork of any kind. They simply expected any participants who showed up to be able to handle their horse at a full sprint, in traffic, while shooting guns, through whooping Indians wearing war paint. The horses didn’t know it was fake. They bucked, they pitched, they reared and they screamed as dust and mayhem kicked up everywhere. Dust pierced our lungs, cannons roared, and smoke filled the air. Kinda like going back in time to a wonderful world where folks didn’t bury their noses into their phones every waken moment and the dreaded word “Liability” didn’t exist.

By Dorothy Weinberger
From my Facebook page Joe Tlustos writes – “A great day today as 75 or so gathered for the dedication of the new Ruskin Park historical marker just east of Forestburg. Thanks to Vic Zimmerman for dreaming big and thanks to the 60 who donated money ($2,400) to make it all happen. “
Vic Zimmerman, now of Buenes Park, Calif., acted as master of ceremonies and spoke of the history of Ruskin Park beginning in about 1890 and closing in 1967. That was a sad day for many. Daun (Rodee) Whetzel, formerly of Artesian, a descendant of the founder Hiram Rodee, and Karen (Siegenthaler) Crisco unveiled the historic sign. Karen is the daughter of the last owners.
From the pen of the writer, Dorothy Weinberger, I am related to both the Rodee family and the Dowdell family. I attended many Dowdell and Figland reunions over the years at Ruskin Park. My mother’s sister, Ellen Dowdell, and her husband, Bill, managed Ruskin Park in the late 1920s before moving to California.
The only living Dowdell descendent that I know of is Ron Chandler of the Los Angeles, Calif. area. His mother, Gladys Dowdell, was my first cousin. I kept in close touch with Ethel Dowdell Abild and LaVilla Dowdell Hammer both of Mitchell, as long as they lived. They were daughters of R.E. (Emmettt) Dowdell, the second owner of the park. Ethel lived to be 100+. I attended her 100th birthday party in the Holiday Inn at Mitchell.
Of the Rodee family, my cousin, Freya Schmus, and her granddaughter, Julie, always spent part of each summer in their home here in Artesian. They will be coming soon.
I have a 25-page history of Ruskin Park given to me by my cousin Karen Figland Smith. She is of the Rodee family. I also have a copy of the paper published by the “Daily Plainsman” of Huron in 1988. Bette Burg, a former Artesian resident, worked at the “Plainsman” at the time and put it all together. It is very interesting. Many wrote their memories of Ruskin Park and sent them to Bette to be a part of this special edition.