Tara Boeve and the rest of the members of Augustana College's volleyball team accomplished their goal of winning the NCAA Division 2 North Central Region Volleyball Tournament over the weekend.

Boeve, a 1999 Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduate, and the Vikings hosted the regional at the Elmen Center Thursday through Saturday.

The Vikings, the nationÕs sixth-ranked team, drew the tournament's top seed and made it stand up by disposing of a pair of opponents by 3-0 scores.

By winning the North Central Region, Augustana College has qualified for the Elite Eight Tournament for the first time in school history.

It was learned Monday that the Vikings will host the single elimination Elite Eight National Tournament Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

The quarterfinal round of the single elimination tournament is set for Nov. 30, with 28-3 Augustana taking on 35-1 West Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m at the Elmen Center. The Vikings handed West Texas A&M its lone loss of the season during a tournament early in the season.

Other quarterfinal-round games have California University of Pennsylvania (26-10) playing Pace University (35-4) at noon, Hawaii Pacific (25-0) meeting Grand Valley State University (31-3) at 2:30 p.m., and University of North Alabama (39-2) squaring off against University of Tampa (29-3) at 5 p.m.

The semifinals will be at 6 and 8 p.m. Dec. 1, and the title match is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 2.

Augustana won its region championship by besting the University of Northern Colorado Friday and South Dakota State University Saturday.

The Viking handed UNC 15-7, 15-9 and 15-8 setbacks during the semifinals Friday.
Boeve made a contribution to the victory by completing 21 of 24 spikes and registering 11 kills. She also had one solo and one assisted block and two defensive digs during the win.

Augustana met SDSU in the region championship game and posted 15-10, 15-6 and 15-6 victories.

Boeve completed all nine of her spikes and notched five kills in the title match. She also had three assisted blocks and three defensive digs in the contest.

Hills Christian School students practice Friday afernoon for a vocal contest. They are, front row left to right: Preston VandenBosch, Eric Bork, Toni Nagel, and back row Danielle Fransman, Kelsey Leuthold, Katie Bosch, and Sara Davis. Nine students, grades five through eight, will travel to Edgerton christian School to compete.

Four Hills-Beaver Creek spikers were honored when the All-Tri County Conference Volleyball Team was announced last week.

H-BC, which placed second in the league with a 4-4 record, picked up a pair of All-T-CC selections. Two more Patriots drew honorable mention.

Making the 12-player All-T-CC roster for the Patriots are senior hitter Shanna Tilstra and freshman hitter Erin Boeve.

H-BC junior hitters Becky Broesder and Tonya Leenderts were two of six players to receive honorable mention from the league's coaches.

Southwest Christian, the conference champion, led all teams by drawing five all-league selections.

Seniors Renita Buys, Dawn Dreessen, Beth Basselink and Tosha Top and junior Ginnie Vis made the team for the E-Gals.

Edgerton, which placed second in the loop, picked up three all-conference selections.

Seniors Robin Vander Stoep and Kristin Rieck and junior Kala Menning made the team for the Flying Dutchmen.

Ellsworth seniors Connie Lewis and Holly Timmer round out the all-conference roster.

Besides Leenderts and Broesder, Edgerton junior Brittany Kruisselbrink and sophomore Amber Poppen, SWC junior Brigette Schelhaas and Faith Christian junior Andrea Teerink received honorable mention from the coaches.

Final T-CC standings: SWC 6-0, Edgerton 6-2, H-BC 4-4, Ellsworth 2-5, FC 0-7.

We usually think of turkeys as the main course for Thanksgiving dinner, but 4- and 5-year-old students in Jane Gropel's Discovery Time preschool class have been thinking about how turkeys might celebrate the holiday.

They wore turkey headgear, which they had created in an earlier class, and pretended to be turkeys, which involved crouching down, flapping their wings and, of course, lots of gobbling.

Above, Gropel and the student turkeys prepare to enjoy a special turkey treat of pudding and snack mix. At right, Victoria Kalass sorts through her snack pack for just the right turkey tidbit.

There will be four senior members of Hills-Beaver Creek High School's girls' basketball team this winter. Left to right are Rachael DeHaan, Jamie Arp, Jamie Brandt and Shanna Tilstra.

By John Rittenhouse

The Hills-Beaver Creek girls are expecting to play a different brand of basketball during the 2000-01 season.

After spending recent years running post-oriented offenses to take advantage of talented centers, Patriot coach Tom Goehle will change gears this year and open things up.

Instead of trying to pound the ball inside to take advantage of their centers in recent years, Goehle is leaning toward an up-tempo style of play.

Although this change of philosophy has led to a bit of confusion, the Patriot coach feels it will be a change for the better - for his team and for H-BC basketball fans alike.

"We're going to be running a motion offense without (designated) posts or wings, so it's hard for me to classify which different positions the girls will be playing. I do think this will make us a team that is a lot of fun to watch play. We'll try to play an up-tempo style of basketball, and we'll try to make other teams work for everything they get against us," Goehle said.

Changing styles was more of a necessity than a choice for Goehle, who knew he would enter the season without a proven scorer in the post.

Graduation last spring claimed center Dana Sells, who led the Patriots in scoring and rebounding last year. The 1999-00 season featured the Patriots placing second in the Tri-County Conference with a 6-2 record and finishing the year with a 13-11 overall mark.

Last year's season featured a 53-34 win over Westbrook-Walnut Grove in the quarterfinal round of the Section 3A Tournament but ended with a 46-36 loss to eventual tournament champion Adrian, a team H-BC beat during the regular season, in the semifinals.

Sells, who was one of seven senior members of last year's team, was H-BC's go-to player on offense. She handled the responsibility well enough to earn a spot on the All-T-CC roster at season's end.

Sells was joined by three classmates who earned starting assignments for the Patriots last season.

Rachel Krull, a three-year starter at point guard, was H-BCÕs second leading scorer last winter.

Krull made the All-T-CC Team, as did classmate Nichole Top, a starting wing who was a key leader for the Patriots.

Darcie DeBoer, a starting forward who played outstanding defense in the low post, also was lost to graduation. She drew honorable mention from the T-CC coaches.

Sells, Krull, Top and DeBoer leave a big hole to be filled on the court for H-BC, and classmates Becky Mulder, Becky Nuffer and Kim DeNoble also will be missed by their former coach.

"Any time you lose that many girls from a personnel standpoint, you have to be concerned. When you lose seven seniors in general, you also lose a certain amount of continuity and a certain amount of leadership. There is inexperience at the varsity level with this year's team, but these girls are quick learners. They are quick to adjust to certain situations, and I donÕt think it will take them long to adjust to playing varsity basketball," Goehle said.

Goehle begins the year with a 10-player roster consisting of four seniors, five juniors and one freshman.

Seven of the roster members lettered for H-BC last year, and two drew starting assignments during the course of the season.

Senior Shanna Tilstra has to be considered H-BC's top returnee.

Tilstra started for H-BC at times during a junior season that had her missing four to six weeks of the regular season due to a stress fracture in her leg. A 5-9 wing, she has played with the varsity team since she was a freshman.

Becky Broesder, a 5-8 junior, also drew some starting assignments for the Patriots last winter.

Broesder is a guard who is second to Tilstra in overall varsity experience.
Senior Rachael DeHaan, juniors Brittney Olson and Jody DeNoble and freshman Erin Boeve picked up some playing time for H-BC last season.

DeHaan is a 5-8 post, DeNoble a 5-8 wing-post, and Olson a 5-7 guard.
Boeve's court time progressed as the season went along last year. A 6-0 wing-post, Boeve is the leading rebounder of the players returning from last year's team.

Senior Jamie Arp earned a varsity letter for the Patriots last winter, but the 5-8 post didn't gain a lot of playing time as a junior.

Jamie Brandt, another senior, is playing basketball for the first time since the eighth grade. The 5-3 Brandt is behind her peers as far as knowing Goehle's terminology, but she brings intensity and quickness to the floor.

Rounding out the roster are juniors Tonya Leenderts and LaDonna Sandstede, who didn't play at the varsity level last season.

Leenderts is a 5-8 wing, while Sandstede is a 5-5 guard.

Goehle said his 2000-01 Patriots have some endearing qualities.

"I've really been pleased with their intensity and work ethic. I think our overall team quickness and overall team intensity will be our strengths, and the fact that these girls play so well together. They pass and move the ball well, and that will be another one of their strengths," he said.

Goehle feels the Patriots also will benefit from what their new assistant coach, Brent Grengs, has to offer.

Grengs was the head boys' basketball coach in Farmington before moving to the H-BC School District with his wife, Kim, (H-BCÕs Elementary School principal) this year.

"Bringing someone with his kind of knowledge and intensity can only help the kids. It surly will make a big difference for our program," Goehle said.
Goehle feels Southwest Christian will be the team to beat in the T-CC, even though the E-Gals lost a number of players to graduation last spring.

Since Fulda returns all of its players from last year, Goehle feels the Raiders have to be considered to be the favorite in what should be a very balanced Section 3A field.

Although the Patriots are short on experience, the Patriot mentor feels his team should be able to offer a challenge to every squad on the schedule.

"Ever since I've been a coach, I've never gone into a game believing we couldn't win it, and that's the type of attitude we'll take into every game this season," he concluded.

Hills businesses would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to their customers by inviting them to Hills Appreciation Day beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

Those interested can stop by businesses for lunch. Ham sandwiches, potato chips, beans and a beverage will be served.

A program at the Tuff Home by Prairie Winds Zoo will begin at 1 p.m. with Santa arriving afterwards. Also, horse and buggy rides are planned throughout the day.

Development plans for golfing facilities on the southeast edge of Beaver Creek are proceeding.

Course layout plans and lot locations are finalized, according to investor Rod Scholten. Engineering has completed the layout on-site by staking the lots.
An outstanding layout was designed for the clubhouse/banquet facility/bar and grill, according to Scholten.

Projected cost of the project is not available. Scholten said there are too many variables to pin down a figure yet. The biggest variable is lot development costs. Investors hope to put special assessments on the lots and are negotiating with the city.

"We are pursuing another venue of financing but we still hope to have a functioning banquet facility, restaurant and driving range by late spring or early June," said investor Tim Lange.

Investors attended the Beaver Creek city council meeting last week to inform the council of the status of the project. Investors in the project are Mike Blank, Rodney Scholten, Leonard Scholten and Tim Lange.

Investors had hoped to begin construction on Oct. 1, but planners have enountered some delays.

"We have been very careful to make good business decisions, which makes the project appear to be behind in the short term, but makes the long-term project better," Scholten said.

"This project is a huge undertaking and will benefit the communities in and around Beaver Creek so substantially, that we want to make sure everything is in place."

Investors have extended the deadline to purchase lifetime memberships for the course. They originally planned to offer memberships until Dec. 1. A lifetime family membership sells for $4,000.

The annual fee to belong to the course is $375 for family membership and $275 for individual.

Questions about the golf course can be directed to Rod Scholten at 855-2292 or Mike Blank at 673-2271.

Progress is slow on the Tuff Home Assisted Living Apartments in Hills. Annexation, necessary so the city can provide services and utilities to the apartments, is delayed.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were Sept. 13, but at their meeting last Tuesday the Hills City Council refused to issue a building permit because the state had not yet approved annexation of the property. The council indicated it would have no problem approving the permit once it received word from the state.

Terms of the facility's construction loan state that Tuff must draw funds on its loan in the year 2000. It cannot draw unless the property is annexed by the city.
Winter weather has also been a contributing factor in the delays. Early heavy snowfall has given contractors fewer work days.

Tuff Home officials are optimistic, however, that problems will be resolved and the project will be complete by May 1 of next year.

They have been happy with the work of general contractor Design Craft of Luverne Inc. according to nursing home administrator Dana Dahlquist.

"We are a little behind. We didn't expect the snow to hit us like it did," said Curt Valnes, project manager for Design Craft. "We had hoped to have more cement poured, but we are running two to three weeks behind."

When the project is complete Tuff Assisted Living will boast eight one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments with an assisted home care provider license.

This will enable financial assistance through Rock County Family Services for residents who meet income and asset guidelines. Tuff Home officials and Rock County Family Services are negotiating a contract for elderly wayward services. It will be the first facility in Rock County to offer this service.

"One key component to this project is we wanted to make it affordable for people," said Bonnie Hengeveld, assistant administrator and future manager of the apartments.

The Assisted Home Care License requires the facility to offer 24-hour supervision of residents, three meals a day, and to provide transportation of residents.

The facility is much larger than most assisted living apartments according to Hengeveld. Costs are still being evaluated, due to the change to continuous care.

The wave of the future is much shorter nursing home stays. The apartments currently have 26 people on their waiting list, although Hengeveld is quick to emphasize the list can quickly change with patient needs.

Dahlquist and Hengeveld would also like to emphasize that the Hills facility has been lucky to have some generous contributors.

"They would like to remain anonymous. They want no public recognition," said Hengeveld. "The community support has been there. We are very fortunate to have people who care so much about the elderly in their community."

By Lori Ehde
Rock County Hall of Fame member James Russell Wiggins died Sunday at his home in Brooklin, Maine.

Though he served a brief stint as ambassador to the United Nations, he was best known as a journalist and editor. During his 22 years at the Washington Post, Wiggins is credited with building the paper into a national voice.

His last 30 years were spent running a weekly newspaper in Maine, the Ellsworth American.

He was 96 years old and had been coming to work daily until July, when congestive heart failure confined him to his home.

The Rock County Hall of Fame honors Rock County natives who have gained national recognition.

Wiggins returned to Luverne in 1992 during the town's 125th celebration when the first wave of Hall of Fame members were inducted.

During his acceptance speech, Wiggins attributed his many accomplishments in the wider arenas of the state, the nation, the United Nations and beyond to what he learned during his early years.

His start at the Luverne High School Echo led him eventually to the Washington Post and a stint as ambassador to the United Nations before he retired to own and edit a weekly newspaper in Maine.

Throughout his long career he accumulated an impressive list of honors, awards and degrees for his work. He published a book entitled "Freedom or Secrecy" and was asked to contribute to other books. His resume takes several pages.

But when he accepted the Rock County Hall of Fame award in 1992, he didn't take it simply as another well-deserved trophy for the shelves in his den.

His eloquent acceptance speech in a sense returned the award to the people of Rock County.

He praised Rock County as a unique spot with fertile acres and a society with particular virtues that nurtured him. He expressed gratitude to the people of Rock County for providing a place where he and the other six recipients will be remembered.

Wiggins had high praise for the schools he attended. He said Ethel Gower, who was head of the English department at Luverne High School, was typical of his fine instructors. He said his education in the early 1920s would be the envy of any modern school, and he doubts it has been equaled since.

In fact, his formal education stopped after Luverne High School.

Wiggins was first hired at the Rock County Star by owners W.E.E. Green, a local architect, and J.B. Jensen. Wiggins worked in advertising and was a reporter. Jensen and Green sold the paper to him in 1925. He was 22 years old.

While he wrote and edited the Star, his talents were noticed outside the area.

He sold the Star in 1930 and went to the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch. Then he went to Washington as a correspondent for the Press. He returned to St. Paul as editor. After the war he went to the New York Times, and in 1947 he went to the Washington Post as managing editor where he stayed until he retired in 1968.

He was at the Post during many world-changing times. During his 1992 visit to Luverne, he recalled the McCarthy hearings. Wiggins characterized the Wisconsin senator as a "curious man," saying he was careless making accusations and was amazed at the reactions to them.

Wiggins said his 1957 book "Freedom or Secrecy" dealt with the federal government's classification of millions of documents as restricted, confidential, secret, top secret and most secret. All information seemed to be classified, in someone's opinion.

Wiggins worked with the American Society of News Editors, to which he belonged, to change the classification policy.

Wiggins commented on the changes he had seen in his years.

"For the first time in half a century we're free from the threat of nuclear war. No one could have imagined, at the time of Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain speech, the war on which we embarked," he said in 1992.

Secretary of Defense William Cohen, former congressman and senator from Maine, issued a statement earlier this week after Wiggins' death.

"Of all the people I've known in more than 30 years of public service, Russ Wiggins had the greatest amount of intellectual curiosity and the most energetic interest in finding new ways to think about public issues," Cohen said.

"With his silver hair, spectacles and calm demeanor, Mr. Wiggins radiated a sense of goodwill and serious purpose. As a writer and speaker, he displayed a gift for classical rhetoric."

According to the Washington Post, Wiggins addressed a meeting of Maine officials in 1984 on questions facing the nation. His conclusion summarized the focus of his life:

"Americans will be tempted, in the years ahead, to sacrifice the principles that have made their country what it is. It will seem appropriate and convenient to meet the demands of the crisis by bending a little here and giving a little there. It is an inclination that will have to be resisted at the first trespass upon our freedoms, or other invasions of individuals rights will come swiftly upon us."

When Wiggins retired to Maine he bought a small newspaper, the Ellsworth American. "I intended to look in on it every week or so, but it didn't turn out that way. Newspapers are a jealous mistress," he said.

Although Wiggins' life had been largely lived outside Rock County, he always kept ties to his home.

Wiggins' parents, James and Edith (Binford) Wiggins, and his brother, Lester, continued to live in Luverne. They are all buried in Maplewood Cemetery.

Editor's note: Much of the information in this story came from the July 1992 story Carole Olson wrote for the Star Herald during Luverne's 125th celebration.