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Edgerton will dedicate Veterans MemorialA new Veterans Memorial, on Edgerton’s Main Street will be dedicated on Monday, May 31, as part of the community’s Memorial Day program.Gold Star veterans will be given special attention at the ceremony and will be seated in a special section.A retired captain in the U.S. Navy will be the keynote speaker for the event.The program will start at 10 a.m. Memorial Day, Monday, May 31.Do you know an outstanding senior citizen?Nominations are being solicited for 2004 Outstanding Rock County Senior Citizens.If you know either a man or a woman over the age of 70 by Aug. 1, whose community involvement can serve as an example to others, you should consider putting his or her name in the hat.The winners will be honored at a special luncheon at the Rock County Fair on July 30.The chosen ones will receive a certificate from the governor and their names will be submitted to the Minnesota Board on Aging for the state selection process for the Outstanding Senior Citizen of Minnesota.The Outstanding Senior Citizens of Minnesota will be announced at the Minnesota State Fair.The criteria for receiving the award is based on the number and variety of contributions the nominees made to their community after age 65.Nominees must be residents of the state of Minnesota and the county they represent.Previous county winners are no longer eligible as they were in previous years.If you have someone in mind for this award, contact Carol Wulf at 283-5070.Poppy sales todayToday is poppy sale day. Volunteers will be manning the doors at several Luverne businesses as well as the Luverne Post Office to give you an opportunity to buy a poppy.The poppies were first sold to remember fallen soldiers from World War I.Money raised from the sale of the poppies will go toward veterans’ welfare. Last year the sale raised $1,550.Locally, representatives from the American Legion & Auxiliary Post # 123 and Rock County VFW and Auxiliary Post #2757 jointly coordinate the sales.We are not going to be traveling as much this summerThe latest Myvesta report says we are going to be traveling less this summer, and spending 5.3 percent less because of it.This year’s average summer vacation will cost $2,252.In past years when people looked for lower cost summer vacations, they tended to stay closer to home, which could be good news for the Minnesota tourism business, including the Blue Mounds State Park.Vacations tidbits:
77.8 percent plan to use a credit card to pay for all or part of their trip.
29.3 percent plan to take three or more months to pay for their vacation charges.
If the average vacation cost of $2,252 is placed on a credit card and only the minimum payment is made, it will take almost 33 years to pay off the balance and cost an additional $5,687 in interest payments.
41 percent plan to take a trip this year, down from 48.5 percent in 2003.
Of the four regions of the country, people in the Midwest plan to spend the least on their vacation.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com