Second Tuesday of every month and the fourth Tuesday if needed, 5:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo City Commission Chambers
Ready to Read Story Time
(ages 3-5 + their adults)
Every Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
School Board
Second and fourth Monday of every month, 6 p.m.
@ Leidal Education Center
Teeter Tots Storytime
Every Thursday, 10:15-11 a.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
WFACP Card Games & Whist
Every Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo High Rise
Monday Matinee
Every Monday, 1:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Visit westfargolibrary.org for movie listings
West Fargo Cribbage Club
Every Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Page Turners Book Club
Every first Tuesday, 1 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Monday Night Readers Book Club
Every second Monday, 7 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Third Thursday Book Club
Every third Thursday, 1:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Novel Afternoons Book Club
Every third Wednesday, 1-2 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
DECEMBER EVENTS:
*Note some December Senior Events may be missing, visit valleyseniorservices.org for a full calendar.
English Conversation Circle
Dec. 3, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Economic Development Advisory Committee
Dec. 5, 8 a.m.
@ West Fargo City HallWest Fargo Room
Light Up the Night
Dec. 5, 5 - 7 p.m.
@ POW/MIA Plaza
Writing Circle
Dec. 5, 7 - 8 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 6, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
Friday Night Nets (Adults)
Dec. 6, 7:15 - 9:15 p.m.
@ Rustad Recreation Center
Saturday STEM
Dec. 7, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Watercolor
Holiday Cardmaking
Dec. 7, 1 - 3 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 7, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 7, 10:30 - 11:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
Skate With Your City
Dec. 9, 5 - 7 p.m.
@ Essentia Health Plaza at The Lights
West Fargo Library on Wheels
Dec. 10, 3 - 6 p.m.
@ Rustad Recreation Center
Friday Night Nets (Adults)
Dec. 13, 7:15 - 9:15 p.m.
@ Rustad Recreation Center
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 13, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 14, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
500-Piece Puzzle Off Dec. 14, 1 - 3:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Skate with Santa Dec. 15, 1 - 3 p.m.
@ The Lights
Civic Minds Rountable Dec. 16, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Battle of the Badges Dec. 17, 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
@ DoubleTree by Hilton
Metro Community Band Concert Dec. 17, 6 - 8 p.m.
@ Rustad Recreation Center
Coffee with a Cop Dec. 18, 10 -11:00 a.m.
@ Rustad Recreation Center
Battle of the Badges Dec. 18, 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
@ DoubleTree by Hilton
Battle of the Badges Dec. 19, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
@ DoubleTree by Hilton
Books & Brews
Community Book Club Dec. 19, 6-7 p.m.
@ Junkyard Brewing Co.
West Fargo
Writing Circle Dec. 19, 7 - 8 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West Dec. 20, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West Dec. 21, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
All City Buildings ClosedChristmas Holiday Dec. 24 and Dec. 25
Writing Circle
Dec. 26, 7 - 8 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Winter Crafts for Kids
Dec. 27, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 27, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
A Very Die Hard Christmas presented by Stage West
Dec. 28, 8 - 9:30 p.m.
@ Stage West Studio
Noon Year’s Eve Celebration
Dec. 31, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
@ West Fargo Public Library
Library Closing EarlyNew Year’s Eve Dec. 31, 6 p.m.
New Year’s Eve
Glow Skate
Dec. 31, 9 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
@ Essentia Health Plaza at The Lights *West Fargo Area Community Program
Diner
continued from page 3
That is such a turn-on for me. I can’t even function when I spot that.
Hang in there poodles it’s almost Friday … which doesn’t mean a-damn-thing anymore. Drink at work you don’t have time at home.
Soup … Cheeseburger
Hazel Hot Chocolate
8 martinis
Go sit down!”
Friday, Oct. 25
“Friday Wooohooo. Buy me a cocktail and slap me! Two months to Christmas Day! I wear a size 7-day vacation.
It’s eggs Benny and the ribs. Well, ribs at 4:00.
We have knoephla, Chili and go-go dancers. WHITE BOOTS!
Take off hoser. I want my 2 dollars.”
Della and her husband, Dean Johnson, took over the diner at 405 Main Ave. W. eight years ago. It’s an Old School place: homey, clean, the food is good, and the portions are hearty.
Deaner’s Diner is not smack dab on West Fargo’s main drag, but the locals know where it’s at, and they’re fiercely loyal. The entrance is on the back of Westgo Square, and when you walk in, it feels friendly and comfortable.
Over a lifetime of hard work, Dean and Della developed a solid restaurant resume, including having run Mable Murphy’s in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and the Tree Top Lounge in Moorhead.
Della, who also has experience in franchise restaurant operations, said she liked the freedom that Deaner’s
Deaner’s Diner co-owners Della and Dean Johnson on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, at the restaurant in West Fargo. Chris Flynn / The Focus
“Life is so ordinary, that I just really wanted to make people have a better day.”
Della Johnson
represented. And if she wanted to cut loose a bit on Facebook, well …
“I’ve always had to work for somebody, so when we bought the diner. It was just free time for me and I could just be who I wanted to be. And I started with my posts and I didn’t have to answer to anybody. Didn’t like ‘em, oh well,” Della said earlier this fall. “Life is so ordinary, that I just really wanted to make people have a better day.”
The Facebook posts are unconstrained by anything close
to the corporate, buttoned-down language of the professional advertising world, which may be why they work.
At first, Della would post once or twice a week. Now, she posts almost daily, except when she’s traveling, or on vacation and away from the internet.
Diner: continued on page 6
The main entrance to Deaner’s Diner is seen Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in West Fargo. Chris Flynn / The Focus
Diner
continued from page 5
Her Facebook posts are a tiny bit unhinged but in a merry, footloose way.
“That describes my life to a tee. Just a little crazy, yeah. My husband says, ‘She’s just a little out there.’ I don’t know where that is, but it’s a little out there,” Della said. “I think it’s because I just say everything that everybody else is thinking. Which is probably not good, but I haven’t gotten in too much trouble yet.”
Dean and Della no longer run the day-to-day of the diner. It’s been a couple of years now that their daughter, Andrea, has been running the place. And that’s just fine with Della.
“She runs it better than we do. What the heck is up with that?” Della said.
Melissa Johnson, who is also part of the restaurant’s operations, says her mother-in-law “is a riot.”
“She brings people in from other states,” Melissa said. “Customers come in and ask, ’Are you the person who runs the Facebook page?’”
Dean has years of corporate restaurant experience. When it comes to business, he’s more buttoned up and careful. At first, he said he had issues with Della’s posts.
But after a few months, he realized the free-wheeling social media messages were connecting with their customers.
“That’s what they came in here for. She just ran with it her way,” Dean said. “She was really the key to our success. Her personality is unmatched. She’s very warm, very sarcastic, very witty.”
Della says she’s just having fun.
She’s even thinking of taking her brand of humor to Instagram and X.
“It’s just a really fun thing for me to do,” Della said. “I tell my husband, I’ve been working since I came out of the womb, I’m done. Now I’m just doing social media.”
At 65, she says she deserves to cut loose and be a bit daring.
“I let my craziness go a little bit,” Della said. “It’s totally just letting my craziness out and just making people happy. People are like, ‘Oh, my God! What she’s saying is just crazy.’ But it’s true. Most of it’s true. It’s just ordinary life, and people just love it.”
We’ll leave you with a few of Della’s posts from September.
Wed, Sept. 25
“Happy midweek. ... Hump day is not working for me.
Whatchu want? Baby we got it. Today’s special is a pizza burger. I hope you’re not wearing a white shirt. You know you’re gonna spill on yourself because you’re dirty.
Your soup, beer cheese baby.
Make sure you wear your galoshes, perhaps with shorts.
Get out.”
Thursday, Sept. 19
“Release the Balls!
It’s Thursday and we have the balls. Swedish balls.
Have you ever camped in the winter? Well, you’re dumb.
See you at Junkyard you savage beasts.”
Wednesday, Sept. 18
“I took another shower with my clothes on in case I slip and fall. I don’t want rescue to see me naked.
It’s Wednesday, the hump hump humpiest day of all. Deaner’s is featuring The Rachel today. It’s the ugly sister of Reuben. Turkey, swiss, sauerkraut, grilled to perfection. Comes with fries dummy. Don’t most sandwiches come with fries?
Soup yeah. … The weiner water sold out so it’s beer cheese.
Tootles you little honey badgers. Until tomorrow.”
Readers can reach The Focus reporter Helmut Schmidt at (701) 241-5583 or by email at hschmidt@forumcomm.com.
Deaner’s Diner server Kari Wileman helps customers on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, at the restaurant in West Fargo. Chris Flynn / The Focus
West Fargo Police Department’s Coffee with a Cop at Rustad Recreation Center
By City of West Fargo
The West Fargo Police Department’s Coffee with a Cop will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Rustad Recreation Center in West Fargo (601 26th Ave. E.). The Coffee with a Cop program is designed to increase understanding between residents and the police. At these events, residents learn more about law enforcement and can interact with officers.
This event is sponsored by the Community Outreach Programs and Services (COPS) Unit. The COPS Unit organizes the department’s continued efforts to recognize West Fargo’s changing demographics and strengthen relationships with all members of the community. These efforts include community events, officers dedicated to the COPS Unit, and the completion of cultural awareness and diversity training for staff.
Service of Love and Remembrance
This service offers inspiration and hope as we reflect on and remember our deceased loved ones. We recognize that this season of celebration may be difficult for those who are grieving. The Service of Love and Remembrance will focus on the comfort and promise of God’s love.
Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Refreshments and coffee will be served following the service. All are welcome.
City of West Fargo Christmas & A New Year’s Day closures and garbage schedule changes
By City of West Fargo
The City of West Fargo will close Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Wednesday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas. The City will also close Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year’s Day. These holidays affect City services in the following ways.
CHRISTMAS
Wednesday, Dec. 25 garbage and recycling collection will take place on Thursday, Dec. 26. Thursday, Dec. 26 garbage and recycling collection will take place on Friday, Dec. 27. The Transfer Station will close Saturday, Dec. 28.
All municipal government buildings will close to the public Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Wednesday, Dec. 25. These locations include West Fargo City Hall, Public Library, Sanitation, Public Works and the Transfer Station. Public safety agencies are in full operation but the West Fargo Police and Fire Department buildings will close to the public on these days.
NEW
YEAR’S DAY
There is no garbage or recycling collection Wednesday, Jan. 1. Wednesday, Jan. 1 garbage and recycling will be collected Thursday, Jan. 2.
Thursday, Jan. 2 garbage and recycling will be collected on Friday, Jan. 3.
All municipal government buildings will close Wednesday, Jan. 1. These locations include West Fargo City Hall, Public Library, Sanitation, Public Works and the Transfer Station. Public safety agencies are in full operation but the West Fargo Police and Fire Departments will close to the public on these days.
The 2024 and 2025 Sanitation Schedule changes are available online at www.westfargond.gov/SanitationChanges.
West Fargo Public Library Mitten Tree Drive
By West Fargo Public Library
The West Fargo Public Library is hosting its sixteenth annual Mitten Tree Drive this December to collect winter gear for West Fargo children.
From Dec. 1 through Jan. 6, donors can drop off new or like-new childsized mittens, gloves, sweatpants, boots, underwear or coats at the library. Handmade mittens and gloves are welcome. The items will be donated to West Fargo Public School District students in need.
The Mitten Tree can be found on the main floor of the West Fargo Public Library. Donors can hang their items on the tree or drop them off at the library service desk.
“We’re grateful for the community’s generosity each winter,” Lauren Nephew, youth services manager, said. “It’s inspiring to watch the tree fill up, knowing every item makes a difference for a West Fargo child.”
NEWS AND FEATURES
Introducing the Class of 2024
By Wendy Reuer
The 2024 West Fargo High School Hall of Fame inductees included:
• Retired West Fargo Police Lt. Greg Warren: Outstanding in Community
• Jamie Parsely: Outstanding Alumni
• 2012 Boys Baseball Team: Outstanding Team
• 2012 Boys Golf Team: Outstanding Team
The West Fargo Educational Foundation honors individuals and teams that have made a lasting
impact on their communities and are committed to excellence at West Fargo High School. The inductees serve as a reminder for students that hard work and perseverance can help them achieve their goals.
For more information about the West Fargo Educational Foundation, visit www.wfaef.foundationorg.
Fargo High 2012
team members in attendance for the
Fame induction ceremonies on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 included, from
Todd Rheault, Cameron Bonnema, Tucker Bucholz, Luke
Barclay, Brendan Sluke, Jordan Rheault, Dillon Bachand, Andy Young, William Barker, Zach Steckler, Ben Huber, Kory Wolden and head coach Brent Peterson. David Samson/The Focus
Readers can reach Focus editor Wendy Reuer at wreuer@forumcomm.com or 701-241-5530.
HALL OF FAmE: continued on page 11
West
Baseball
Hall of
left, Coach
Johnson, Matt
West Fargo High School Hall of Fame 2012 golf team inductee members in attendance included Coach Chuck Gad, Chase Pulczinski, Cole Johnson, Riley Johnson, Payton Johnson and coach Steve Anderson. David Samson/The Focus
continued from page 10
The West Fargo High School Hall of Fame induction included the 2012 baseball team held on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
David Samson/The Focus
Greg Warren was inducted into the West Fargo High School Hall of Fame, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. David Samson/The Focus
Horace High School Activity Calendar
December 3
7 p.m
Hockey: G/V
@Scheels Arena
December 5
Band - Varsity
@Valley City
State University
EDC/STATE Band Solo Contest
5:30 p.m
Hockey: G/JV
@East Grand Forks Civic Center
December 6
8 a.m
Debate: V
@Red River High School
Grand Forks Crosstown
4:15 p.m
Basketball: G/JV
@Horace High School
4:15 p.m
Basketball: B/JV
@Heritage Middle School
5:30 p.m
Hockey: G/V
@West Fargo Sports Arena
5:45 p.m
Basketball: G/V
@Horace High School
5:45 p.m
Basketball: B/C
@Heritage Middle School
7:15 p.m
Basketball: G/C
@Heritage Middle School
7:30 p.m
Basketball: B/V
@Horace High School
7:45 p.m
Hockey: G/JV
@West Fargo Sports Arena
December 7
9 a.m
Wrestling: G/All
@Walhalla, ND Pembina
Wrestling Invitational
Noon
Hockey: G/JV @West Fargo Sports Arena
12:30 p.m
Basketball: G/C @Heritage Middle School
12:30 p.m
Basketball: B/JV @Horace High School
2 p.m
Basketball: G/9A @Heritage Middle School
2 p.m
Basketball: B/V @Horace High School
2:30 p.m
Hockey: G/V @West Fargo Sports Arena
3:30 p.m
Basketball: B/C @Heritage Middle School
3:45 p.m
Basketball: G/JV @Horace High School
December 10
TBD
Basketball: G/9A
@Fargo South High School
4:15 p.m
Basketball: G/JV
@Red River High School
4:15 p.m
Basketball: B/C
@Red River High School
5:45 p.m
Basketball: G/V
@Red River High School
5:45 p.m
Basketball: B/JV
@Red River High School
7 p.m
Basketball: B/9A
@Grand Forks Central High School
7:15 p.m
Basketball: G/C
@Red River High School
7:15 p.m
Basketball: B/V @Red River High School
8:15 p.m
Basketball: B/9B
@Grand Forks Central High School
December 12
6:15 p.m
Basketball: B/9A
@Horace High School
7:30 p.m
Basketball: B/9B
@Horace High School
December 13
8 a.m
Debate: V
@Fargo South High School
Noon
Wrestling: G/All @Carrington High School
6 p.m
Hockey: G/V @Capital Ice Complex/ Schaumberg Arena and Wachter Arena
8:15 p.m
Hockey: G/JV @Capital Ice Complex/ Schaumberg Arena and Wachter Arena
