Luverne High School graduate Mark Maranell received a post-season honor for his performance as a member of the Northwestern College football team in St. Paul this fall.

Maranell, an offensive lineman for the Eagles, was selected to the second team of the All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference honorary squad.

Maranell was a member of a Northwestern team that led the UMAC in total offense, as well as ranking as one of the NAIA's top offenses nationally.

Maranell was a first-team all-conference selection and an NAIA Scholar-Athlete award winner in 2000.

By Lori Ehde
A popular Web site among local Internet surfers this week is ewg.org.

The site, compiled by the Environmental Working Group, presents USDA figures on farm subsidies - who gets how much, organized by state, county, and producer.

Mike Pap, who farms 2,300 acres in Rock County, tops the local list at $500,000 in the past five years.

He said most of the subsidies are distributed in the form of loan deficiency payments, a federal system that ensures farmers are paid a fair price for grain, despite what the market does.

For example, when the posted county price for corn is $1.42 per bushel, and the contracted LDP price is $1.72, the load deficiency payment on that bushel is 30 cents.

The more grain a producer harvests, and the more depressed the farm economy, the more the LDP check will be. "Depressed farm prices make LDP payments higher," Pap said.

Producers in Pipestone County received nearly $46 million in farm subsidies since 1996.

Top five Pipestone County recipients include Brinkmeyer Farms, Holland, $554,174.51; Donald Backer, Pipestone, $381,677.65; Stuart Sybesma, Lindstrom, $362,321.54; Uilk Farms Inc., Pipestone, $320,262.50; and Peter Bisson, Garretson, S.D., $310,451.29.

Nobles County producers received more than $89 million in subsidies.

Top recipients in Nobles County include Son-d-partnership, Rushmore, $757,461.07; Keith Tordsen, Round Lake, $519,529.51; Loru Farms, Worthington, $492,213.11; Wieneke Farms, Adrian, $485,000.54; Riley Farms, Worthington, $480,207.87.

Rock County producers received more than $62 million over the past five years.

Pap said his posted subsidies are accurate. He said other local farm operations actually received more subsidies than he did, but they're reported differently.

For example, the husband-wife farming team of Mark and Leah Gath received a combined total of more than $800,000 in subsidies, but they're listed separately in two smaller amounts.

Warren Pommier of the Minnesota Farm Service Agency, St. Paul, said the ewg.org site is technically correct, but the numbers don't tell the whole story.

"You have to keep in mind these figures are for a period of five years," said Pommier, state specialist for the Freedom to Farm Bill.

Also, he said some line entries represent partnerships that may support several families.

He clearly pointed out that while Harvest States tops the Minnesota list of subsidies, the co-op collects loan deficiency payments for producers and disperses checks to members.

"That's why they're at the top with $20 million," Pommier said. "They do the LDPs for their patrons rather than the LDP being attached to their names."

Other disclaimers made by EWG are that the subsidies listed don't include conservation or disaster payments. Also, the amounts listed are for farms only in Rock County (some recipients receive subsidies in more than one county), and the locations listed on the site represent addresses where checks are mailed.

While it looks as though some are getting rich on farm subsidies, Pommier said that's not the case for everyone.

"If [subsidies] hadn't been there, the vast majority of producers would have had no income," he said.

He pointed to information from the Minnesota Agriculture Statistics Service Annual Report that states 97 percent of net farm income in 1999 was comprised of government payments.

"The profit was government payments," Pommier said.

A link on the site answers the question, "Why has EWG assembled this Farm Subsidy Database?"

EWG asserts that farm assistance is vital to farmers' incomes, but it advocates overhauling federal subsidy programs.

"We also think current policy has badly failed almost everyone in agriculture but the very largest producers of a few favored crops," the site reads.

"Before Congress enacts another Farm Bill that will set agriculture policy for the next five to 10 years, at a cost of $170 billion, the entire country should have better information about how taxpayers have already invested $90 billion since 'Freedom to Farm' became law."

The Environmental Working Group is a not-for-profit environmental research organization dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food.

EWG is funded almost exclusively by grants from foundations. Major supporters past and present include the W. Alton Jones Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Beldon Fund, the Turner Foundation, and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund.

By Lori Ehde
Luverne Middle School may lean on the experience of former educator Jim Harner while it seeks to fill its principal position.

Current Luverne Middle School Principal Dave Deragisch will begin his new superintendent duties in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District Jan. 1.

The Luverne district has advertised the position to fill his vacancy, but a new principal wouldn't start in Luverne until July, when the new school year begins.

During a Personnel Committee meeting last month, Harner was recommended for the interim principal position. He has informally agreed to the task, but the Luverne School Board hasn't taken action on the proposal.

"He's very excited, and so are we," Superintendent Vince Schaefer told board members at their meeting Thursday, Nov. 8. "He's still familiar with the system and there are still some familiar faces that he worked with."

Harner said he expects to return to many of the same job duties he used to perform, but he's expecting to work with new staff - some of whom used to be his students.

After 33 years in education, Harner retired from his duties as Luverne Middle School principal in 1993.

Harner came to Luverne in 1971 as high school principal, and his title became middle school principal when the school was restructured to reflect the middle school concept.

Since his retirement, Harner has worked part-time at Luverne Community Education as the defensive driving instructor.

Lucille Frisk pets Fabio, who has taken to her during his few months of living at the Veterans Home in Luverne.

By Sara Quam
A few shoppers have been scared by the Bargain Center's regular display item, its resident watchcat.

Bunny has lived in the store since he strayed in about four years ago. The fluffy long-haired cat is popular with most customers, according to owner Carol Sorenson.

"The customers seem to like it. He's quite a fixture around here," she said.

Bunny is friendly with most customers, although he doesn't prefer to be handled by children. For the most part, he fits in well among the rest of the merchandise.

"He'll even let customers put him in the cart and he rides around with them," Sorenson said.

A few other businesses in Luverne have their own sort of cat mascots. Midnight lives in Nelson Automotive where he's made his home for 10 years.

Owner Lyle Nelson doesn't know why the black cat wandered in one day, but he probably stays for the food.

Linda Iverson said, "He walks across my papers and sometimes he just sits down."

The staff at Nelson's theorized that the independence of cats might be more suited to a business than a dog would be.

And the companionship during the workday is fun for the workers, even though they're also providing a home for a stray. "He thinks he's the boss," Iverson said.

Pets for alternative care
The Minnesota Veterans Home has a different take on its house cats. The residents enjoy the company of two cats as part of a philosophy that includes love and bonding in addition to medical treatment.

Fabio and Purr are both donated pets. Ericka (Tollefson) Noteboom gave Fabio most recently, and he's already made himself a part of the family.

Resident Lucille Frisk is one who's formed a bond with Fabio. She always liked animals and appreciates the reminders of her earlier life when she kept pets. "This one has really taken to me. I don't know why," she said.

Frisk said to Fabio, "You like me, don't you? The rest of them must not be as good to you."

Vets Home administrator Pam Barrows said, "Having the animals is part of the Eden philosophy that includes alternative care."

She said that medical problems the residents have can't always be fixed. "But loneliness, boredom and hopelessness are definitely treatable," she said.

Purr is an older cat that was donated from an agency in Marshall. "Purr doesn't like Fabio. I think Fabio likes to get in her space and irritate her," Barrows said. The two have separate feeding stations and litter boxes.

The residents have fun tracking the cats during the day and sharing stories about them. The employees seem to enjoy the company as much as the residents and stop during the day to pet them.

Barrows said the Vets Home may be ready for a dog next.

Dogs and cats aren't the only options for residents, though. One resident who doesn't get out of his room often has his own parakeet to keep him company.

Whatever kind of animals the Vets Home gets, it will take regular grooming and veterinarian visits. But Barrows said she's seen enough response to want to pursue more animals.

"We have the medical model in place, but we're developing the social model of creating an environment where elders thrive."

The people of Sleepy Hollow are introduced
to the new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane (Jamison Tooley).

By Sara Quam
The Luverne City Council voted to reject bids for the Britz house at 219 West Main on the corner of Highway 75. The council also voted to move the house to the airport for a future manager to live in.

High bid for the house came in at $1,500 from Rich Dreckman, who would have had to move the home as part of a deal with the city.

In the final vote, Councilmen Jim Kirchhofer and Tom Martius voted to accept the high bid, and Hauge and Keith Erickson voted to deny. Gust broke the tie and voted to reject all bids.

The house cost the city $56,000 when it was purchased in 1999. At the time the house was for sale, and the city bought it with the intention of using the high-traffic corner for special downtown signage. It will probably be left up to the Chamber or City Visitors Bureau what to do with the space.

The council ultimately decided to turn down all bids because of the money already invested in it, and because of the use for it at the airport.

In the past, an airport manager lived in a home at the airport and was on hand for security and to help people with their planes at the airport.

The Airport Board sent a recommendation of denying the house bids to the council so the airport could use the 1,100 square foot home.

Councilman David Hauge serves on the Airport Board. He said establishing security would help curb vandalism and theft the airport has seen this year and would help make the airport more user-friendly, generating more use.

Ultimately the Board and the city want to expand the runway to be accessible to bigger planes, but a house and a manager are steps to that goal. Luverne's runway is the shortest in the state and business people often fly into Sioux Falls or Pipestone because they can't here.

"This has real potential to improve the airport," Hauge said.

If the Airport Board and the city had decided to build a new house, Mayor Glen Gust said it would cost more than moving the existing, and it would waste a city asset.

Dreckman said, "I want to voice my disappointment with the people up here. I feel like you had your minds made up before you got here. People might not be willing to bid on city property again."

In the past, the city has sold property and homes at prices lower than what Dreckman offered.

The council didnÕt have specific estimates for the cost of moving the home and building a new basement for it at the airport. But using city staff and equipment could reduce the cost.

"Here we have an opportunity to take property we own and use that," Erickson said.

Kirchhofer said, "I'm in favor of a new home instead, but I would like to see one at the airport."

Martius said, "I have no objection to moving a home out there," but he said he thinks a new home would be a better draw to future airport managers.

The existing home could use new windows, shingles and some interior remodeling and Martius said that by the time an old home is fixed and moved, it could be close to the price of a new home.

Kirchhofer also said that the vintage style of home with small bedrooms might not be appealing to all potential managers.

Hauge pointed out that personal styles vary and that some people may prefer to not live in a new home thatÕs built cheaply.

"We have the potential to move and move quickly," Hauge said.

Snow removal
The city reminds residents that fire hydrants need to be clear of snow in case they are needed, and people who live near them should shovel them out.

Also, it is illegal to shovel snow onto streets for the city to clear. All snow from residential property must be kept on that property or privately hauled away.

During this week's snow storm, city crews had to plow around as many as 90 cars parked in the street.

After much recent discussion on parking ordinances, the council thought it was unreasonable that people were parking in the streets when a foot of snow fell.

"If there's this much snow, they know that we're going to be cleaning the streets," Erickson said. "Maybe people are just ignoring what should be obvious."

City Administrator Matt Hylen said, "We tried to educate people - we certainly had plenty of time and lucked out with no snow for most of November."

Hauge said that ticketing and towing are likely the answer. "I think that if law enforcement enforces current ordinances, people will listen. Everyone knew this snow was coming for three days. That's just a lack of common sense."

People are allowed to park on streets unless a snow emergency is declared. That is broadcast on the radio and the local cable system. Generally, if snow has to be cleared from the streets, it is a snow emergency.

Plowing around parked cars causes extra hours for city workers who have to backtrack to spots where cars were. It is also harder on equipment when it has to go over hardened snow or ice. Cars also run the risk of being struck by a blade when parked on the street.

Law enforcement will be more diligent in ticketing and can tow any vehicle parked on the streets during a snow emergency.

By Jolene Farley
Many Rock County farmers have "surfed the net" this week visiting the Web site ewg.org.

Earlier this month, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group listed the amount of every farm program payment made over the last five years, organized by state, county and producer on the database.

Since then, farmers have had plenty to say about the information. Many complain the numbers are misleading
"I don't have a problem with it being printed, but I wish people would understand it isn't all profit," said Beaver Creek farmer Roland Crawford.

"They all see that and say, 'h, they are making a whole lot of money.' It isn't like we made a whole bunch and they are giving us that on top."

He said accepting subsidies is a necessary evil. "If we would get paid so we could make a living ... With commodity prices so low there has to be some incentive to keep going."

The average return per acre in south central Minnesota without government payments was a negative $62.04 per acre for corn and a positive $1.60 per acre for soybeans, according to information provided by Extension Educator Kent Thiesse.

Hills farmer Gary Esselink said subsidies have become part of doing business. "There are payments, yes, but it all balances out with the low commodity prices," he said.

Esselink said commodities are a safety net for farmers. In his opinion, when the 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act or the "Freedom to Farm Bill" was enacted the government never expected the prices to go so low, but overproduction and a strong dollar on foreign markets sent demand and prices plummeting.

"It's a tough call. The government wants cheap food for the consumer. If they are going to do that they are going to have to help us out some," Esselink said.

"It's frustrating. Any farmer you talk to about this says this is not the way they want to farm. They would rather have corn at $3 per bushel and beans at $7 to $8 per bushel."

Beaver Creek farmer LeRoy Kellenberger said he is paid the same price for his crops as he was paid 30 years ago, while his expenses have increased by three-quarters. He said without government subsidies he wouldn't be in business.

"Do I feel good about it? No, I don’t. But that’s the price farmers have to pay," he said. "We just can't operate on $1.50 corn; that's what we got 30 years ago. It just isn’t a gift. Most farmers would just as soon have the price."

Who are the top 10 percent?
The preliminary results of EWG's analysis of 2000 USDA farm subsidy payments indicated that two-thirds of the $27 billion paid out in federal farm subsidies last year went to 10 percent of the nation's farmers.

Thiesse points out the percentages can be very misleading unless that factor is accounted for.

He said the "highest 10 percent of farm program recipients" in most counties are family-based and operated by persons who live in their communities, support their local businesses, attend their schools and churches and serve many leadership roles.

Kellenberger agreed, "When you look at the dollars spent in Rock County (on subsidies), farmers turn around and spend that money. It goes right back into the system."

More complicated than numbers indicate
Thiesse said payments for "market loss assistance" and "oilseed" have been added in the last three years of this study (1998-2000), and again in 2001, to offset low commodity prices and reduced farm incomes.

The Loan Deficiency Payments or LDP’s and "non-recourse" marketing loans were established to encourage farmers to market grain, even when it was below CCC loan rate.

Continued low commodity prices for the past two years led to the large amounts of payments listed for LDP's and gains in marketing loans on the database, according to Thiesse.

Because these payments are based on the county loan rate, for the most part, these payments should not be considered as payments that usually enhance net income.

"It (the database) makes the farmer look like he is getting a handout from the government," when what farmers really want, according to Steen farmer Alan Baker, is a fair price.

"They should put an explanation why we get that (the payments) and how we get that. What it’s based on, how we get the farm program payments," said Baker.

"We all need each other. We are all just a link in the puzzle, but unfortunately we all like to fight each other."

Public's right to know vs. farmers'
rights to privacy
Most Rock County farmers have found their own names and possibly the names of their neighbors and the amount of farm subsidies received on the site. All have an opinion on the availability of such information, and it is not favorable.

"It is federal money. There is other federal money spent and I feel it all should be printed," said Crawford.

"Do they publish what doctors get from Medicare, the government?" asked Kellenberger.

Many wonder how the USDA information was available to place on the Web site to begin with and if any data privacy policies were violated.

The Web site information was obtained by EWG through the Freedom of Information Act, according to their Web site. The data was made public as a result of a 1996 lawsuit won by the Washington Post. A federal judge ordered the United States Department of Agriculture to open its records to the public.

Craig Thacker, Curtis Sandbulte, Brent Fransen and Ryan Wynia make up the Lamplighters Quartet in the American Reformed Church's upcoming production. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, after the Winterfest parade Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. The dinners preceding the shows are sold out, but there is plenty of room for performances. A free will offering will be taken. The musical play is set in 1905. In it, a family runs a music conservatory in a town called Syracuse. The family is having a difficult time trying to become successful in their careers. Finally, a break comes during Christmas, but then it is cancelled. The family has choices to make and lessons to learn from there.

By Lori Ehde
"A Storybook Christmas" is the theme for Luverne's fifth annual Winterfest celebration this weekend.

Though countless activities are planned for the weekend, the lighted parade is arguably the focal point of the weekend.

This year, 28 floats are entered in the parade, and all are supposed to be built around the theme of a story, such as the "Night Before Christmas" or biblical stories.

According to Chamber Director Dave Smith, there were more than 30 last year, and viewers began to get cold because it lasted so long.

"We think 27 or 28 is a real nice, manageable number," Smith said.

He said most of the entries are new creations, because the theme changes from year to year and because different organizations enter from one year to the next.

The lighted parade will begin at 7 p.m. at the corner of Main Street and Freeman Avenue.

All units will go east on Main Street and turn north on Blue Mound Avenue. They'll come back west on Luverne Street and turn south on Freeman Street where the parade will end.

This route will again take the action past viewers in the Hospice Cottage, the hospital and Blue Mound Tower apartments.

Connell Car Care lot on Blue Mound Avenue will be reserved for handicap parking.

All floats must be lighted, powered by a generator, and all must have music playing loud enough to be heard over generator noise.

No floats may have Santa or Mrs. Claus, so as not to confuse children. (Santa will make an appearance at the end of the parade.)

According to Lorna Bryan at the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce, it's often difficult to hear float entries announced as they make their way around the parade route, and if entries aren't well-lit, it's difficult to see their names as well.

For that reason, the Chamber has released the parade entry list in the order each will appear Saturday night. They are as follows:

The first nine entries are in the civic category, except for Glen's Food Center's "A Storybook Tribute to USA," which will lend a patriotic flavor to the event.

Floats 10-16 are in the churches category, floats 17-22 are in the small business category (fewer than 25 employees) and entries 23-28 are large businesses.

1. "Lighted Flag" by the American Legion
2. "A Storybook Tribute to USA," by Glen's Food Center
3. "Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts
4. "Lighted Fire Engine" by the Luverne Fire Department
5. "A Cup of Christmas Tea" by Luverne Community Hospital
6. "Little Red School House" by the Luverne Education Association
7. "Decorated Ambulance" by the Rock County Ambulance
8. "Noah's Ark" by Becky Gonnerman and friends
9. "Santa Bear and Peppermint Mouse" by the Winterfest Committee
10. "Legend of the Candy Cane" by the American Reformed Church
11. "Greatest Story Ever Told" by Bethany Lutheran Church
12. "Charlie Brown Christmas" by First Presbyterian Church
13. "The Littlest Angel" by Grace Lutheran Church
14. "The Bible Ñ the True Story of Jesus" by St. John Lutheran Church
15. "Christmas Around the World" by the Christian Reformed Church
16. "The Holy Bible" by Hardwick Zion Lutheran
17."The Night Before Christmas" by First Farmers & Merchants National Bank
18. "Mickey's Magical Christmas" by Reliant Minnegasco
19. "Gingerbread Man" by Shear Reflections
20. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by First National Bank
21. "Lighted LA-Case" by VanDerBrink Auctions
22. "Santa's Coming to Town," by Subway
23. "Moola Moola" by Minnwest Bank
24. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Agri-Energy LLC
25. "America's Favorite Storyteller" by Continental Western Group, Tri-State Region
26. "Frosty the Snowman" by Jubilee Foods
27. "The Night Before Christmas" by M-M Distributing
28. "Wishing You a Merry Christmas" by the Minnesota Veterans Nursing Home

Smith said the parade and Saturday's Winterfest Craft Show are the two main events, as far as bringing people into town. "They're the two big community draws," he said.

The craft show, in the Luverne Elementary School gymnasium, will accommodate 95 vendors this year - 10 more than last year.

Smith said this year's show, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., features 21 new vendors, and he said the event draws crafters and artists from as far away as Detroit Lakes and the Twin Cities.

"They're coming from a farther distance, so word's getting out," he said. "We're published in a state periodical of festivals, plus crafters talk among themselves."

By Sara Quam
The voice of Emily Lodine Overgaard has become a welcome presence at some local events, but the songs didn't last long enough for some of her fans. Now, her mezzo-soprano expressions are captured on CD for repeated listening.

Depending on the song, her warm voice can wrap around listeners like a comforting quilt, make hearts tight with grief or speed pulses with delight.

The concert Sunday will include a sampling of songs from the CD but will also include some Christmas favorites to meld with this weekend's Winterfest celebration.

"The concert will be very informal," Lodine said. "I'm probably going to talk a little between songs, and there's a reception and CD signing afterward. But people have to take the plastic off for us."

Area proceeds from sales go to the Council for Arts and Humanities in Rock County.

Lodine, rural Magnolia, is accompanied by Karen Carr on piano for both the CD and concert. They connected two years ago in Okaboji, Iowa, at the Lakes Art Center.

When CAHRC asked Lodine to record a CD, Carr became a natural choice as she lives in Milford, Iowa.

Like Lodine, Carr is known for her musical talents outside the region. As a Florida native, Carr was winning competitions at the age of 10 and later attended the University of Tampa on a full music scholarship.

She attended the French Piano Institute in Paris and has been a private instructor in Milford since moving there in 1969.

Carr said, "A lot of the CD is first takes." Re-recording too much of the material would have been difficult on Lodine's voice.

She gives most of the recognition for the quality of the CD to Lodine, but Lodine credits Carr as well.

Lodine came to Rock County after marrying Gary Overgaard in 1996, and her already growing career flourished.

As an Illinois native, she graduated from Indiana University with a degree in music theory. She keeps a busy schedule that has her performing in Chicago on a regular basis as well as St. Paul, Omaha, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Milwaukee.

When she was choosing the repertoire for the CD, Lodine was almost set on a selection of French operas.

She describes the final choices as a collection of "heartland favorites." Lodine said those made sense to sell locally because the content wouldnÕt be so foreign.

"We didn't want it sitting in a warehouse somewhere," Lodine said.

The content is varied on the CD, but Lodine and Carr said the hour of music is easy to listen to.

"It's pretty unified, and the sections break it up well," Lodine said.

The songs are grouped into similar styles on the hourlong CD. Some will be familiar such as "The LordÕs Prayer" and "Pineapple Rag," but the CD also includes music from the Ken Burns Civil War series and Norwegian favorites.

People may recognize the cover of the CD, a reproduction of "Indian Grass," by Luverne native photographer Jim Brandenburg.