Keith and Audrey Aanenson, Luverne, have been dancing with the Hollyhoppers for nearly 40 years.

That makes sense, since the national square dance theme is "Square dancing is friendship set to music."

Aanenson said he also likes to dance for the physical exercise. "It's the same as jogging four miles," he said of a typical club meeting. "You're wore out in the end."

More than 100 past and present Hollyhoppers showed up Saturday night at Brown Elementary School gym, Pipestone, to dance.

Frequent Hollyhopper caller Don Nugent, Trent, S.D., called the anniversary dance.
When asked why he enjoyed the pastime, he said, "You can leave your troubles at home and dance your cares away," he said.

He said square dancers always have a good time, despite the absence of alcohol. "Liquor is a big no-no," he said. "You can't square dance if you've been drinking. You can't keep up and it breaks down the square, and that's not fair to the other seven dancers."

Don and Linda Hubbling, Luverne, take a spin Saturday night in Brown Elementary School gym, Pipestone. Don, who recently underwent a lung transplant, hasn't danced since before he became ill several years ago.

By Lori Ehde
When members of the Hollyhoppers Square Dance Club get together for their monthly dance, they whirl and twirl in their own little squares of promenades and do-si-dos.

Some founding Hollyhoppers have been stepping to the cues of callers for 50 years, and a special dance Saturday marked the anniversary occasion.

More than 25 couples from the tri-state area are listed on the Hollyhoppers dance roster, about 10 of whom are from Rock County.

Hollyhopper Keith Aanenson, Luverne, has been with the club for nearly 40 years. What keeps him coming? "The friendship," he said. "People are so friendly."

By Lori Ehde
Employees at Tri-State and Berkley Information Services found out last week how their jobs will be affected by the latest round of corporate layoffs.

W.R. Berkley Corporation, which owns Tri-State and Berkley Information Services in Luverne, announced last month it will discontinue personal insurance services in all of its property casualty insurance companies nationwide.

In the Luverne Tri-State Insurance office, that means more than 20 jobs will be eliminated by the end of next year.

The impact on BIS, however, was more significant. Roughly a third of its employees from offices in Luverne and Sioux Falls will be laid off in the coming year.

The plan is for the remaining Luverne staff to eventually move to the Sioux Falls office to share space with Tri-State employees when they move.

"It's a significant reduction in force," said BIS vice president Joel Christensen. BIS currently employs more than 100 people in Luverne and Sioux Falls, and the layoffs affect both locations equally.

Christensen said BIS is affected by corporate-wide trimming in information services.

"It's driven by a move to more common systems within the entire Berkley Corporation," he said. "Previously we developed a lot of our own products, but now we'll be integrating more vendor, third-party products."

Also, he said they will leverage other information technology resources outside of BIS within W.R. Berkley Corporation.

"The staff that remains here will continue to have a critical role in the new structure," Christensen said.

The staff reduction will occur during 2002, and the move will likely follow sometime in 2003, depending on Tri-State's move. "The idea is to be closer to the customers we support and minimize administrative overhead," Christensen said.

BIS has been leasing its building from the Luverne Economic Development Corporation, and the 10-year lease is due to expire Dec. 31, 2004.

W.R. Berkley Corporation announced two years ago Luverne operations would move to Sioux Falls by the summer of 2001.

Due to the latest corporate reorganizing, that won't happen until 2003.

While the news is hard on affected employees, the community as a whole feels the economic impact of Berkley decisions.

Tri-State currently lists 147 employees on its payroll, including 20 in the Sioux Falls office and more than 20 traveling representatives.

With an annual payroll of $4.8 million (including Sioux Falls employees and field reps) Luverne's economic health would be affected by Tri-State's absence.

Tri-State, now known as "Continental Western Group, Tri-State Region," owns the 33,000-square-foot building in Luverne and paid nearly $47,000 in property taxes this year.

Workers pour cement for the foundation of the Beaver Creek Golf Course clubhouse on Monday. Developers are now selling lifetime memberships to the course with play beginning next year.

Photo by Jolene Farley

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek ended the 2001 volleyball campaign when it couldn't produce an upset during the semifinal round of the South Section 3A Tournament played in Luverne Tuesday.

The fourth-seeded Patriots drew the tough task of taking on No. 1 seed Southwest Christian during the first semifinal-round tilt of the night.

H-BC played well at times, but it couldn't keep the E-Gals from posting a 3-0 win and ending the campaign with a 12-14 record.

H-BC sported 2-0 and 3-2 leads in Game 1 before SWC went on an 11-2 run to open a 13-5 advantage.

The Patriots closed the gap to four points (13-9) with a service point by Sarah Rozeboom and ace serves from Brittney Olson, Tonya Leenderts and LaDonna Sandstede, but the E-Gals scored the next two points to ice a 15-9 victory.

H-BC sported 1-0 and 2-1 leads in Game 2 only to watch SWC move in front 6-2 moments later. The difference still was at four points (8-4) when SWC went on an 8-0 run to clinch a 15-4 win.

Leenderts served a pair of points, Olson delivered an ace serve and another point and Erin Boeve provided an ace tip to give H-BC a 5-0 lead in the third game.

SWC put together a 14-1 run to seemingly take control of the match with a 14-6 advantage, but the Patriots scored the next five points (two ace serves and two service points by Boeve and one ace tip by Jody Rentschler) to make it a 14-11 game.

The E-Gals, however, regrouped to score the next point and prevail 15-11.

Boeve led the Patriots with 12 kills and five ace blocks along with going 11 of 11 at the service line. Leenderts, who was 16-17 serving, led H-BC with 10 digs.

Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth junior tailback Chris Reid grabs a handful of facemask while trying to elude a Fergus Falls Hillcrest Lutheran Academy defender during Saturday's state nine-man tournament football game in Fergus Falls. Reid rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown during a season-ending 30-12 loss.

By John Rittenhouse
Some missed opportunities during the course of Minnesota State Nine-Man Football Tournament game played in Fergus Falls Saturday kept the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth Patriots from playing a game in the Metrodome tomorrow.

Taking on unranked Fergus Falls Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on the Comets' home field, fifth-ranked H-BC-E was unable to advance out of the quarterfinal round.

The surprising Comets were able to continue their turn-around from a 1-4 start to the season by raising their record to 8-4 with a 30-12 victory over the Patriots.

FFHLA advances to tomorrow's semifinals at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, where it will take on 10-1 LeRoy-Ostrander.

H-BC-E ends the season with a 10-1 record.

For the Patriot players and fans, thoughts of what might have been will be on their minds for a while.

H-BC-E had some golden opportunities to put some additional points on the scoreboard, but a pair of drives that produced no points ended inside the FFHLA 10-yard line during the game.

Add a pair of missed tackles during a punt return for a touchdown that seemed to give the Comets the momentum for the rest of the game, and the game could have taken on a very different look.

"We had our chances," said H-BC-E coach Dan Ellingson. "We had a first-and-goal on their four-yard line when the game was still zero to zero, but we couldnÕt punch it in. If we had scored first, who knows what would have happened. We also drove the ball to their four without scoring to start the second half. ThereÕs at least 12 points we could have had, and we missed two tackles during a punt return that could have saved a touchdown. I'm not saying those things would have made the difference, but it would have been a lot tighter ball game."

An indication that things might not go H-BC-E's way came early in the contest.

After punting six plays into the contest, the Patriots received outstanding field position when linebacker Jesse Leuthold recovered a fumble on the Comet 16 two plays into FFHLA's first possession of the game.

Chris Reid turned a fourth-and-seven situation into a first down with a nine-yard run to the Comet four, but the Patriots lost four yards with their next three plays before Reid was tackled for a three-yard loss during a fourth-and-goal play from the eight.

The teams exchanged punts as the first quarter continued, and it was a punt by the Patriots that set up a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Comet quarterback Steve Moline hitting Nick Hansen for a 15-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the first quarter. A Moline-to-Tom Scheid conversion pass made it an 8-0 game.

Hansen's touchdown set the tone for a wild second quarter that featured the Comets outscoring the Patriots 22-6 to take a 30-6 lead at the intermission.

FFHLA caught the first break of the second quarter when a Comet defender recovered a fumble on the Patriot 34 with 10:28 remaining in the first half.

The Comets lost the ball on downs when a fourth-and-four pass from the 28 fell incomplete, but the FFHLA defense forced a punt three plays later that was returned 65 yards for a touchdown by Luke Hansen with 6:41 left in the period. Titus Brue ran in the ensuing two-point conversion to make it a 16-0 game.

"That was a big play in the game," Ellingson said of Hansen's punt return. "When he returned that punt, it took the wind out of our sails."

The Patriots had to punt again three plays into its next possession, which set up a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Luke Hansen tossing a four-yard touchdown pass from the wing back position to Julius Stender.

A successful conversion pass from Moline to Brue increased FFHLAÕs lead to 24-0 with 3:01 remaining in the second stanza.

A key play during the scoring-drive was a 40-yard pass completion during a third-and-22 situation.

H-BC-E answered the Comets' third straight touchdown with a six-point one of its own with 1:31 remaining in the first half.

Reid, who carried the ball 24 times for 101 yards in the game, scored on a 42-yard burst. A run for a two-point conversion came up short, leaving the Comets sporting a 24-6 cushion.

Any inspiration H-BC-E gained from Reid's touchdown vanished when FFHLA got the six points back before the half was complete.

The Comets marched 65 yards in seven plays with Moline scoring with 12 seconds left at the end of a five-yard run. Patriot Brad Haak intercepted a pass attempt for the two-point conversion to keep the score at 30-6.

The second half started with FFHLA fumbling on the first play from scrimmage and Haak recovering the loose ball on the Comet 49.

H-BC-E moved the ball to the Comet four, where a fourth-and-three pass fell incomplete.

FFHLA took over on its own four with 8:29 left in the third quarter and advanced the ball to the Patriot 25, where it lost the ball on downs with 1:37 remaining in the stanza.

The Patriots then went on a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with Chris Tiesler scoring from three yards away with 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. A pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving the score at 30-12.

H-BC-E did get the ball back with 2:37 left to play, but the Patriots lost the ball on downs with 35 seconds remaining.

Ellingson said the Patriots were disappointed with the way things turned out Saturday, but he was proud of what they accomplished throughout the season.

"It was a good season for us. We thought we could do well this year, but I don't think the kids thought we would finish the regular season undefeated. We managed to win our conference, and a section title came along shortly after that. It was a good year," he concluded.

Team statistics
H-BC-E: 152 rushing yards, 69 passing yards, 221 total yards, 10 first downs, three penalties for 15 yards, one turnover.

FFHLA: 171 rushing yards, 159 passing yards, 330 total yards, 12 first downs, three penalties for 25 yards, three turnovers.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Reid 24-101, Lyle DeBoer 2-3, Leuthold 9-31, Kevin Van Batavia 1-2, Tiesler 2-13, David Top 2-3.

Passing: Top 7-20 for 69 yards.

Receiving: Tiesler 2-15, Darin DeBoer 2-12, Van Batavia 1-24, Leuthold 1-14, Haak 1-4.

Defense: Curt Schilling 18 tackles, Leuthold nine tackles and one fumble recovery, Van Batavia six tackles, Kyle Braun 11 tackles and one sack, Haak five tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Hills-Beaver Creek sophomore Erin Boeve (left) and senior Tonya Leenderts (not pictured)made the 2001 All-Red Rock Conference Volleyball Team. Senior LaDonna Sandstede (right) drew honorable mention.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek's initial season as a member of the Red Rock Conference in volleyball was highlighted by three players drawing post-season honors last week.

Two Patriot athletes were named to the 2001 All-Red Rock Conference Volleyball squad, and another H-BC girl drew honorable mention from the league's coaches.

Senior Tonya Leenderts and sophomore Erin Boeve will go down in history as H-BC's first members of the of the 23-member All-RRC squad.

Both Leenderts and Boeve played the hitter position for H-BC.

LaDonna Sandstede, a senior setter, is one of 14 players to draw honorable mention from the league's coaches.

Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin and Southwest Christian, which shared the RRC team title with 10-1 records, led all schools with five and four All-RRC selections respectively.

Seniors Katie Johansen, Erica Peterson and Ann Bucklin, and sophomores Mikkala Junker and Lindsay Nesmoe represent ML-B-O on the roster.

Seniors Ginnie Vis, Jill Talsma, Nicole Hulstein and Brigett Schelhaas grace the list for SWC.

Westbrook-Walnut Grove, which placed third in the loop, placed juniors Katie Hansen, Katie Swenson and Becky Schultz on the team.

Murray County Central, Fulda and Edgerton had two players each make the all-league team.

MCC senior Missy Halbur and sophomore Cara Counter, Edgerton senior Amber Rieck and junior Amber Poppen, and Fulda senior Jenna Wendorff and Erin Oakland are team members.

Rounding out the All-RRC roster are Sioux Valley-Round Lake Brewster junior Ashley Janssen, Southwest Star Concept senior Allison Hay, Comfrey junior Holli Pederson and Red Rock Central senior Kristin Fox.

Adrian SV-RL-B and W-WG placed two girls each on the honorable mention list.

Adrian senior Andrea Burzlaff and junior Jenna Honermann, SV-RL-B junior Kayla Jueneman and sophomore Kim Doeden, and W-WG senior Anne Doubler and junior Shanell Amundson are so honored.

Other honorable mention selections include SWC senior Christa Kuipers, ML-B-O junior Karissa Haglund, MCC sophomore Shelly Halbur, Edgerton senior Kala Menning, Fulda junior Rachel Gunderman, SSC junior Brianna Liepold and RRC senior Wendy Lyle.

Final league standings: SWC 10-1, ML-B-O 10-1, W-WG 9-2, MCC 8-3, H-BC 6-5, Fulda 6-5, Edgerton 6-5, SV-RL-B 4-7, SSC 3-8, RRC 2-9, Adrian 1-10, Comfrey 1-10

Residents Edith Leslie and Arnold Thorin are eager to show off their new homes at the Tuff Village during the open house planned for Sunday afternoon.

By Jolene Farley
The Tuff Village assisted living facility, the first of its kind in Rock County, will host an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, at their new facility in Hills.

Pastor Lowell Berg will conduct a dedication ceremony for the new building beginning at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served in "Stella's room." Some occupied apartments will be open for tours during the open house.

"The tenants are anxious to show their apartments," said Bonnie Hengeveld, Tuff Village manager. "We would like to invite everyone to tour the facility at their leisure and join the tenants and staff for refreshments and fellowship."

When asked how it feels to have such a large project completed, Hengeveld said, "It feels wonderful. It is very rewarding to see the folks settled and really speaking out, telling us they are happy."

The Tuff Village is currently full and has a waiting list. The 19 apartments house 24 tenants, some couples and some individuals.

Besides beautiful surroundings, Tuff Village offers residents Bible study, crafts, puzzles, card games, musical programs and outings, usually to Luverne, once a week for shopping.

Soon Hengeveld hopes to offer intergenerational activities by inviting day care centers, 4-H groups and others to visit Tuff Village.

The Tuff Village carries an Assisted Living Home Care Providers License, which requires 24-hour registered nurse supervision, 24-hour supervision of residents, three meals a day plus snacks, socialization programs and transportation.

It differs from a congregate care facility, such as the Oaks in Luverne, in that it offers a higher level of care for residents.

A Cargill employee loads grain on the truck of Clint Metzger, Metger and Sons Trucking, Hills, last week. Metzger is hauling the grain to Sioux City for Cargill.

By Jolene Farley
Metzger and Sons Trucking began in 1986 with one straight truck hauling grain locally. Clint Metzger started the business, and eventually his uncle, Arlyn, and brother, Ross, joined him.

Ross, 29, and Clint, 33, and Arlyn Metzger, 40, are all involved in the business full-time with four other alternating part-time truckers.

The company's four trucks haul grain and livestock for local farmers and elevators mostly to Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.

A family business, Metzger Trucking carries on a tradition began by Elmer Metzger of Larchwood, Iowa, in 1940.

After two knee replacements, Elmer, 83, still 'keeps on truckin,' hauling up to five loads a week with his own rig and helping out his son and grandsons when needed.

"I just keep at it," Elmer said Tuesday. When asked if he was spry for his age, he laughed. "Ask my wife," he said.

Elmer plans to continue driving "as long as I can get in and out of the truck".

Elmer's work ethic was passed on to his son and grandsons at Metzger Trucking, where drivers typically work 12 to 14 hours per day.

Ross Metzger begins his day around 3:30 to 4 a.m. and continues working until he has unloaded his grain, usually at a bean processing plant or a feed mill.

The farming industry has changed over the years, according to Ross. "The small guys are getting out and the bigger keep getting bigger."

The number of crop loads hauled this fall was lower compared with other years, according to Ross.

He attributes a lack of rain, hail in some areas and a lot of farmers building bins and storing more grain themselves.

The trucking business has become more competitive and challenging. Some farmers and elevators are purchasing their own trucks and hauling their own loads.

Over the years, regulations have increased and laws are stricter, according to Ross.

The Metzgers hired an outside licensing firm to handle licensing their trucks and some additional paperwork. The firm updates them on any new laws pertaining to their industry. Drivers themselves, however, are required to fill out log books detailing the number of hours they drive.

Metzger Trucking has no immediate expansion plans. "We will just keep doing what we are doing and take care of what we got," Ross said.

He said Metzger Trucking is "dedicated to our work." Elmer confirmed their dedication, stating, "They are doing all right. They do a good job."