By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek nearly pulled off a big upset during a boys' basketball game against Southwest Christian in Edgerton Tuesday.

Taking on the three-time defending state champions on their home floor, H-BC stunned the Eagles by taking a five-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots led by three and had possession of the ball with 2:30 remaining in the game.

SWC, however, outscored the Patriots by eight points the rest of the night to pull out a 59-54 victory.

Considering the Patriots were playing without injured regulars Matt Buck and Brad Haak, the teamÕs effort was a surprising one.

If H-BC wouldn't have turned the ball over 29 times in the game, the Patriots might have knocked off the mighty Eagles.

"The kids played hard," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema. "We're missing two starters, but this probably is the best weÕve played them in their place in a long time. We had a chance. We were right there, but we had too many turnovers."

H-BC bounced back from a 19-16 deficit in the first quarter by outscoring SWC 14-11 in the second period to knot the score at 30 by halftime.

The Eagles led 43-42 heading into the fourth quarter, when they overcame H-BC's five-point lead to win by five points.

David Top scored 17 points, collected eight rebounds and passed for four assists during the game. Lyle DeBoer added 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Trey Van Wyhe added 10 points to H-BC's cause. Darin DeBoer had three steals and four assists, and Jesse Leuthold had six rebounds and three steals.

The 12-8 Patriots will wrap up the regular season by hosting Edgerton tomorrow and playing in Ellsworth Monday.

Box score
D.DeBoer 2 0 0-0 4, Roozenboom 1 0 0-0 2, Van Maanen 1 0 2-2 4, Leuthold 3 0 0-0 6, L.DeBoer 5 0 1-2 11, Van Wyhe 4 0 2-2 10, Top 6 0 5-8 17.

Team statistics
H-BC: 22 of 39 field goals (56 percent), 10 of 14 free throws (71 percent), 30 rebounds, 29 turnovers.
SWC: 23 of 59 field goals (39 percent), eight of 12 free throws (67 percent), 24 rebounds, 16 turnovers.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls' basketball team let a possible win slip away during the regular season finale against Worthington in Hills Tuesday.

Leading 27-18 with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter, it looked like the Patriots would snap a season-long three-game losing skid.

Worthington, however, had a different plan. The Trojans went on a 32-9 scoring run in the final 11 minutes of the game to pull out a 50-36 victory.

The loss ended a 12-11 regular season for the Patriots, who will take a four-game losing skid into the quarterfinal round of the Section 3A South Tournament in Worthington. The Patriots play Southwest Christian or Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster at 8 p.m.

The Trojans did most of the damage to H-BC in the fourth quarter, when they turned a 30-28 deficit to start the period into a win by outscoring the hosts 22-6 in the stanza.

The game started with H-BC's Becky Broesder scoring all of her teamÕs points in a first quarter that ended with the Patriots sporting a 6-4 lead.

H-BC led by three (9-6) when Broesder connected for a field goal at the 5:41 mark of the second quarter; then Worthington countered with a 6-0 run that gave the team a 13-9 lead.

The Trojans were in front 14-11 when the Patriots went on an 8-0 run, with six of the points coming from Erin Boeve, to open a 19-14 advantage. Worthington scored the final two points of the half to make it a 19-16 game.

An 8-2 run capped by a field goal by Brittney Olson gave the Patriots their biggest lead of the game (27-18) with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Trojans answered the challenge by ending the quarter with a 10-3 surge that trimmed H-BCÕs lead to two points (30-28) at period's end.

Worthington opened the fourth quarter by putting together an 11-2 run that gave it a 39-32 lead with four minutes left to play. The Patriots pulled to within five points of the Trojans twice as the period progressed, but they were outscored 11-4 the rest of the way.

Boeve led H-BC with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and four steals. Olson added three assists to the cause

Box score
B.Rozeboom 3 0 1-2 7, B.Olson 1 0 1-4 3, Rentschler 1 0 0-0 2, Tilstra 1 1 1-2 6, Broesder 3 0 2-6 8, S.Rozeboom 0 0 0-0 0, DeNoble 0 0 0-0 0, Boeve 3 0 4-7 10.

Team statistics
H-BC: 14 of 45 field goals (31 percent), nine of 21 free throws (43 percent), 24 rebounds, 22 turnovers.
Worthington: 17 of 49 field goals (35 percent), 13 of 21 free throws (62 percent), 29 rebounds, nine turnovers.

By Jolene Farley
Rock County Relay for Life organizers hope to meet or surpass last year's $50,000 raised for the American Cancer Society.

This year's Relay for Life is planned for Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15, at the Luverne High School track and football field.

The Relay for Life involves teams of runners and walkers competing against each other to raise money.

Last year, the first for Rock County, 41 teams and 535 walkers registered.

Participants have many reasons for deciding to volunteer for the Relay. For co-chair Vicki Baartman, Luverne, it was the loss of her grandmothers and an uncle to cancer and the diagnosis of her father with the same disease that spurred her to volunteer.

"It's happened over and over in my family," she said. "I felt this was something I could do that might help."

Co-chairs Baartman and Nancy Kaczrowski hope to make this year's Relay for Life a countywide event.

"Our goal would be to get more teams from the entire county so it becomes a truly county Relay for Life." Kaczrowski said. "We want to make sure all the corners of the county are participating."

Corporations, neighborhoods or families can start teams. Kaczrowski is willing to help.

"If they are interested, they can contact me," said Kaczrowski. "I'd be happy to share more information and get them enthused."

The Relay is most noted for its luminarias lit in memory of individuals who have died from cancer or in honor of those who have survived cancer.

The luminarias are paper sacks anchored by sand and lit by a candle inside. Last year, Rock County Relay crowds saw 1,705 luminarias lit at dusk.

They can be decorated by individuals, or Relay For Life organizers can simply write a loved one's name on the luminaria.

"Some families prefer to do their own," said co-chair Vicki Baartman. "They'll put pictures on it. If the person was particularly interested in golf or baseball they will decorate it representing the personÕs interests."

"It was really moving," said Baartman about last year's luminaria lighting. "It was a real visual reminder how many lives are touched by cancer."

The official kick-off for the event is Thursday, March 7, for committee members and team captains.

Eight-year-old Jessica Fick, cancer survivor, has been selected this year's honorary chair. Jessica is the daughter of Mel and Denise Fick, Luverne.

There are several ways to get involved with this yearÕs Relay for Life.

The Relay for Life needs more corporate sponsors. Jubilee Foods, Glen's Food Center, Minnwest Bank and Luverne Community Hospital and Sioux Valley Physicians Group (Luverne Medical Center) are the current Gold level ($1,000) sponsors for this year's event.

Teams of eight to 10 members are needed to walk during the relay. Organizers hope to see all the teams from last year plus some new teams as well.

Volunteers are needed to help plan entertainment for the evening and coordinate food and beverage donations.

Baartman can be reached at 283-4119 and Kaczrowski at 283-9261.

Fine Arts to sponsor photo contest
The Rock County Fine Arts Association is sponsoring a photo contest, "Images of Rock County."

The contest is divided into two divisions, one for those under 18 and the other for the rest of us.

The three categories include people, animals and scenery, and you can enter one entry in each category.

You don't have to worry about competing with the pros because they are not allowed to enter, but they will judge the event.

The deadline for entering is March 1, and the photo entries will be on display at the Carnegie Cultural Center through the end of March.

For details about entering the contest you can go to their Web site at www.rockartsrock.com, or you can contact them at 283-8294.

County Engineer imposes weight restrictions
It may not be spring yet, but it is time for spring weight restrictions on county and state roads.

The weight restrictions went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19.

According to County Engineer Mark Sehr, the weight restrictions used to be set at eight weeks. Now the restriction can go as long as eight weeks but can be ended in a shorter period of time is circumstances permit.

The intent is to restrict weights at the beginning of the thaw cycle when restrictions are needed most. Spring is a critical period for roads because the soils and aggregate materials are weak while the frost leaves the ground, according to Sehr.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation put its spring restrictions in place on Feb. 18.

The restrictions are different on various roads, so each road is posted with the appropriate limit.

Meat for Mexico
The Christian Reformed churches in southwest Minnesota, southeast South Dakota and northwest Iowa have joined together to send meat to needy children and families in Mexico.

When hog prices hit the bottom in 1998, the idea of using cheap pork to help benefit starving people in Mexico was born.

The original goal was to butcher 12 hogs and send the meat to a southern Texas mission station for distribution to a mission school in northern Mexico.

The response was much greater than expected. Instead of 12 hogs being donated, a total of 14,000 pounds of pork was donated.

With prices again down, the group is trying to raise a shipment of pork for Mexico.

This time 30,000 pounds of meat is the goal, which local processing plants will process and package for free, and Justice for All, a non-profit organization, has agreed to find delivery and cold storage for the meat at no cost.

If you would like to donate a hog or two, contact one of the Christian Reformed churches in the area or phone Larry Ryswyk at 507-443-6202 or Ken Alons at 507-825-3861.

Making it easier to donate your organs
If Minnesotans want to donate their organs, should they have their wishes followed?

The House Civil Law Committee decided on Jan. 30 that they should.

The committee clarified an existing law to make sure those who designate their intention to be donors on their driver's license or state identification cards actually become donors.

Rep. Phyllis Kahn sponsored the bill because family members sometimes override the wishes of their deceased relative and refuse to allow the personÕs organs to be donated.

Since the organs need to be harvested from the body shortly after death, grieving families are often asked to make a quick decision at an already stressful time.

According to LifeSource, an independent, nonprofit organ procurement organization that matches donors to recipients, nearly 80,000 people nationally are waiting for an organ transplant, including about 2,100 in the upper Midwest region, which includes Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota.

Although the list of people in need of organs continues to grow, the number of organs has remained steady.

According to LifeSource, about 16 people each day die while waiting for an organ transplant.

Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at
tolly@star-herald.com

Sisters Grace (left), Leah and Mary Buys, Hills, took advantage of a day off from school Monday to walk their dog, Rocky, and play on the playground near Hills Christian School.

Photo by Jolene Farley

Drown wintertime blues in bucket of taupe paint
It must be the cooler winter weather that turns women into nesters. Either that, or I just happen to be surrounded by Midwest versions of Martha Stewart.

Instead of Martha talking about hosting a fresh lobster roast, my cohorts talk about hardy hot dishes ready in a pinch. Instead of organizing rolls of ribbon threaded with genuine gold, my crew worries about how theyÕre going to organize boots and scarves in small entryways.

But it's almost beyond that. The whole principal of home life has changed from what I can tell. YesteryearÕs goal of a clean and efficient home has morphed into the ideal of having a beautifully fashionable home. I don't disagree with that goal.

It's just something about this winter that's gotten my friends' creative juices flowing. It's a trend of home redoing and updating that can largely be blamed on HGTV and the glut of magazines that push fashionable dŽcor. ItÕs "paint everything white" one month and "rustic wood is it" the next.

Sunday afternoon, I visited the beautiful, newly-built home of a co-worker. It looked finished to me, but she's still pondering some finishing touches. Another co-worker has been talking about her painting techniques and trials - and the finished product sounds wonderful. Yet another is talking wainscoting, and a different friend just repainted her basement.

This is far from being a local trend. Watching shows like "Trading Spaces" on TLC could soon replace baseball as the national pastime. (If my source is correct, the program airs weekdays at 3 p.m.; Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 11 a.m.)

Just one "Trading Spaces" search on the Internet gets thousands of hits. There are official and unofficial fan sites, chat groups and information pages dedicated to the program.

For those who don't know, the show is essentially an up-close view of people redecorating a room on a budget, which most can identify with. The show is set up like this: Two homeowners give up one room to a designer. The designer works with the opposite set of homeowners and redesigns the room with help from a carpenter, which both homes have to share.

The best part is that the show pays $1,000 for all the expenses. The worst part is that the homeowners are stuck with what the designer and their neighbors did to the room.

The finished rooms definitely have a "look" to them. The designers typically don't consider the style of the rest of the house and barely pay attention to what their friends suggest they'd like.

People who follow "Trading Spaces" have their favorite designers and track their work. Fans remember success stories and failures. Who could forget the purple harlequin-patterned wall that made homeowners laugh and cry at the same time? I believe it was the same room that had hand molds as mantle decorations and made the man of the house say it looked like Beetle Juice lived there.

I also remember an episode where a homeowner looked at the finished room and walked out of camera range. You couldn't see her, but her whimpers were clearly audible.

It's obvious that I fall into the habit of watching these shows and that I covet room arrangements in magazines. Sharing the acquaintances I do doesn't help either - it's swag this and paint swatch that.

I try to remind myself that some people in Asia sleep seven to a mat so I shouldn't worry about which shade of butter yellow would look best on my walls.

I know that my home will take a lot of work and thought to get just right. But in the meantime, I'm comfortably nested in for the winter and I go to sleep knowing that home is really where the heart is.
Send Sara an e-mail

Minnie Vis, 91, Valley Springs, died Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Luverne Community Hospital. Services will be Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. at the United Reformed Church in Hills with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, Feb. 25 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne.

Lloyd Carlson, 78, Luverne, died Friday, Feb. 22 at the Luverne Community Hospital. Services will be Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 1:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Revs. Maurice Hagen and Dell Sanderson officiating. Burial will be in Luverne Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Monday, Feb. 25 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne.

Lorraine "Girlie" Annebelle Martius, 77, Revere, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at Valley View Manor, Lamberton. She was the mother of Thomas Martius, Luverne.

Services were Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Lamberton. The Rev. Lee R. Harder officiated. Burial will be in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery, Springfield, at a later date.

Lorraine Johnson was born to George and Anna (Raveling) Johnson on May 12, 1924, in Remsen, Iowa. She attended country school near Remsen. The family moved to Highwater Township, Cottonwood County, and she continued her education through the ninth grade.

She married Henry Martius on May 26, 1942, at Zion Lutheran Church in Sanborn. During the war years they lived in Abilene, Texas, and Chillicothe, Ohio, where she worked as a waitress/governess and in the ammunition plant. Her husband was discharged from the Army in 1945. They started farming near Bernadott. In 1954 the family moved to Grove City and in 1959 they moved to Revere where they continued farming.

Mrs. Martius loved working with her flowers, doing needlepoint, making doughnuts, apple bars and raspberry jam.

Survivors include her husband, Henry Martius, Revere; four sons, Jerry (Peg) Martius, Sanborn, Dennis (Deb) Martius, Spearfish, S.D., Thomas (Bev) Martius, Luverne, and Richard (Deb) Martius, Walnut Grove; one daughter, Constance Lambert, Big Lake; 12 grandchildren, Mike and Sherrie Martius, Jody and Thomas Randolph, Tanya Lambert, Jennifer Heilman, Tina and Greg Simanski, Julie and Tim Thomas, Heidi Jo Martius, Darren and Tracey Martius, Jessica and Anthony Hacker, Staci and Andy Kleven, Elizabeth and Patrick Nath and Benjamin Martius; 13 great-grandchildren, Merrick, Siannah, and Skyeler Martius, Megan and Christopher Randolph, Madeline Lambert, Rachel and Josh Simanski, Tyler, Jordan and Amy Martius, Alexandra Kleven and Dylan Nath; two brothers, Elmer Johnson, Lamberton, and Raymond (Bonnie) Johnson, Revere; two sisters, LaVonne (Clyde) Prins, Lamberton, and Juanita (LuVerne) Pankonin, Brookings, S.D.; and three sisters-in-law, Marge Carlson, Lafayette, Marie (Donnie) Neeb, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Lucille Martius, Springfield.

Mrs. Martius was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, John and Jake Johnson, and one grandson-in-law, Bradley Heilman.

Sturm Funeral Home, Lamberton, was in charge of arrangements.