Bob Lippi says Carmel loves their LuverneI received a package from Bob Lippi last week.I haven’t seen or heard from Bob for a very long time, but he hasn’t forgotten about Luverne.In the package was a copy of their local weekly newspaper, The Carmel Pine Cone, which featured a story on a recently restored 1923 Luverne fire truck.According to the article, the fire truck had been "stored without ceremony in boxes and in yards, sometimes even functioning as an unusual hanging rack for potted plants. But now, the Luverne- an 80-year-old fire engine- is back in all her glory, reassembled and lovingly restored at the hands of devoted volunteers."The truck was expected to be out and about for the Peninsula’s week long celebration of historic automobiles, with Carmel-by-the-sea Fire Department Truck No. 1 in gold lettering on the side.Built by hand in the Luverne plant, the truck was the first piece of motor driven equipment purchased by the city of Carmel according to the paper.Purchased for $5,500, it was added to the fleet that included Carmel’s hand-pulled hose cart.School to hold open schoolThe Luverne Public School is using the open house concept to hold an open school next Tuesday.The district is inviting all middle and high school students and parents to an open school from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26. A similar event for the grade school kids will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18. School starts in Luverne on Tuesday, Sept 2.Dog daysof August?With the heat wave, I have heard the term "dog days of summer" used on several occasions.A column written by Rex Quinn, explaining the history of the term recently came across my desk, and I thought I would share part of it with you."Long, long ago (before "reality" television), ancient astronomers named a star "Sirius." They called it the Dog Star because it was part of the constellation Canis Major (the greater dog). Sirius usually rose during July, and burned brightest during steamy late August days, when everyone sweats more than an ice cube on a radiator.Since Sirius is the brightest star one sees with the naked eye (or even the eye wearing clothes), folks assumed TWO glaring suns made things twice as hot. So "dog days" referred to the most miserable summer hours."Now you know the rest of the story.Order photos from dotphotoDo you ever see a photo in the Star Herald that you would like a copy of.Now it’s easy to get one, and it’s in color.The Star Herald is now posting not only the photos you see in our printed edition on the dotphoto Web site, but we are also posting many other photos that we’ve taken that didn’t make the paper.If you have Internet access you now can go to www.star-herald.com and click on the dotphoto logo.From there you will able to see all the photos that have run in the Star Herald and lot more.And although the photos you see in the Star Herald are in black and white, the photos you will get from dotphoto will be in color.If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can still stop in our office and we can order the photos for you.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com
