By Jolene Farley
The Hills-Beaver Creek Board of Education continued discussion Monday about building new locker rooms and a community fitness center at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

The board directed Superintendent Tom Knoll to arrange tours of the Edgerton and Heron Lake-Okabena locker room facilities.

Building committee members Dave Roozenboom, Ann Boeve and Lloyd DeBoer will tour the two facilities and note positives and negatives at each location.

Knoll was also asked to arrange board interviews with three architect firms.

"The committee needs architects to find out exact costs," said Boeve. Public meetings will not be scheduled until cost figures are gathered on the project, according to Boeve.

The city has verbally committed to help with the project. "They are really enthusiastic about it but they want to see some figures," said Boeve.

In other board business:

oDue to extra snow days, the board passed a motion adding Tuesday, Feb. 20, to the class calendar. Tuesday was not originally scheduled as a duty day for teachers or students. The district has used five full school days this winter. If any more snow days are needed, the district will also add Easter Monday.

oThe board passed a motion requiring a fund balance of $500 per pupil unit at all times. There were no previous fund balance requirements. Superintendent Knoll expressed concern about the uncertainty of state contributions for education in the future. "If Ventura continues, funding could come to a screeching halt," said Knoll.

oThe board decided not to hire an immediate replacement for full-time high school social studies and English instructor Leon Pick after his retirement at the end of the school year. The board may add a half-time position later, according to Knoll.

Knoll suggested reorganization of high school classes and dropping a section of English and science. The senior class size this year is reduced 20 kids from last year. "No curriculum would be dropped. It would be just a modification of sections," Knoll said. "Curriculum isn't being hurt."

Photo by Jolene Farley

Cody Scholler stops to fill the tank of his 1991 Ski-Doo Mach I snowmobile at Orv's Station in Hills Monday. With no classes at Hills-Beaver Creek Schools, Cody and his friends could spend the President's Day holiday riding their snowmobiles.

By Lori Ehde
This is the time of year local hunting enthusiasts pay attention to feeding habits and overall health of deer and pheasant.

The numbers of deer and pheasant available during fall hunting seasons depend on how they survive the winter months of January and February.

According to Blue Mounds State Park and DNR officials, deer appear to be weathering the cold, hard winter in good health.

"I think the deer are in better shape than one would expect them to be," said park manager Rick White.

"They're not standing with hunched backs, which would indicate they're not in good health. They're alert and moving around."

He said the park is monitoring a herd of about 150 deer, but he said he's not sure if it's the same herd of 200 or more that residents have reported seeing along the Rock River east of Luverne.

"On nice days they'll wander quite far, but on cold, windy days they stay close by," White said.

He said the park herd is most often spotted in the northwest corner of the park feeding along the creek.

Despite heavy snow cover this year, he said they're managing to stay fed on brushes and young trees - including those in his yard.

"Well, the deer gotta eat, too," he said.

Pheasants may not be faring as well as deer this winter, if their feeding habits are any indication.

"Normally pheasants get out in the early morning hours to feed and then go back to their nesting areas for cover," he said.

Residents have reported seeing birds pecking in open areas of snow in the late morning hours and in the afternoon.

"When you see them out and about on cold winter days after the hours of dawn, you know they're in trouble," White said.

"A tough winter like this is kinda hard on them, and I'm sure pickings are lean."

DNR information officer Tom Conroy said a January thaw provided a reprieve for pheasants in southwest Minnesota, but spring is still a long way away.

"Pheasants are remarkably resilient when it comes to finding food and rarely die from starvation," Conroy said.

"However, when conditions become severe and they have to leave protective cover to find food, they expose themselves to the dangers of both predators and the elements."

The early part of this winter was one of the coldest and snowiest in recent history. According to local Pheasants Forever member Chuck Van Wyhe, this winterÕs snow, is starting to wear on the wildlife.

"I've seen a lot of dead pheasants, and I've seen big groups of pheasants that aren't big groups anymore," said Van Wyhe, habitat chairman.

He said local wildlife enthusiasts have been feeding the deer and birds this winter.

A wagon of shelled corn is parked in the M-M Distributing parking lot, and nearly 200 bushels have made their way to snowy feeding areas around the county.

The DNR supplies the corn, but local Pheasants Forever members pick it up from Cargill elevator in Hills.

Van Wyhe said he's been telling people to bring along a bucket of sand with the corn so pheasants don't have to scratch along roadsides for grit.

The DNR doesn't advocate feeding as a population management technique, but it does offer guidelines for groups like Pheasants Forever that want to help wildlife through the winter.

oCorn should be placed within small openings of winter cover or in a wind-swept area near a good winter cover where pheasants have been observed feeding.

oAvoid placing corn in open areas next to deciduous trees where predators can perch.

oThe idea is to keep pheasants in areas with good winter cover, such as cattail marshes or large shelter belts. Placing corn in areas where there is only marginal cover can actually be counterproductive.

oOnce started, it is imperative that feeding be done consistently and continue until spring melt.

It's important to remember that deer also make use of feeder cribs and consume a lot of corn.

By Sara Quam
Nancy Sandager finds herself comfortable at her new job as 4-H Extension Educator. She's settled into her surroundings for about a month at the part-time job. Her responsibilities include organizing the county's eight community clubs and being a liaison between state and local entities.

Before this, Sandager, who has a business degree, worked in both Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek school systems. "I've got the business background for the organizational aspects, and I've worked with kids for the past few years, so I'm covered."

Sandager said her biggest challenge and the highlight of her job will be the Rock County Fair in August. "So many families are helpful.... 4-H is a great youth development organization, and there's something for everybody, not just the farm kids," she said. Sandager lives in rural Hills with her husband, Mike, and their three children.

Luverne School Board members, staff and administration spent their Valentine's Day evening in a disheartening meeting about district finances.

If Gov. Jesse Ventura's education budget is passed this session, districts like Luverne will get very little help from the state.

According to information from the Department of Children Families and Learning, Luverne would receive a meager 1 percent increase in per pupil aid next year.

That compares with a 5-percent increase last year and a 6-percent increase the year before.

In a time of increasing costs due to crippling heating bills, special education demands and rising insurance premiums the governor's plan translates to hefty losses for small school districts.

According to District Financial Officer Marlene Mann, if the legislative budget passes as proposed, Luverne will see a reducation of $300,000 over the next two years.

Board members, teachers, staff and administrators were called together Feb. 14 for a crash course in district finances and possible outcomes of the legislative session.

"We just wanted to bring everyone on board and let them know what the situation is," said Board Chair Don Bryan.

"If our enrollment projections are true, we could see a slight decline in enrollment, less money from the state and increased expenses. That's definitely not a good formula."

Another proposal reportedly under consideration calls for a 7-percent increase in per pupil aid. Also, there is a legislative proposal to consider funding all day every day kindergarten.

If these two options materialize, prayers would be answered, but districts won't know the outcome in time to plan a budget.

"We try to have a preliminary budget proposal in March, but we may not have anything from the state until May. It's really a difficult thing," Bryan said.

"There's going to be more money allowed than the governor's plan calls for, but we can only budget for what's in place now, and thatÕs going to be very difficult."

Bryan said WednesdayÕs meeting wasn't about which school services would be on the chopping block. Rather, the point was to get everyone thinking about possible scenarios.

"Everyone's concerned, obviously, that there's not going to be enough money to fund everything we have now," Bryan said.

"Everyone has ideas and plans, and we're just hoping to convince legislators to come through for us. ...We're hoping to have everyone pulling for the same thing - whatÕs good for the kids."

State Rep. Richard Mulder can be reached at 515 State Office Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone: 651-296-4336. E-mail: rep.richardmulder@house.leg.state.mn.us.

State Sen. Arlene Lesewski can be reached at 131 State Office Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone: 651-296-4125. E-mail: sen.arlene.lesewski @senate.leg.state.mn.us.

By Sara Quam
The city of Luverne has released final counts of the Fledgling Field development survey.

The votes came in favor of the field being developed into a funeral home at 1,131; against 225, and no answer 827.

The surveys, sent out to gauge public opinion, were included in the utility bills due on Feb. 10. The final tallies will be forwarded to City Council members and discussed at a future council meeting.

Dan Dingmann, owner of Dingmann Funeral Home, wants to develop Fledgling Field for a new facility.

He had said previously that if the survey shows an overwhelming majority of the city supports development, his construction company will apply to have the land rezoned as R-I, or institutional, in which funeral homes are allowed as a conditional use.

Originally, he applied for a conditional use permit for the R-1 zone and was turned down. Rezoning would get around having to apply for a specific permit. R-1 zones are held up to the highest standards, limiting development to housing only.

Fledgling Field, located along Highway 75, Luverne, was purchased last April by Cornerstone Construction, St. Cloud. It had the intention of constructing a funeral home and then selling it to Dingmann.

Dingmann, owner of the funeral home since 1993, wants the development because his current location on West Main Street doesn't meet many codes. If he remodels it, the building will lose historic designation.

He maintains that a funeral home would fit well in the Fledgling Field neighborhood because of its proximity to churches and a state highway. Also, design plans call for a residential appearance.

Amber Engelkes (from left) and her son, Gavin, and Christina Loonan and early childhood educator Pam Sells make creative shapes out of bread dough Monday afternoon in the Adrian Early Childhood Family Education building. The bread activity was tied in with a finger puppet story of the "Little Red Hen" presented by ECFE educator Nancy Kaczrowski. Monday's ECFE class was the first in a series of "Active Afternoons at Adrian ECFE." Next Monday, children will have a pizza party during which they'll make their own pizza. The Active Monday Afternoons continue through April 9. Children as old as 5 years old can sign up for any or all of the events. Call Kaczrowski at 283-9261 or Adrian Community Education to sign up.

Photos by Lori Ehde

By Sara Quam
Recent fluctuating temperatures have caused trouble for more than arthritis and good hair days.

Two water mains broke in Luverne as a result of ground movement, and area towns have had similar troubles.

Luverne employees Jim Rockman, Verlyn Van Batavia and Water and Wastewater Supervisor Al Lais worked on Highway 75 Saturday and Sunday after a 10-inch pipe broke open.

The team started work Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and continued through 3 a.m. Sunday. They picked up again at 6:30 a.m. and worked until 9:30 p.m. when the problem was under control.

This particular main was problematic because of its large diameter and the amount of water that sprung from it. Lais said it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the break, so he and his co-workers did a lot of digging.
Monday brought another break -this time a 4-inch main on Blue Mound Avenue.

City staff quickly shut off that water and were able to seal the break. However, Lais and his crew still had to dig an 8-foot-deep hole in order to reach the problem. In the process a phone line was damaged and had to be repaired.

Lais said people will know when a water main breaks because water will exit the ground with high pressure or even a thin stream. Either way, if water looks out of place - as it would now, with the rest of the ground covered in snow and ice - it's best to contact the city.

As for prevention, Lais said he just knocks on wood. "It's just up to whatever nature decides to do."