Area residents enjoyed a free meal on Saturday at Hills Appreciation Day. Area businesses provided the meal to customers as a show of appreciation for their business throughout the year. Katie Angelo carefully considers what to ask for while she sits on Santa's lap. Katie and her mother, Jeanne, came to visit Santa at the Tuff Home Saturday.

By Lori Ehde
Dolly Talbert and her shepherds will again perform their musical version of the traditional Christmas story.

The Luverne Community Choir, under Talbert's direction, will present Ralph Carmichae's cantata, "’Specially for Shepherds," tonight and Friday.

The 45-minute performances are at 8 p.m. in Grace Lutheran Church.

It's the same production as the 1997 version, but this year she said there's more drama.

"There are some wonderful scenes and some great choreography this year," she said. "It really looks sharp."

Through Talbert's connections with the Al Opland Singers, she enlisted the expertise of Annie Miller, a Pipestone teacher who choreographs dance scenes for the Opland Singers.

"She has done a wonderful job putting a new look to our show," Talbert said.

Nearly 70 people, including singers and technical support, are involved in this year's production. Of those, more than 60 percent are returnees from the 1997 performance.

"We have a good nucleus of returnees, which is why were able to do the choreography," Talbert said. "The music was still in their heads, so we were able to take it a step further this time."

The cantata is about the traditional biblical Christmas story played out by singers and soloists in full biblical costume.

"I have done a lot of cantatas in my day, but I haven't done one that tells the story better than this one," Talbert said.

Even baby Jesus will be played by a live actor. Singer Carrie Overgaard was pregnant when rehearsals started several weeks ago, and she agreed, if the baby was a boy, that he could play the role of Jesus.

She and Chad did have a boy, Nathan, on Nov. 1, and Talbert said he responded well to his role during Monday's rehearsal.

The performance, a benefit for Rock County’s Emergency Food Shelf, is also part of Grace Lutheran Church's 50th anniversary celebration.

"That's why it's at our church," Talbert said. "But we wanted to make sure it's an ecumenical venture."

Even though the performance this year is at Grace, the performers come from all area churches from many communities in the county.

Talbert said her singers come from Beaver Creek, Steen, Magnolia, Hardwick and Kenneth, in addition to Luverne.

During the first production in 1997 at the American Reformed Church, organizers underestimated community interest in the event and the audience spilled out beyond the sanctuary.

This year, those interested in attending could pick up free tickets at the Chamber office to be assured of seating. Those tickets were gone as of Tuesday morning, but people are encouraged to come anyway to take the seats of possible no-shows.

Since the event is a benefit for the Rock County Emergency Food Shelf, admission will be food items or cash donations, which will be taken at the door by Lions Club members.

By Sara Quam
Luverne faces challenges in drawing new businesses to town, but Economic Development Director Tony Chladek hopes those challenges can be met.

Major blocks to new businesses are low unemployment and lack of office spaces, according to Chladek, who presented extensive business and employment research at the Tuesday EDA meeting.

Rock County's unemployment rate is at about 2.4 percent, the lowest in the eight-county southwest Minnesota region.

"I think that's a significant piece of information," Chladek said. "We're just not going to see huge employers coming to our area with the unemployment rate we have."

New businesses in the county are usually small and employ about three to four people to start with.

"A new business that employs 300 people is a homerun, and that just doesn't happen very often," Chladek said.

Chladek brought to the meeting many labor figures divided into employment areas.
Compared to the rest of southwest Minnesota and the state as a whole, Luverne is average or above average in most categories. For example, Rock County has a higher concentration of employees in the finance, insurance and real estate fields.

The state averages well above the county, however, in weekly wages with $643.97, compared to Rock CountyÕs $408.25. The countyÕs weekly wage rate averages to be slightly below southwest Minnesota which averages $424.72.

Growing in greater Minnesota
One thing in southwest Minnesota's favor is the support of the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development, which has set a goal to help curb urban sprawl in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

It hopes to do that by encouraging new and expanding businesses to take advantage of rural Minnesota's quiet lifestyle, room to grow and good schools and amenities.

If those plans work, businesses will bring a higher population of workers as they relocate to greater Minnesota.

When businesses want to locate in a town such as Luverne, a deterrent can be that there's no available office space. Small technology-based companies often have few workers and just want a small office for their base.

That's where the term incubator building comes in. The term refers to a large building that houses a few to several office spaces. Businesses within the offices can be completely independent or share some facilities and resources.

Cities sometimes develop the buildings and rent out space to new businesses to help them get started - usually with a three-year time limit and increasing lease rates during the business's time there.

Some grants are available and some groups may be interested in sponsoring an incubator building project, which typically cost about $1 million for a new or retrofitted building.

"If we put out the feelers, we can make it happen," Chladek said.

The National Business Incubation Association says 87 percent of businesses who leave the incubator facilities are still in business and that 84 percent stay in the same communities they started in.

EDA looks at service training
The EDA will start offering monthly training for service industry employees. The cost of the project is free to businesses for a trial period and will cost the city about $1,000 after grant assistance.

The monthly seminars will help improve the first impression many travelers get about the city. Luverne Chamber of Commerce Director Dave Smith said it is good for employees, businesses and the community.

The classes will be an option for all Luverne businesses and employees. Smith said the image of service workers and their attitudes when curious travelers stop make a big difference in the success of the community.

Luverne's Jesson Vogt straps on a pair of snowshoes Saturday afternoon in the Blue Mounds State Park. He was one of several people who participated in the park's snowshoe workshop, which culminated with a session on tracking animals in the snow. Park activities continued Sunday with a dedication of the new all-season warming house.

First place in the Business and Industry division was a float put together by The Final Touch, Cook's and Connell Car Care. It was titled, "Christmas Wonder."

St. John Lutheran Church took first place in the Churches division with its entry, "The First Musical Holiday."

The Skattum Family took first place in the Civic, Neighborhood and Families division with their entry, "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

The first place People's Choice Award this year went to Hills Stainless Steel for their float entry, "Angels' Voices."

Winners in he Neighborhood Christmas Lanes, judged by KQAD radio, were also named over the weekend.

The Beaver Creek Holiday Tour of Homes begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in Beaver Creek.

Homes featured on the tour are the Jeff and Cammie Dysthe residence, the Rick and Lila Tatge residence, the Chad and Tami Rauk residence, the Chris and Jodi Harnack residence and the Carmen and Amy Christensen residence.

The Beaver Creek Fireman's Auxiliary and the Hills-Beaver Creek Education Association will serve lunch at the elementary school. A freewill donation will be accepted.

Tickets for the tour are $5 in advance or $7 the day of the tour. Advance tickets are available at Rauk's Hilltop Stop, Orv's Service, the banks in Beaver Creek, Hills and Steen and the Hills-Beaver Creek schools. Tickets the day of the tour are available at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School.

Hills-Beaver Creek school staff members are sponsoring the tour. All proceeds will be donated to the Ron Rauk Benefit Fund.

Slippery roads Tuesday morning contributed to this truck rollover by the Beaver Creek and Hills exit along Interstate I-90. Hills-Beaver Creek, Luverne and other area schools canceled classes.Ha

By Sara Quam
Welfare to Work has become a necessary phrase that defines the transition of clients who will stop receiving benefits after 60 months.

Brian Sietsema, Luverne, is helping local people make that transition by starting full-time work at Rock County Family Services this week.

Job counselor for the Private Industry Council, Sietsema contracts with Family Services to work with those receiving cash assistance.

"People who apply for the cash assistance are referred to an employment services provider, and our goal is to figure out a way to get them off it quickly," Sietsema said.

Sietsema deals only with clients who are able to work in some capacity. He tries to help them develop job skills and identify suitable work.

Cash assistance isn't what it used to be. It now comes in the form of the Minnesota Family Investment Program, which expects, supports and rewards work.

Unlike former systems in which benefits were more-readily handed out and receivers had little monitoring, MFIP has strict requirements and makes it easier to work than to remain on welfare.

The Minnesota Legislature set the lifetime limit of cash benefits at 60 months in 1997. So those who were in the program at that time can expect to have benefits stopped in June 2002.

Sietsema is trying to get Rock County clients to be self-sufficient, especially those who were in the program when the state set the limit.

"Most of my folks don't want to be on assistance," Sietsema said. Of the almost 25 that he works with, 15 are employed and most of those are full time.

The state's call
Agencies across the state are starting to worry about the effects of cutting off cash benefits to clients after their 60-month limit. Those who started with benefits before programs like Sietsema’s may have the hardest time making do.

In a December legislative forum that Sietsema will attend, state officials will hear from different agencies concerned about the program.

Sietsema said he isn't in favor of unlimited benefits, but he is concerned about families with children who can't make ends meet.

"I hate to see kids taken away from their parents if they're good parents, and that's going to be one of the repercussions," Sietsema said.

The cost of taking children out of homes that can't provide for basic needs is more costly than helping to meet those needs, Sietsema said.

"The state is going to have to balance whether we’re better off letting people stay in the program if they have children," he said, "or if it's better taking them off the program and ending up taking children out of the home."

Some in the industry think that the state will decide to take a middle-ground approach and allow some discretion with the 60-month limit. Others fear that any leeway will send a mixed message to clients who were initially told they had a strict time limit.

Hitting the 60-month lifetime cut-off is a concern for Sietsema, but not as much as it is in other counties with similar populations. "A lot of people need it, and they're not on it really long," Sietsema said.

Sietsema said Rock County employers and clients have had good attitudes and moved forward more quickly than other counties have.

Motivation is a key part of Sietsema’s job. "You have to think this person will make it," he said. "You get your hopes dashed a lot because you think 'this person's got a great job and it's going to work out.' And sometimes it doesn't, but you have to think they'll make it."

By Lori Ehde
The home of Tim and Julie Burns at 513 N. Freeman is one of four local homes featured in the Christmas Parade of Homes Sunday. The stately home is noted for its high ceilings and generous windows, restored woodwork and original cabinetry. Tim and Julie, both artists, have decorated their home with their talents. Walls and ceilings are tastefully etched by Julie's stencil creations, and cabinets, countertops and walls are graced by Tim's pottery and Julie’s dried floral arrangements.

Other homes featured on the tour include the A.D. LaDue Resident Suites at 515 N. Estey, owned by Mike and Wanda Jarchow; the rural home of Bruce and Harveen Gluf just south of Luverne on Highway 75; and the home of Steve and Mary Jo Graphenteen east of Luverne near the radio station.

Decorating assistance for the homes is provided by Final Touch, Jubilee floral department, Diane Jauert, Glen's Food Center floral department and Luverne Flowers.

The event, sponsored by the Luverne Optimist Hockey Club and the Blue Mound Ice Arena, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets, which cost $6, are available from 12:30 to 4:40 p.m. at the Luverne Country Club on the day of the parade. Admission includes refreshments and transportation to and from the Graphenteen home.