Did you hear?

Winter vacation activitiesThe Luverne Child Guide Program is coming up with supervised activities to keep your kids busy during some of their Christmas days off.
On Tuesday, Dec. 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. there will be open swimming at the Rock County Pool. All you have to do is bring a towel and swimsuit.All parents and siblings of children in grades K-5 are invited to participate.If a child younger than 5 years of age would like to participate, an adult must accompany them.
On Wednesday, Dec. 29, activities will be held at the Luverne Elementary Gym from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.Again, kids in grades K-5 are welcome to attend, along with their families.Participants must be sure to wear appropriate gym shoes.
Thursday, Dec.30, will be the final activity day, at the Blue Mound Ice Arena.Skating and skate rental is all included. The concession stand will be open for snacks, but you will have to bring you own money for the treats.All the activities are free and are sponsored by the Luverne Child Guide Program and the Luverne Public Schools.Have you checked out the new Palace Web site?Events at the Palace Theatre can now be found on the Web at their own Web site.Type in www.palacetheatre.us and you will find which event is playing at the Palace Theatre, along with the show times.Other buttons on the site include Events, Movies, BMAT, and a list of the Blue Mound Area Board members and how to contact them.A history button will also give you a brief story of the Palace, from its construction in 1915 to its most recent remodeling in 1989 and the grand opening of the Palace Theatre Museum, also in 1989.The site was created by Michelle Riddle, a senior graphics arts student in Bill Thompson’s graphic arts class in Luverne.The site was created as part of an independent study project.If you would go to the Web site today, you would find out that the movie "Polar Express" is currently showing through Dec. 30.Other movies scheduled for the
January: "National Treasure," starring Nicholas Cage.
February: "The Incredibles"And if you want to make plans for this summer, you can look forward to the Fabulous Talismen Goodtime Show presenting "Rockin’ In Rock County."Four MAT scholarships availableFour high school juniors in the state of Minnesota will be receiving $1,000 scholarships from the Minnesota Association of Townships.MAT is a "nonprofit corporation representing Minnesota townships while promoting an understanding of the heritage and future of township government," according to their press release.MAT provides the town government as well as town officers with tools to foster effective town government, as well as acting as a liaison between other local government officials to encourage sustained intergovernmental cooperation.Intergovernmental cooperation would be refreshing around here.All students currently enrolled in the 11th grade who attend a Minnesota public, private or parochial high school or a home study program and who plan to further their education at a college, university, or vocational school are eligible for the program.Applicants must write an essay on this year’s topic, "There is one major difference in how the property tax levies are setbetween townships and other local units of government (schooldistricts, cities and counties). Identify the difference anddescribe why each form works for their particular citizenry. Also explain the advantage of the levy process for each typeof government."For more information, visit the MAT Web site at www.mntownships.org.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com