By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek capped an 11-13 regular season by going 2-2 and placing sixth at the Southwest State University Subway Volleyball Tournament played in Marshall Friday and Saturday.

The Patriots went 1-1 both days in what was their final tune-up for the South Section 3A Volleyball Tournament that begins tomorrow night at the Luverne Elementary School.

The fourth-seeded Patriots take on No. 5 Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster 25 minutes following a match played by No. 1 Southwest Christian and No. 8 Ellsworth at 6 p.m. on the same floor.

Ellsworth beat No. 9 Faith Christian 3-0 in a play-in match staged in Ellsworth Monday.

As their 2-2 record would indicate, the tournament in Marshall was a roller coaster ride for the Patriots.

"It was an up-and-down weekend," said Patriot coach Nicole Fey. "It was a nice tournament to get us ready for the sub-section playoffs."

The Patriots got off to a solid start by saddling Martin Luther with 15-6 and 15-10 setbacks in Friday's opening match, but 16-14 and 15-7 losses to Lac qui Parle Valley followed later in the day.

H-BC regrouped to best Dawson-Boyd 15-9, 7-15, 15-11 in a three-game match to open play Saturday.

The tournament ended for H-BC with 15-6 and 15-11 losses to Wabasso during Saturday's second round.

Erin Boeve had 51 kills, 37 digs and 11 blocks during the tournament for H-BC.

LaDonna Sandstede charted 48 set assists, and Jody Rentschler recorded 35 digs.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth football team locked up the Southwest Ridge Conference championship and completed an undefeated regular season by rolling to a 37-14 victory over Lakeview in Hills Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Junior running back Chris Reid ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns and snagged a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback David Top to help the Patriots cap an 8-0 regular season.

The victory locked up the No. 1 seed for the Section 2 Nine-Man football playoffs for H-BC-E.

The Patriots receive a bye in the opening round and host No. 4 Nicollet, a 39-0 winner over No. 5 Edgerton during a semifinal-round game played in Nicollet Tuesday.

The H-BC-E-Nicollet clash will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday in Hills.

H-BC-E needed a win to win the SRC title outright. Westbrook-Walnut Grove beat Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster Oct. 17 to up its league record to 6-1, which was good for second place behind the 7-0 Patriots.

"Winning a conference championship is something we didn't talk much about at the beginning of the year," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson. "As the season went along, we realized it was something we could accomplish and thought we could do. I think the kids were really happy with it (to win the conference). They are focused, so hopefully we can come back and play well Saturday."

The Patriots scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters to put the Lakers away Oct. 17.

H-BC-E received the opening kick and gained momentum and a 7-0 lead moments later.

After a 49-yard run by Lyle DeBoer to the Lakeview one-yard line, Jesse Leuthold found the end zone during the next play. Tyler Bush added the extra point.

After Kevin Van Batavia recovered a fumble to end Lakeview's first possession, the Patriots increased their lead to 13 points when Top hit Reid for a five-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was blocked.

Ellingson said scoring early against the Lakers was one of the keys to victory.

Lakeview showed some signs of life when Tyler Jeseritz scored on a one-yard run and carried in the two-point conversion to make it a 13-8 game early in the second quarter, but H-BC-E scored the next 24 points to put the game out of reach.

Reid found the end zone two more times before the first half was complete.

During H-BC-EÕs possession following Lakeview's first touchdown, Reid exploded for an 85-yard touchdown run during a third-and-long situation. A run for a two-point conversion failed.

Reid scored on a four-yard run in the final minute of the first half. Another conversion run failed, leaving the Patriots with a 25-8 halftime advantage.

Top, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 146 yards, tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter to ice the game.

The senior quarterback hit Darin DeBoer for a 15-yard touchdown, which was followed by a blocked extra-point attempt.

Top and Reid hooked up for a 33-yard score as the third quarter progressed. A pass for a conversion fell incomplete, leaving the hosts with a 37-8 cushion.

Jeseritz capped the scoring for Lakeview with a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Team statistics
H-BC-E: 224 rushing yards, 146 passing yards, 360 total yards, 12 first downs, six penalties for 62 yards, one turnover.

Lakeview: 258 total yards, 24 passing yards. 282 total yards, 17 first downs, three penalties for 15 yards, six turnovers.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Reid 13-155, L.DeBoer 10-86, Leuthold 3-8, Chris Tiesler six-(minus 11), Jordan Scott 1-(minus 1), Top 1-(minus 13).

Passing: Top 12-18 for 146 yards, Curt Schilling 0-3 for zero yards, Bush 0-1 for zero yards.

Receiving: D.DeBoer 4-69, Brad Haak 3-22, Reid 2-38, L.DeBoer 2-11, Van Batavia 1-3.

Defense: Schilling 16 tackles, Haak seven tackles and one interception, Brant Deutsch seven tackles and one interception, Leuthold five tackles and one interception, Kyle Braun five tackles and one knocked down pass, Van Batavia one fumble recovery, Tiesler one fumble recovery, Tyson Metzger one fumble recovery.

By Jolene Farley
After 27 years of service, Hills-Beaver Creek School Board Chairman Roland Crawford plans to retire when his term ends in January.

Thinking back, Crawford clearly remembers when he made the decision to run for the board.

The then 28-year-old Crawford pulled his car over to the side of the road and asked his wife, Lynn, "Well, should I do it or not?"

Lynn told him it was up to him, but she reminded him what his dad, Howard, went through during his time on the Beaver Creek school board and after the consolidation, the Hills-Beaver Creek board. Howard served on the boards for a total of 22 years.

Crawford sat and thought a minute before driving into town to sign up for the race. He won a seat in the election and held that seat for 27 years, carrying on the Crawford legacy in local leadership.

Crawford was the "young kid on the block" when he was first elected. The day after board meetings he would discuss the issues with his father.

"He gave me a lot of advice on different issues, but there were times we disagreed too. 'Rollie, he said. 'Listen. Think before you vote and try to think everything out,'" said Crawford.

"I always tried to pride myself on putting education first. It was always hard when there would have to be a cut made."

Crawford thinks times have changed for new board members. "The first year (back then) you could hardly get a peep out of them," said Crawford. "They would sit and listen to the older ones."

Crawford remembers when consolidation between the Hills district and the Beaver Creek was first contemplated.

"Dad and I were working on the well, when four Hills board members came on the yard," said Crawford.

Howard Crawford, who was chairman of the Beaver Creek board, brought the idea to the other Beaver Creek board members.

The consolidation was controversial at first, but in the end it was a good decision, according to Crawford. "It kept both schools going," he said.

Rollie and Lynn Crawford were members of the last graduating Beaver Creek class.

He finds it difficult to watch class sizes become smaller and smaller in the district, but he thinks it is a symptom of the changing rural landscape. Fewer people are farming and fewer younger families are moving to town.

"I think small schools have a lot to offer," said Crawford. He thinks some kids fall through the cracks in larger districts.

Crawford said school finance, with all its rules and laws, may be one of the most difficult areas to understand for board members. "About the time I would learn it, something else would change," he said.

Crawford remembers two issues standing out during his time on the board.

The board adopted a "whole reading program" about nine years ago and did away with phonics. The decision was controversial and board meetings were well-attended, according to Crawford. "Now I look back and I think we made a mistake," said Crawford.

Building a new elementary school became the second major issue for Crawford around 1993. "I had friends on both side," he said.

It was difficult watching people fight when everyone has a right to an opinion, Crawford said.

He said he thinks the Hills-Beaver Creek school has a bright future. "It all comes down to the board and the community," he said. "As long as they want a school it will be there."

In CrawfordÕs opinion, Hills-Beaver Creek has an excellent staff. He likes watching the "old guard help the young ones" among the staff.

Crawford said he is very optimistic about the board decision to hire Hills-Beaver Creek graduate Dave Deragisch as superintendent. "When he walked in (to the interview), he brought so much excitement into the room."

Crawford said he has never seen the staff and people in the district so excited. Hiring Deragisch has pulled everyone together, according to Crawford.

Crawford said he'll miss being a member of the board but he knows it is time to retire. "After my kids graduated, I've lost contact with the school. Your ideas shift, I find myself worrying more about money. I have lost daily contact with the teachers."

Crawford and his wife have four children, Tammy, Anne, Seth, and Grant. Grant, the youngest, graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek in 1995.

Crawford said the only reason he ran last time was because the board was in the middle of the building issue. "You work so hard to get it," he said. "I didn't want to leave midway."

Crawford said he thinks the Tuesday, Nov. 6, election will be a close race but he won't speculate who will win the four seats.

He thanks everyone for their support during his time on the board ... the staff, people in the district and his family. He wishes the best of luck to board members, past and present.

"The closer it (retirement) gets, you know it's about over," he said. "Some of the decisions you make you won't be around to see them carried out."

By Jolene Farley
Last week Beaver Creek Township voters unanimously approved a trade of property between Beaver Creek Township and the city of Beaver Creek.

The current township building located on Main Street in Beaver Creek will be torn down at the townshipÕs expense and the city will build a new fire hall and city office facility on the property, according to Beaver Creek Mayor Al Blank.

In exchange for the title to the current township lot, Beaver Creek Township will receive the current city hall building and a vacant lot east of the building, where they plan to construct a new maintenance building.

Mayor Blank said the exchange was made "so we could facilitate a better arrangement for our fire hall."

The township will begin construction of its building in a few weeks, according to Blank.

The city plans to begin work on the new fire hall early next year. "We are hoping right when the weather breaks next spring," said Blank.

Until the swap is complete, the township and the city will share facilities. The township doesn't have many records to store so sharing the facilities shouldn't be a hardship, according to Blank.

Beaver Creek has been exploring the possibility of building a new fire hall for a few years.

An increase in mill rates approved by township voters provided $15,000 per year in added revenue for the project.

Once again it is the time of year for scarecrows, pumpkins and raking leaves as this fall display in Hills shows. It also time to set our clocks back when daylight-saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28.

Margaret (Kleine) Pickard, 83, formerly of Magnolia, died Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Susanville, CA. A gathering of friends and family will be held Saturday, Nov. 3 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, followed by a memorial service with Rev. Dell Sanderson officiating. Burial of cremains will be in Maplewood Cemetery.

Esther Mary (Olsen) Lippi, 89, St. Augustine, Fla., formerly of Luverne, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001, in St. Augustine following a stroke.

There will be a family memorial service at a later date.

Esther Olsen was born to Charl J. and Mary (Johansen) Olsen, both Norwegian immigrants, on Feb. 21, 1912, in Luverne. She spent part of her childhood in Luverne but also lived in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Sheldon, Iowa, where she graduated from high school. Her mother died when she was 9 years old, and her father married Austie May Olson several years later.

After high school she worked as an operator for Bell Telephone for five years. She also worked as chief operator for two years in Pipestone. She married Dominic Lippi on June 29, 1941. She gave up her job and settled in as a housewife and mother. She and her husband retired to Stuart, Fla., in 1981 following the closing of A.R. Wood Manufacturing Company in Luverne. For many years they traveled back and forth between Luverne and Stuart. Following her husband's death in 1997 and having a serious stroke in 1999, she lived with her half-sister in St. Augustine.

Mrs. Lippi was a lifelong member of United Methodist Church in Luverne. She also belonged to many clubs and organizations in Luverne. She and her husband traveled extensively throughout the world. She was well known locally and throughout the world for her entertaining in her home.

Survivors include four sons and daughters-in-law, Thomas and Rebeca Lippi, Zeeland, Mich., Charles and Consuelo Lippi, St. Augustine, Ronald and Elba Lippi, Wausau, Wis., and Robert and Etsuko Lippi, Seaside, Calif.; nine grandchildren, John, David A., Sara, Tony, Danny, Julia, David S., Christopher and Patrick; one great-grandson, Miles; and her half-sister, Margaret Olsen, St. Augustine.
Mrs. Lippi was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and an infant half-brother.

Fannie Van Maanen, 89, Beaver Creek, died on Saturday, 29, 2001, in Luverne Community Hospital.

Services were Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Steen Reformed Church in Steen. Burial was in Eastside Cemetery, rural Steen.

Fannie Reurink was born to Jake and Alice (Vander Riet) Reurink on May 26, 1912, in Sioux Center, Iowa. In 1913 she moved with her family to Steen. In 1919 they moved to Colton, S.D., where she attended Longdale and Berdahl schools.

She married Albert Van Maanen on March 11, 1937, in Beaver Creek. Following their marriage they lived and farmed near Beaver Creek until 1949. They then moved to Beaver Creek. Mr. Van Maanen died on Sept. 8, 1975. She continued living in her home until Sept. 24 when she entered the Luverne Community Hospital.

Mrs. Van Maanen was a member of Steen Reformed Church. She enjoyed embroidering and loved to visit with family and friends.

Survivors include one son, James Van Maanen, Beaver Creek; one daughter and son-in-law, Carrie and Clifford Boom, Beaver Creek; three grandchildren, Randy (Brenda) Van Maanen, Hills, Rhonda (Brian) Meester, and Ranae (Jason) Johnson all of Luverne; five great-grandchildren, Jared (Kristen) Van Maanen, Valley Springs, S.D., Justin Van Maanen, Hills, Dalton Meester and Ashton Meester, and Chase Johnson, all of Luverne; one sister-in-law, Marie Reurink; and nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mrs. Van Maanen was preceded in death by her husband, one brother, Frank Reurink, two sisters, Gertrude DeBulten and Frances Van Liere.

Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Martha Sibson, 85, Wilmont, died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001, at Parkview Manor in Ellsworth.

Services were Tuesday, Oct. 2, at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmont. The Rev. Les Winters officiated. Burial was in Summit Lake Cemetery, Reading.

Martha Lutterman was born to Tenges and Emma (Kruger) Lutterman on Dec. 28, 1915, in Sibley, Iowa. She moved to Wilmont in 1918. She attended country school in rural Wilmont.

She married Floyd Sibson on Feb. 3, 1943, at the Wilmont Presbyterian Manse. After their marriage the couple lived in Kenneth for four years until buying a farm near Wilmont where they lived until 1977. They then moved to Worthington. In 1981 they moved to Wilmont. She entered Parkview Manor in Ellsworth on June 8, 2000.

Mrs. Sibson was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Wilmont where she taught Sunday School and was past superintendent and worked with Cradle Roll. She was a member of Wilmont Garden Club. She enjoyed sewing, playing cards and spending time with her family.

Survivors include her four children and their spouses, Daryl and Criss Sibson, Twyla and Frank Larson, Linda and Richard Smith, all of Wilmont, and Joyce and Terry Woodbury, West Point, Neb.; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two brothers, George (Gen) Lutterman, Reading, and Lawrence (Lavonne) Lutterman, Sheldon, Iowa; one sister, Mattie Uken, Brewster, and a sister-in-law, Marcella Wiener, Villard.

Mrs. Sibson was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Floyd, on March 20, 2000, two brothers and one sister.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Wilmont, was in charge of arrangements.