By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth baseball team went 1-4 during a busy five-game week.

The Patriots lost a pair of games to Adrian (see game stories elsewhere in the sports section), split a double-header against Southwest Star Concept-Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster in Heron Lake Friday, and lost a home decision to Murray County Central Tuesday.

H-BC-E was facing one of the top teams in Section 3A when it hosted the Rebels Tuesday.

MCC scored four runs in the first two innings and coasted to an 11-1 victory in a game that ended by the 10-run rule after six innings of play.

The Patriots were in striking position when Justin Van Maanen chased home Steve Swayze, who walked early in the bottom of the third, with a fielderÕs choice to make it a 4-1 difference.

MCC, however, blanked the Patriots the rest of the way while plating three runs in the fourth inning and four more in the sixth.

Van Maanen took the pitching loss for the Patriots. He yielded 11 runs and 10 hits while registering seven strikeouts in six innings of work.

Clint Roozenboom, Darin DeBoer, David Top and Paul Jess all singled for H-BC-E.

The Patriots dominated play while rolling to a 14-0 win over SSC-SV-RL-B during the first game of FridayÕs twin bill in Heron Lake. The hosts edged H-BC-E 3-2 in the nightcap.

A strong pitching performance by Top was the key to victory in Game 1.

Top twirled a five-inning shutout while yielding four hits. He fanned three batters.

H-BC-E supported its pitcher by scoring three runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the third and eight in the fifth.

DeBoer, who was two-for-two at the plate, drove in a run with a single in the first inning. Top added a sacrifice fly and Van Maanen received an RBI for a ground out to make it a 3-0 difference.

DeBoer doubled home a run before scoring on a wild pitch in the second to make it 5-0, and Vlad Pastushenko singled home a counter in the third to make it 6-0.

The Patriots used six hits and three walks to produce eight runs in the fifth inning.
Roozenboom also had two hits for H-BC-E in the opener.

Game 2 was a nail-biter that went to SSC-SV-RL-B.

The hosts scored two runs in the first and one in the fourth to gain a 3-0 cushion.

H-BC-E countered with single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth but came up one run short in the scheduled five-inning contest.

Roozenboom, who had two hits in the finale, singled home H-BC-EÕs first run in the fourth inning. Kevin Van Batavia doubled and scored on TopÕs sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Van Maanen pitched all five innings in the finale. He recorded two strikeouts while yielding two hits.

The 2-4-1 Patriots host Bethany Christian for a double-header Monday.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth girls' golf squad was unable to produce its first win of the season during a triangular meet played in Adrian Tuesday.

Adrian and Fulda served as H-BC-E's opponents during the Adrian triangular, an event the Patriots placed third in with a 219-stroke total.

Fulda won the team title with 176 strokes. The host team placed second with 194 strokes.

Jessica Martens led the Patriots during the event with a 14-over-par 50.

Jessica Wassenaar, Melissa Fagerness and Marla Groen chipped in 53-, 54- and 62-stroke scores to H-BC-E's team total.

Kari Jansma shot a 72 without influencing the scoring.

Fulda's Erin Oakland became the medalist by shooting a five-over-par 41.

Autumn Wolf led Adrian with a 10-over-par 46.

The 0-3 Patriots played Red Rock Central in Larchwood, Iowa, last night.

By John Rittenhouse
The 2001 season got off to a rough start for Hills-Beaver Creek as the Patriots lost a 3-0 match to Sibley-Ocheyedan in Sibley, Iowa, Tuesday.

S-O is a team that has had H-BC's number in recent years, and that proved to be true again Tuesday.

The Generals beat the Patriots in a five-game match in Hills last fall, but they only needed three games to top H-BC this time.

"We were very inconsistent," said Patriot coach Nicole Fey. "There were some spurts when we got our passes to the setter and looked really good. Then we got into a slump, and we had a hard time getting out of it."

S-O, on the other hand, used its height at the net (the Generals have three players 6-0 or taller) to control the action on the court while outscoring H-BC 45-13 for the night.

The Generals secured a 15-4 win in the opener before H-BC made things closer while falling 15-8 in the second game.

S-O completed the sweep by coasting to a 15-1 win in the finale.

"They had some tall girls up front. We had a hard time trying to beat their block," Fey admitted.

Tonya Leenderts and Brittney Olson turned in strong serving performances for H-BC.

Leenderts was eight of eight with two aces. Olson was seven of eight with three aces.

Erin Boeve led H-BC at the net by completing 10 of 15 spikes and registering eight kills.

The 0-1 Patriots host Comfrey in the Red Rock Conference opener tonight. H-BC travels to Rock Rapids, Iowa, for the Central Lyon Tournament Saturday before returning to Rock Rapids to take on CL in a duel match Tuesday.

By John Rittenhouse
Tuesday proved to be a good day for a pair of Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth boys' cross country teams.

Competing at the Dragon Invitational in Adrian, the Patriot varsity and junior high boys' squads came away with team titles at meet's end.

The varsity boys scored 47 points to nip Luverne, which tallied 48 counters. Adrian was third with 65 points.

The junior high boys secured the top three individual places while winning their team competition with 23 points.

All in all, it was a good day for the Patriots.

"We performed well as teams, and the kids ran well individually," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle.

Brad Haak set the pace for the varsity boys by winning the race with a time of 18:46.

Matt Buck (sixth in 20:46), Nathan Fick (11th in 21:13), Kale Wiertzema (14th in 21:37) and Lee Walraven (15th in 21:46) made contributions to the winning team tally.

Paul Jess finished 24th in 25:34 without influencing the scoring.

Nathan Mahone, Devin DeBoer and Kerry Fink helped the boys' junior high team secure a title by placing first, second and third with respective 6:21, 6:22 and 6:35 times.

John Sandbulte and Adam Finke placed eighth and ninth in 7:09 and 7:14 to cap the team scoring.

Grant Hoogendoorn and Justin Hinks finished 12th and 19th in 7:48 and 10:11 without influencing the scoring.

Patriots Amanda Tilstra and Stacy Bush ran in the girls' junior high race, placing sixth and ninth with respective 7:39 and 8:11 efforts.

Brittney Rozeboom and Becky Broesder placed third and seventh with times of 20:44 and 21:35 in the girls' junior varsity race.

Jared Drenth placed 14th with a time of 18:58 in the boys' junior varsity run.

"This was a good starting point for us," Goehle said. "For a lot of these kids, these were their longest races of the season. We found out what we need to improve on, and we'll work hard on doing it."

H-BC-E runs at the West Lyon Invitational at the Meadow Acres Country Club near Larchwood, Iowa, Monday.

Megan Westrum and her mother, Angie, Steen, arrive at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary for Megan's first day in kindergarten Tuesday morning. Megan excitedly blurted out that her teacher's name is Mrs. Fischer.

Photo by Jolene Farley

(Above) School employee Glenda Kuehl hands her co-worker, Starla Scholten, a file of student information. Both ladies successfully made it past the morning rush typical for the first day of classes at Hills-Beaver Creek. Scholten said the first day of school is "a real killer."

By Jolene Farley
Preparation for a new school year at Hills-Beaver Creek begins days before classes start.

People ask what employees do at the school during the summer, according to librarian Marilyn Nelson. Nelson said, "It is really a hectic time."

For example, high school secretary Starla Scholten has a long list of tasks to complete before students arrive in the fall.

She compiles new student packets and handbooks, finalizes student and teacher schedules, assigns locker numbers to students, compiles class lists and puts together packets for teachers' workshops. Scholten also prepares the school lunch program for the year.

With 18 new students in the elementary school and three new students in the high school this year, there is plenty of paperwork to bring up to date.

Nelson has worked at the school for 15 years, as secretary until this year when she changed positions and reduced her hours to part-time.

To catch up after summer break, Nelson catalogs and files magazines received over the summer. She also updates student grade levels.

Nelson organizes "transportation," as she calls it, more commonly known as the bus routes for the district. She also fills in making copies for teachers who need them.

Of everyone at the school Nelson said, "Teachers are great, students are great, parents are great; it is a great job."

Superintendent secretary and finance manager Glenda Kuehl begins working full time every year at the beginning of August. She orders textbooks for the year and makes sure they are received.

"That's probably the most hectic," said Kuehl, "making sure everything is here."

During the summer, auditors come and go and state reports are due, according to Kuehl.

Kuehl also organizes staff workshops, making sure all speakers, supplies and food are ready for the event.

Kuehl claims she is a jack-of- all-trades, and none of her co-workers argues with that title. "I fix copy machines, computers or whatever," she said.

Office employees try to keep expenses down for the district, according to Nelson.

To prove the point, Nelson turned to Kuehl and asked, "How many times have we been to Office Max?"

"We do a lot of price checking to see where we can get the best deal," said Nelson.

Kuehl adds, "If we do our job well, it benefits the district, which ultimately benefits the students."

Wilma Bengtson is also employed by the district as payroll clerk. Bengtson tracks all salary and benefit changes and updates records for new employees.

Nobody is ever really ready for a new school year, according to the office staff. There is always a list of things to do. "You never go home feeling like everything is done," said Kuehl.

All the office staff agreed they don't mind. "We love it," they said. "We are gluttons for punishment."

Not only are the office staff close to each other, they also become attached to students, according to Nelson.

"The seventh-graders are so little; we watch them grow up. The kids change so much. Seniors come back (to Hills) and say hi," said Nelson. Nelson hates graduation because that means good-bye.

By Jolene Farley
Beaver Creek resident Ron Rauk has bounced back remarkably well from a life-saving liver transplant in August of last year.

"I didn't realize how bad I was until I have gotten better," said Rauk. "I am back into a more normal way of life."

Looking back Rauk thinks his health began to deteriorate about three years before doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester diagnosed him with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in July 1998.

Rauk said he began to tire more easily, but it was a slow deterioration so he didn't see a doctor until the fall of 1997. On his first visit, doctors attributed his problems to a bleeding ulcer.

After another hospitalization in May 1998, Rauk was referred to Mayo where the non-alcoholic cirrhosis diagnosis was made.

By June 1999, Ron's health had deteriorated so badly he was put on the liver transplant list.

Rauk's liver wasn't cleaning toxins out of his system, causing memory loss, confusion, lethargy and sleeplessness. He was forced to regularly return to Mayo Clinic so doctors could drain fluid from his abdomen.

On Aug. 28, 2000, the Rauks received a call from Mayo Clinic ...a donor was located. Rauk was wheeled into surgery at midnight on Aug. 29, and by 5:30 a.m. the transplant was complete.

Rauk remained in the hospital for 10 more days, then transferred to the Gift of Life House for another 14 days.

Although Rauk's strength has slowly returned over the last year, he still has a few physical restrictions. Doctors advise Rauk not to lift more than 40 pounds. They say his illness triggered bone density loss, and his bones could easily fracture. Doctors hope Rauk's bone density will rebuild over time.

He continues taking anti-rejection drugs and insulin in lower dosages. His insulin usage will decrease as the doses of anti-rejection drugs decrease, according to Rauk.

A local clinic draws blood samples every three weeks, and he must travel to Mayo Clinic once a year for a checkup.

Rauk is feeling so much better that the Rauk family recently took a trip to the Renaissance Festival, stopping to shop at the Mall of America and the Medford Mall.

Rauk offers advice to those waiting for a donor, "You have to be patient, have a lot of faith in God, friends and family," said Rauk. "Eventually it will come. There just aren't that many donors available. The patience and faith... that's the biggest thing."

The easiest way to donate is when you renew your driver's license, according to Rauk. Just say you want to be a donor. Rauk should know it's easy; he has signed up for the last 30 years.

"People shouldn't be afraid to sign a card and be a donor," Rauk said. "Give new life to somebody"
Ron and his wife, Marlys, have two children, Ryan, 22, and Linnea, 19.

The first day of school at Hills Christian School was Thursday. Third-grade students concentrate during their first day of Bible class with Principal Wendel Buys.

Russell Hoiland, 84, rural Magnolia, died Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001, at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Services were Tuesday, Sept. 4, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne. The Rev. Paul Fries officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery.

Russell Hoiland was born to Ole and Anna (Anderson) Hoiland on Oct. 18, 1916, in Magnolia Township. He attended rural school in Magnolia Township. He farmed with his family until Feb. 13, 1942, when he served his nation in Europe during World War II. After his honorable discharge on Dec. 9, 1945, he returned and farmed on the family farm until his death.

Mr. Hoiland was a lifetime and charter member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne. He served as Sunday School superintendent and also served as a trustee. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards, pool and especially farming.

Survivors include many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Hoiland was preceded in death by his parents, six brothers, Steiner, Selmer, Selmer G., Obert, Erling and Walter, and four sisters, Tilda, Gena, Esther and Martha.

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