By Jolene Farley
Another year has come and gone and for the Hills area and for Crescent readers, which means it’s time to recap the events of 2002.
January
oConstruction continued as scheduled on the Beaver Creek Entertainment facility. Sewer and water work was complete and construction of the clubhouse was scheduled to begin after the arrival of doors and windows for the structure.
oHills farmer Tim Baker adjusted remarkably well after a fall that left him a paraplegic.
Baker told of the hard work and perseverance needed to journey back into his farm work.
oThe Hills City Council accepted the resignation of Mayor George Langford. Langford notified the council at December’s meeting of his intention to resign. Jim Jellema was selected mayor pro tem.
oConnie Stone joined the First Presbyterian Church of Beaver Creek and the First Presbyterian Church of Rushmore as the new minister for both congregations.
oHills-Beaver Creek Industrial Arts students raised $1,500 from the joint sale of a patriotic stained glass bench to Jubilee Foods and Agri-Energy, both of Luverne, and Exchange State Bank, Hills.
February
oThe Lyle and Sharil Rollag family, Beaver Creek, was honored as the 2002 rock County Farm Family of the Year.
The annual award recognizes outstanding farm families from across Minnesota for their contributions to agriculture and their communities.
oA car accident near Presho, S.D., claimed the life of 51-year-old Patricia Van Wyhe, and left her husband, Tom, hospitalized.
Tom is the son of Cliff and Vi Van Wyhe, Hills. Patricia’s father, Marshall Gibson, is a former Beaver Creek postmaster. Tom and Patricia were both Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduates.
oCity council members Dana Dahlquist and Wendell Bengtson voted on a replacement for former Hills Mayor George Langford.
The only response to an ad published by the city came from current council members Jim Jellema and Arlen Leenderts.
Jellema and Leenderts abstained from the vote appointing Jim Jellema mayor.
March
oAfter 19 years as a city councilman and clerk Cornelius Bosch, Steen, submitted his resignation, effective April 1, to the Steen City Council.
Bosch and his wife, Darlene, sold the home they built in Steen 52 years ago and moved to Luverne.
oThe Hills City Council considered installing equipment for Frisbee golf, a popular sport incorporating the rules of golf to a fling disk, at the Hills City Park or the Rez.
oFlames destroyed the rural home of Vicki Lenderts. Firefighters from Beaver Creek, Hills, Luverne and Valley Springs were called to the blaze.
April
oCrescent Editor Jolene Farley returned from a 13-day trip to Bolivia, South America. She traveled with a group of Mano a Mano volunteers.
Mano a Mano, headed by Segundo and Joan (Swanson) Valesquez, is trying to address healthcare needs in Bolivia, where many people never see a doctor or nurse in their lives.
oA $19,000 bid for the Beaver Creek Community Center, offered by auctioneer Duane Mulder, was accepted at a special Beaver Creek City Council meeting.
Mulder, Luverne, planned to convert the structure into an indoor auction facility.
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek Education Association named Jane Baker Bosch, Steen, the 2002 Friend of Education.
Baker Bosch volunteered in kindergarten through third grades at Hills-Beaver Creek at least one day a week, chaperoned field trips and took extra work home to help teachers.
oThe city of Beaver Creek advertised to fill two open seats on the City Council for the remainder of 2002 after the resignation of Arnold Brondsema and Julie Buysse.
May
oScores released by Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning on Hills-Beaver Creek and Hills Christian School students shows 91.3 percent of students passed the reading portion of the Basic Standards Test, while 87 percent passed the math portion of the test.
oSteen resident Mark Hoogendoorn died in a farming accident in a field four miles west of Garretson, S.D.
Hoogendoorn was working alone between a four-wheel drive tractor and an implement when he was trapped between the two machines and killed.
oThe Rev. Keith Davis gave his farewell sermon at Hills United Reformed Church. Davis accepted an offer from a congregation in Lynwood, Ill.
June
oMore than 70 children attended Bible School at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills. The theme for the week was "Godzwerkers."
oHills United Reformed Church welcomed intern Doug Barnes and his family. Barnes replaced the Rev. Keith Davis for the summer months.
oJubilee Foods owner Tony Bosch was indicted by a federal grand jury for tax evasion, and entered a not guilty plea in U.S. District Court.
oRock County entered the wind market with plans for four towers near Hills.
Min Win I and Min Win II obtained conditional use permits for two towers each from the Rock Board of Commissioners.