Plus One: Regent, North Dakota UPDATED!

Regent, North Dakota? Yes, Regent, North Dakota. Regent is a rockin' place. I have never been to North Dakota, much less Regent, but I found a news story about Regent and I am all over it like a duck on a June bug. I originally posted the story on Because Toby Said So, but I am so enamored with Regent that I am adopting it as my Honorary Home Town. Read the post below and you'll see why I am, if they'll have me, A Son of Regent.

Sculpture by Gary Greff, Regent, ND

I hate like hell to start off a post with a disclaimer, but I think it's the right thing to do on this occasion. Disclaimer: I love small towns. The smaller, the better. Good fences make good neighbors and all that. I'd give my eye teeth to live in a small town yesterday if it were possible and I had the okie dokie from my wife. So both of you in Regent, North Dakota, I'd love to visit your town at any time. You wanna pony up for a trip from Maine to Regent for me, my wife and two children, I am all in. I'll do a "play by play", as it were, of the trip on this very blog , if you so desire. Email me at tobysaidso AT gmail DOT com with travel arrangements. I'm just sayin'. End of disclaimer.

The aforementioned Regent, North Dakota has as one of its citizens, a man named Gary Greff. Mr. Greff is renown around Regent as a sculptor. his work with iron has been transformed into deer, fish, grasshoppers and other animals and those works of art adorn a road called the Enchanted Highway. Sounds like a cool deal. Mr. Greff has now set his sights on a new sculpture that he hopes will bring in some much-needed cash flow from tourists traveling to the Annual Sturgis (SD) Motorcycle Extravaganza and Drunken Brawl. This new piece of art, a motorcycle, will be displayed on Main Street in Regent if all goes well. Greff plans for the bike to be 102 feet from tire to tire and 42 feet from ground to handlebars. The hope is that Greff can assemble motorcycle during the winter of 2011-2012, with the aim of getting it displayed in the summer of 2012. I think I love the town of Regent, North Dakota and I really like Gary Greff. Here's why: instead of bitchin' and moanin' and squawlin' and bawlin', the town and Gary Greff yanked up their collective boot straps and did and are doing a great thing by finding their own solution to their own problem. The best part is they did NOT call anyone in the State or Federal gubmint and ask for one single frakkin' dime! These people could be Texans, like me!  :) There are only 211 people who live in Regent and I want to salute every last one of them for their "do-it-yourself" attitude. That attitude is also known by the moniker of the American Way. I wish I could buy all 211 Regent-ites(?) the beverage his or her choice. Kick ass and take names, Regent!

If there's anything at all that I can help you with - PR, planned fund raisers, bake sales, ANYTHING, I will be more than glad to help. I run six blogs that get more than a few page hits every day and, if I need to, I can go All Regent, All the Time. OK, I made up that last part about All Regent, All the Time, but I am serious about helping you out if I can. The email address is in the "disclaimer" at the top of this post. Please feel free to use it anytime. You've got a big fan in Augusta, Maine.

Because Toby said so.

UPDATE: I found a website that features Gary Greff's magnificent sculpture work and it has some of the details on each one. This stuff is sick (in a good way). See for yourself here . I have Mr. Greff's phone number and will be contacting him either today or tomorrow. I am on a mission, please join me in sharing the news about Regent, North Dakota and The Enchanted Highway.

UPDATE 2 : There is a "Donation" button on the Enchanted Highway website. Please help out the folks in Regent, North Dakota. NO I DON'T GET A DIME AND DON'T WANT ONE FROM THE ENCHANTED HIGHWAY SITE. I AM PROMOTING THIS CAUSE BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN IT. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. NOW SEND THEM SOME MONEY!!!!