Members of the non-profit Save the Manfred House Inc. issued a position paper last week accusing the Minnesota DNR of neglecting the historic Manfred House and demanding public engagement before the structure is torn down.
The group was founded in September 2019 out of concern that the historically significant Manfred House, built by noted Minnesota author Frederick Manfred, was being neglected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
It is located atop the Blue Mounds within the state park north of Luverne and most recently served as the park interpretive center until 2016 when it was closed to the public.
“We call on the DNR to reexamine its intent to tear down the Manfred House, to engage experts and the public more fully, and to conduct a more objective review of the situation than has occurred to date,” the group asserts in the position paper released May 11.
“Only after that is done should the possibility of the demolition of the Manfred House be considered.”
This position paper asserts that the DNR:
•has not lived up to its obligations to steward the Manfred House on behalf of the people of Minnesota.
•has not properly considered public opinion in formulating its plans to tear down the Manfred House and has consistently misrepresented the extent of its public outreach.
•issued a Request for Proposal that was designed to result in the DNR’s desired outcome of the demolition of the Manfred House, rather than considering all reasonable options.
•has not engaged with the proper experts to consider the range of possible options for the Manfred House.
•did not support the listing of the Manfred House on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation the house received for its cultural significance and unique design.
•has not been responsive to requests from SMH for information that is in the public interest.
Each of these assertions is expanded upon in the full text of the 1,700-word document which can be found at savethemanfredhouse.org.
The DNR responded on Tuesday to the position paper saying:
“The DNR just received a copy of the position paper from the Save the Manfred House group.  We are in the process of reviewing the document. 
“The DNR hopes to continue to work with the community to develop an approach that honors the historic contributions of Mr. Manfred.”

Forty-two years ago this spring, I ̶ 18-year-old sage that I was  ̶ gave the student address to the Class of 1981.
There were two speakers. I don’t remember who the other speaker was, and I doubt we made lasting impressions on our classmates.
As a matter of fact, I doubt we made any impression on our classmates.
Advice is like that.
The inspiration for my address was a young, lost blackbird that had joined me earlier that week for a brief walk down Luverne’s Main Street ̶ past Smith’s Furniture.
I don’t recall what I was doing there, and the little bird certainly did not know what it was doing there.
“What are we doing and where are we going?” seemed like a fitting motto for both the bird and for me at that particular stage of our lives, but probably lacked the motivational tone required of a graduation class address, so I kept looking.
In the early 1980s inspirational greeting cards were all the rage. My friends and I sent each other cards with “Deep Thoughts about Deep Things.”
Along with the little bird, the card that inspired my graduation talk read,
“Unfold your wings and fly.
Away, into the starry sky.
Friend of mine,
have a good time.”
 
I’m not sure “having a good time” was the most noble of life’s endeavors, but it rhymed with “mine” so I went with it.
I knew a lot when I graduated from high school. I knew I would “fly away” and never live in Luverne. I would never marry a farmer, never have three kids, and as I once announced to my mom while we pulled weeds, “Never!” have a garden.
By 1994 I was married to a Luverne-area farmer, had three kids and a big garden.
In 2023 I’m married to a Luverne-area photographer (same guy), have three kids, four grandkids and an even bigger garden.
So, Class of 2023, as you look forward to the rest of your lives, just know this: Whatever you think you know is probably wrong.
 
Have a good time.

I have been asked a lot lately what I think about the growing movement across the country and here in Minnesota to end subminimum wages for people with disabilities in the next five years.
It's comforting that Minnesota has a Task Force on Eliminating Subminimum Wages to help develop a plan if this bill does pass.
However, I’m nervous about removing options for individuals with disabilities. Higher wages would be fantastic for those we serve who can work competitively in the community.
Our goal at Rock County Opportunities (RCO) is to encourage independence and sustainability, but we know there is not a one-size-fits-all service. Everyone we serve is completely different.
I have supported individuals with disabilities for the last 15 years in several different areas, and I believe that the more options we can offer, the more successful the individuals we support will be long-term.
RCO’s mission is to empower people of all abilities to achieve all they can. We serve individuals with physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. I believe that RCO is the only nonprofit disability service provider in Luverne.
The individuals we serve at RCO can choose what their day will look like. They can:
•participate in our enrichment programs, working in the community while receiving a competitive wage,
•work with our Vocational Rehabilitation Services program to get help finding an independent job placement, or
•work in our facility which holds a 14c subminimum wage certificate.
This certificate allows us as a small rural nonprofit organization to provide choices to the individuals and families we support.
As minimum wage increases and more jobs become automated, my fear is that jobs may not be available for many of the individuals we support who cannot work competitively in the community.
I also do not know what our individuals will do during that lost time that they would have been working in our facility. Several people we serve need consistent support from their dedicated staff team to complete the required tasks.
The timing of this also concerns me when there are more than 3,500 Minnesotans that are currently on waiting lists to receive day and employment services exactly like the services we provide here at RCO. Some have been waiting for more than three years.
At RCO we do not want to prematurely remove our 14c certificate without a solid understanding of what will replace this opportunity for the individuals we serve.
After speaking with the families and individuals who would be impacted by the elimination of subminimum wage, I am not certain that the wage is more important than an established environment where the individuals feel safe, accepted, and have a sense of purpose.
I have learned to trust that families know the individual needs and preferences of their loved ones better than I do.
I do not know what the impact of this legislation will be if passed.
I hope we are looking at data in other states that have already made the decision to eliminate subminimum wage to understand what that might look like here in Minnesota.
I know that here at RCO we will continue to advocate for those we love and support as we have been for the last 55 years.
At the end of the day, I am confident that RCO and other providers like us will continue to find creative ways to carry out our mission while providing opportunities for those we serve to make choices in how their services are received and delivered.

In recent weeks I have been planning for an upcoming fishing trip.
For years my two fishing buddies, Leroy and Dan, and I — and yes, I have fishing buddies … I also have hunting buddies, side-by-side buddies, and I even have a group of Power Ball buddies, not to mention my coffee buddies — anyway, my fishing buddies and I get together for a four-day trip to the waters of the Missouri River. Due to Covid and other events, our fishing trip has been canceled two of the last three years.
Planning for weeks in advance, I compose a list of the things I need to bring along on the trip. This helps me at least in my mind think that the trip is a bigger deal than it really is.
Believe it or not, the fishing tackle, rods and reels and bait are the easy part. Planning for the weather is a much different story. Morning temps for fishing can be cold, damp and windy. Raingear, hats and gloves certainly need to be packed. Midday weather could be calm, sunny, hot and humid. Afternoon weather could be hotter and winds more than likely will pick up, causing rough waters. You can bet that the rain suit will be the attire of the day for at least one of the four days.
Hopefully we’ll be catching and eating a lot of fresh fish. But what we really need to catch up on is the past couple of years. In that time, two of the three of us have retired. If you’re reading this column you know that I am not one of the two. One of the three moved from South Dakota to Minnesota and has regretted it ever since. Leroy’s dad died about a year ago, and Dan’s brother was killed in a motorcycle accident roughly the same time.
We all have kids about the same age and a dozen or more grandkids to catch up on.
Dan and Leroy grew up in Redwood Falls, and I think they might have even been in the same grade if not darn close. I enjoy listening to the two of them reminisce about their wild high school days. The funny thing is, their high school days sound a lot like mine … only the names are different.
We don’t waste a lot of time talking politics, mostly because we all are on the same/right side of the fence.
All three of us are a little disappointed Minnesota didn’t end the taxing of Social Security benefits, and I know one is really happy about the new pot legislation.
Friends, fishing or hunting or riding side-by sides in the Black Hills and laughter … there is no better way to spend four days.

Protecting the elderly: Minnesota’s battle against the landline shutdown        

 'People with mental health feel isolated'
Letter to the Editor:
In Minnesota, I recently discovered that telecom companies were granted FCCapproval last August to deregulate the shutdown of copper wire landline phoneservice. Instead, they are allowed to substitute it with internet-based phone service.
This ruling has profound implications for Minnesota’s most vulnerable population segments. If the federal government fails to champion their interests, it becomes incumbent upon the state government to step forward and take action.
As outlined in the FCC order, the cost-intensive maintenance of landlineinfrastructure impedes our progression toward the next generation ofcommunication technology.
Explain this perplexing situation to my parents or the 740,000 seniors inMinnesota who still rely heavily on landline service. My parents struggle to navigate their cell phones, and frequent disruptions plague the internet connection in theirhome. It is unfathomable to tether their primary mode of communication to such an unpredictable entity as their internet connection, not to mention the complete blackout of internet service during power outages.
The FCC’s decision places the profit margins of telecom giants above theneeds of rural communities, elderly individuals and regions with inadequateinternet accessibility. It becomes the responsibility of the Minnesota StateLegislature to intercede and advocate on behalf of those most likely to bemarginalized in this change for the “better.”
Cole Griffin,
Luverne 
Letter to the Editor:
First, I think Lori Sorenson is one of the strongest and most courageous women I know, and thank you for sharing and bringing mental health to the forefront to the community.
I would like to share my story. Eleven years ago, I had a “mental breakdown,” and although I knew intellectually that depression and anxiety were nothing to be stigmatized, emotionally I stigmatized myself. It wasn’t until I went to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy group five years later that I finally integrated my intellectual self with my emotional self. What an eye opener!
I still have problems and will continue to do so as mental health issues are chemical problems in the brain and don’t go away. But there are tools to help when times get difficult.
Right now, times are difficult for me. Scott Ehde’s death and numerous other people I’ve known have been devastating for me.
I realize that rural areas all over the country are experiencing high rates of suicide, but Luverne’s rates are higher than most, especially among young people. My feelings are that it is in part the attitude of stigmatization in the community and lack of true help for these people. These are thoughts I’ve had for some time and would like to share.
People with mental health problems feel isolated and that they are the only ones who feel the way they do. I truly believe that group therapy can be a lifesaver. It was for me.
I would like to see Avera/Southwestern Mental Health Center purchase a van and transport people to Sioux Falls for group therapy. These kids and adults need to know that they aren’t the only one with issues, because that’s how they feel. Talk therapy only goes so far. Trying to do it in Luverne is too close to home, and the embarrassment is too heavy.
I believe that there needs to be support groups for parents of children/loved ones with mental health problems. The first being therapist led who can help these parents deal with their children’s or other loved ones’ issues. The second being for those that have lost loved ones that would be strictly a support group for them and not in any way associated with a therapist.
Maybe some of these things are already being done. I've been gone for a while. Most of all the community at large needs to stop stigmatizing people with mental health. They are normal people with an invisible illness.
No one would stigmatize someone because they have cancer or some other form of illness that is visible.
This is also a heavily religious community who rely on prayers and the Lord to help them. Prayers are wonderful and God helps, but he helps those who help themselves. We have to do our part of the work.
I know this is a difficult journey, but it is a worthwhile journey, and if it saves one life, it’s worth it.
I pray for all the families that have lost loved ones to suicide. I wish love and support for each and every one of you.
Cathy Rockman
Maple Grove

Dispatch report
May 5
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported issue with tobacco laws.
•Complainant reported an abandoned vehicle on south side of the river.
May 6
•Complainant on County Road 4, Manley, reported training.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 9, Luverne, reported a pedestrian.
•Complainant on S. Steen Street reported a public nuisance.
May 7
•Complainant reported an outage.
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported property damage.
•A warrant was facilitated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 10, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
May 8
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported an issue with curfew.
•Complainant on S. Church Avenue reported suspicious activity.
May 9
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported vandalism.
•Complainant on E. Minnesota Avenue reported drunkenness.
•Complainant on W. Elm Street, Luverne, reported theft.
•Complainant on E. Barck Avenue reported vandalism.
•A fire was reported on 21st Street.
May 10
•Complainant reported an NSF check.
•Complainant on S. Donaldson Street reported a parking issue.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 1, Valley Springs, South Dakota, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on Luverne Street and N. East Park Street reported a driving complaint.
•Activity with a warrant took place on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Magnolia.
May 11
•A weather alert was issued.
•Complainant on 31st Street, Ellsworth, reported a sudden death.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported harassing communications.
•Complainant on S. Fairview Drive reported suspicious activity.
In addition, officers responded to 4 motor vehicle accidents, 1 vehicle in ditch, 2 transports, 2 escorts, 7 ambulance runs, 24 paper services, 5 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 27 burn permits, 1 background check, 2 driver license checks, 1 purchase and carry permits, 3 stalled vehicles, 18 traffic stops, 19 abandoned 911 calls, 1 test, 2 reports of cattle out and 2 follow-ups.

Bridal shower
A come-and-go bridal shower for Blair Altman will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 20, at the Luverne Fire Hall at 209 E. Lincoln Street in Luverne. Guests are asked to bring a favorite recipe for the bride. Gifts will be opened at 11 a.m.
 
Celebration of Life
In memory of Pat Gail Johnson, a celebration of life will be from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at her daughter’s home, 413 E. 4th Street, Hills.

Monday, May 22: Pizza casserole, green beans, applesauce, garlic bread stick.
Tuesday, May 23: Biscuit with sausage gravy, roasted potatoes, cinnamon apple slices, dessert.
Wednesday, May 24: Orange chicken, brown rice, peaches, romaine salad with dressing, bar.
Thursday, May 25: Sloppy Joe on a bun, potato wedges, vegetarian baked beans, fruit, cookie.
Friday, May 26: Baked fish, cheesy hashbrowns, California Normandy vegetables, pears, gelatin with whipped topping.
LSS Dining offers well-balanced and affordable meals in a community atmosphere.
Call Pam Franken at 283-9846, extension 11 to reserve one day prior, to arrange to pick up a dinner or for home-delivered meals.
Gift certificates are available at the meal site or online at www.lssmn.org/nutrition.

Ellsworth graduate to head state school board association
Kristi (Kruger) Peterson, a 1992 graduate of Ellsworth High School, was recently elected president of the Minnesota School Boards Association.
She was elected to the four-year commitment May 11 at the association’s annual meeting in St. Peter, and will serve as president from 2025-2026 and past president in 2027.
Peterson is currently a member of the Shakopee school board, a position she’s filled since 2019. The past four years, she’s been chairman.
“As a proud graduate of a small Minnesota public school and a current board member from a large metro school district in our state, I am truly honored to be selected as MSBA president-elect,” she said.
“I look forward to representing and working with all school boards in Minnesota.”
She’s served on the MSBA Board of Directors since 2020, representing board members from District 13 (southwest metro suburbs), serving on the student scholarship committee, ad hoc and bylaws committee, MSDLAF+ trustee and executive committee.
Peterson attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls and is currently the marketing manager at EDCO Products in Hopkins.
She and her husband, Sean, have two children.
Peterson is the daughter of Carolyn Kruger, Ellsworth, and the late Daryl Kruger.
MSBA is a statewide nonprofit organization representing 331 Minnesota public school boards.
As the statewide unifying voice for public education, MSBA supports and empowers Minnesota public school boards through advocacy, board development, and policy and legal guidance.