This is going to be one of my shorter columns mostly because all I am going to do is ask myself a few questions, and my answers will be one of two possible answers which are “for it” or “against it".
First question: Should the state of Minnesota eliminate state tax on Social Security benefits? For it.
Should the state of Minnesota offer free school lunches to all students? For it.
Should the government forgive $2o,000 in student loans? Against it.
Should the FDIC cover deposit losses over $250,000 for the depositors of the Silicon Valley Bank? Against it.
Should a complete reconstruction of State Highway 75 from the Iowa border to Pipestone start this spring? For it.
Political term limits? For it.
Flat income tax across the board? For it.
Daylight saving time or Standard time … just pick one? For it.
Unemployment benefits for School Paraprofessionals? For it.
Giant Nutcracker? For it.
Bacon and eggs? For it.
Bacon on everything? Against it.
Green beer on St. Patrick’s Day? For it.
Self-checkouts? For it.
Adding a credit card fee to your bill? Against it.
Raising prices to cover credit card fees? For it.
Ready for spring? FOR IT!

Brooks: 'What's your better idea?'
To the Editor:
If you try to make everyone happy, you will lose as a community. You’re a town of 5,000 people, with perhaps 2,000 or so homes. Are a thousand of them, or even a 500, complaining? 
What happens is CAVE-rs (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) complain and it might be as many as 50 people (typically it’s more like ten) and then you fold as a community.
The good people don’t want to get involved in the fight and negativity, so they say nothing and the naysayers simply have their way.
Ask them this: “What else can we hang our hat on besides the mundane ‘quality of life,’ ‘Mayberry,’ ‘friendly people,’ ‘historic downtown,’ and the list of generic things every community, everywhere already use? And what do we have that we can leverage without spending an arm and a leg to get there? 
Even if you go the nutcracker route for just a few years, it will at least get people to pull off the freeway, perhaps spend a few hours in downtown, and if just 10 people a day stop because of the nutcrackers, that’s 10 more people a day than you have now.
And if half of them eat lunch, or check out a couple of shops while in town, that’s five more lunches each day than you have now. Why not take advantage of, and leverage, something you already have? And that someone has so freely given to the town to help it?
What do you have to lose? And do you have anything better to hang your hat on now that will differentiate you from everyone else? Is anything even in the pipeline?
And if it’s the military museum, the gallery or other “static” activities, just remember that once we’ve been there and seen those, there’s no reason to come back. You could have a lot of fun with the nutcrackers.
Imagine a “where’s Waldo” nutcracker hidden among them and whoever finds him wins something. Every day it’s moved. A person could spend hours just trying to find Waldo among 3,000-plus nutcrackers.
And they might come back time and again. And what if people were encouraged to give nutcrackers to the museum? It might only be a year or two before it’s the largest collection in the world.
It would certainly put Luverne “on the map,” and it even fits the European theme and history of the town.
And I will always fiercely defend Betty. She’s solid as a rock, works pretty much full time, has “given” her collection for everyone on the planet to see, and I’m quite sure she’s saner than the people complaining about the idea, which wasn’t even hers.
They should call me the crazy one if they don’t like it. Betty has just played along thinking it might make a difference for Luverne. It wasn’t her idea to make this the brand. It was mine.
When people complain, you should always ask, “What’s your better idea?” And it can’t be the generic mumbo jumbo that people won’t go 10 minutes out of their way for.
Sorry if I’m being a bit harsh, but if you bend to the naysayers, you will never move forward as a community. People hate change, yet without it, you will die as a community economically. 
Roger Brooks,
author, speaker and destination expert,
Peoria, Arizona
Becker: 'People are busy and want to see things'
To the Editor:
Marketing is about quirky ideas!
I am writing this letter to the editor to share some things to ponder.After years of being in marketing, I have attended many trainings,read more books than I want to share as well as listened to leaders in this field. I am sharing this with you:
To best market an idea or concept, you always need a “hook” to grab people’s attention. It needs to be quirky and unique becausepeople are tired of the same look, same view. This is why many are changing newsletters from all writing to pictures and graphics because people are busy and want to see things and not spend time reading longstories. Readers have commented on seeing results and successes instead of having to read them.
Some ideas may not generate money for a cause, but instead generate donations, which saves the entity money. A recent event was done with giving food, and the outcome resulted inover $8,000 in food.
In marketing, we know we will never make everyonehappy, so this is when we can welcome these individuals to be part of the planning and to give input because it is important to listen, butyou cannot please everyone all the time.
If someone does not like a concept, then sit down and let’s talk about ways to improve the concept instead of tearing down someone’s work. Ideas are formulated when great minds come together for a greater cause – in this case the love of our community.
As someone who also loves Luverne, even though I live in Sioux Falls,I support my hometown through the Legacy Foundation Project and workdirectly with businesses in Luverne for the non-profit I lead.
Here are some things others may not see:
1) I see a lot of young people in Luverne when I come to visit and of course do not know them because of how long I have been away from Luverne.
2) I also see Luverne as a great community for people to retire in because it is small, safe, and there are good people with strong programming.
3) Additional mental health services/programming needs to be started by a strong non-profit through grant funding or through foundation support.
4) Luverne is anamazing community which I witnessed with my brother Dan’s event last October. We grossed a significant amount of money in one night for himwith people of all ages coming to Take 16.
A few years ago, a group of my camping friends came to Luverne for afun day of eating, shopping and we did not plan on going to the nutcracker museum. We ended up going, and honestly, the group sharedthis was one of the best experiences because it was different and unique. We got Chamber punch cards and stopped at many of the storesand spent money with local retailers, ate at Sterling’s and had a beer at Take 16 (or two) and then went to the museum.
Luverne has done a great job marketing Hot Dog Night, which by the waywas a quirky thing back when we were kids. Many made jokes about this promotion, but look at the number of people who come to town for the music, dance performances, ice cream and hot dogs!
There are many more ways Luverne can be marketed, which is one of mystrengths, but ideas have to be quirky to draw tourists to town!
Before Luverne can draw new people to move into Luverne, you need tohave more affordable houses for people to move into, so they don’t have to travel from Sioux Falls and other areas.
Honestly, Craig and Iloved living in Luverne and would have stayed, but there were not employment opportunities in Luverne for us. After three years ofcommuting, no prospect of employment for us in Luverne and gettingpregnant with our son, Thomas, we moved to Sioux Falls where we havebeen for over 25 years. If you ask us if we plan to stay here, that is questionable because we would love to retire … where? Luverne
 
Julie (Pick) Becker,
Sioux Falls,
Formerly of Luverne

Dispatch report
March 10
•Complainant on N. Estey Street reported a disorderly.
•Complainant on N. Davidson Street requested assistance from another department.
March 11
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 7 and 8, Beaver Creek, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue and Main Street reported debris.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Magnolia, requested assistance from another agency.
March 12
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 9, Beaver Creek, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 6, Beaver Creek, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant issued a warrant.
March 13
•Complainant on 71st Street, Beaver Creek, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant on 191st Street, Jasper, reported weapons.
March 14
•Complainant on Minnesota Avenue and Dakota Road reported a fire.
•Complainant in Hills reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on Main Street and Estey Street, Luverne, reported a parking issue.
•Complainant in Luverne reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on 3rd Street and Church Avenue, Hills, reported a parking complaint.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 8, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
March 15
•Complainant on 30th Avenue reported a road closure.
•Complainant on 20th Avenue, Valley Springs, South Dakota, reported a civil issue
 
In addition, officers responded to 23 motor vehicle accidents, 2 deer accidents, 17 vehicles in the ditch, 12 ambulance runs, 6 paper services, 2 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 3 burn permits, 1 background check, 1 alarm, 2 purchase and carry permits, 5 stalled vehicles, 13 traffic stops, 16 abandoned 911 calls, 1 test, 1 welfare check, 2 OFPs and 1 follow-up.

Open house
An open house bridal shower for Erica Marshall, bride-to-be of John Ferguson, will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in the atrium of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne.

LSS meals at Generations
 
Monday, March 27: Chili, corn, fruit, cornbread, dessert.
Tuesday, March 28: Chicken ala king, peas and carrots, pineapple chunks, gelatin with whipped topping, brown rice.
Wednesday, March 29: Goulash, mixed green salad with dressing, tropical fruit, bread, dessert.
Thursday, March 30: Pork loin, candied yams, steamed California Normandy vegetables, dinner roll, dessert.
Half-Price Day sponsored by Christian Reformed Church.
Friday, March 31: Lemon pepper fish, baked potato with sour cream, coleslaw, bread, apple Brown Betty.
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.

I, as well as many of you, am getting weary of winter. The lengthening hours of daylight and warmth of the sun on the days we see it are encouraging.
A road trip to Sioux Center yesterday (Sunday) to visit a relative showed lots of open ground, a sharp contrast to our white landscape and the snow-piled road ditches.
My therapy this week is to go and cut a few branches of pussy willow, apricot and lilac to force indoors. Forsythia, plum, and crab apple are other good candidates. I will cut the stems, put them in a deep vase of water, and set the vase in a bright, sunlit area, but not in direct sun.
It is exciting to watch how quickly the emerging leaves and flower buds expand. You can expect color within two weeks.
That’s the best I can do today to assure you that spring will come … because it always does!   

The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older.
The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Sept. 2, 1943.
You can’t beat a life of retirement for a good time, according to William Mitchell, Luverne, who after four years of taking life easy, still has enough fun working with his tools and in his garden, to keep him from being lonesome to be “on the job.”
Mr. Mitchell retired in 1939 after having been employed for 53 years as railroad depot agent, telegraph operator and yardmaster in towns and cities throughout a big area in the Midwest. Now, when he tires of just loafing, he goes out to his workshop where he has a lathe and other woodworking tools, or he works in his garden. Being a city councilman, he also has certain duties to perform in connection with that office, so he certainly isn’t living a life of idleness, although it might be one of leisure.
Mr. Mitchell has had an interesting life, ever since he was a boy. Born in Fond de Lac, Wis., Sept. 3, 1868, the son of James Monroe and Mathilda Dusenberry Mitchell, he moved with them at the age of three to Winneisheik county, Iowa. The trip was made by ox-team and covered wagon, and he recalls ferrying across the Mississippi river at McGregor.
His first home was a log house. There were many snakes in the country at that time, and on many occasions his mother would carry him around while driving snakes through openings in the log floor.
“Wild! I’ll say that country was wild in those days,” Mr. Mitchell relates. “You could hear the wolves howl at night, and lots of times I heard the groundhogs and the skunks fight for possession of the living quarters under the house. I’d lie in bed and listen to them, half scared to death.”
His father borrowed money from his grandfather at 12 percent interest to buy the land on which they settled. At that time, the farm consisted of 80 acres of hard timber. Now it has been all cleared, and farm land.
He helped his father clear the land, and rattle snakes often hid in the brush piles which were numerous in the clearings. When the brush would be burned, the snakes crawl out, only to find men and boys waiting with pitchforks to kill them. Mr. Mitchell states that on several occasions while pitching bundles to his father on a grain stack that snakes would crawl out of the bundles. However, neither his father nor he was ever hurt.
After finishing the public school, he attended high school in Ossian, Iowa, and after that went to Upper Iowa University at Fayette, where he took a business course. He came home and worked on the farm, then decided he wanted to be a railroad man. He was given a chance to learn to be a telegraph operator, and then was given his first job at La Porte. His salary was $40 a month for a 16-hour day.
From that time until coming to Luverne in 1918, Mr. Mitchell was moved from one town to another. While he was employed at Dysart, Iowa, he became acquainted with Cora Brode, and they were married at her home in Benton county, Dec. 23, 1891.
He worked nights at Dysart for eight years. He reports that he sold many tickets to people from that area who were coming to southwestern Minnesota on home seeker’s excursions. In the spring, these same people would leave on immigrant trains for their new homes which had been arranged for the previous autumn.
He served at Morrison, Iowa, as a telegraph operator at the time a flood washed out a stretch of track between Morrison and Reinbeck, about five miles in length. He was on duty three days and three nights without relief, and as a result, he fell asleep on the job. The company found it out, and that ended his career in Morrison.
He served in a number of other towns and finally landed in Cedar Rapids. From there he came to Ellsworth in 1906, where he remained until going to Watertown in 1911. Ellsworth was a booming railroad town then, and Mr. Michell served as yardmaster, one of the toughest jobs in railroading. Considerable amount of livestock was shipped from Ellsworth at that time. He remembers one time a whole trainload of cattle was shipped from there to Liverpool, England.
He served in Watertown eight years and then came to Luverne, where he was station agent and operator until his retirement in 1939.
Looking back over his 53 years of service, he states, “Railroading really gives a person a good schooling. You learn how to know and how to take people — a matter of fact, you can learn to read their minds. I used to study people, and got so that I could tell what they were going to ask me before they ever spoke a word. The company would send “spies” around to check up on the employees, and I got so I could tell one the minute he began coming down the walk.”
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell became the parents of seven children, all except one of whom are living. They include Lawrence of Minneapolis; Gertrude, of Napa, Calif.; Harold, of Luverne; Dorothy (Mrs. Selmer Bly) Valley Springs; James, who is serving with the army in India and Delmer of Luverne. They have 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
He has one living sister, Mrs. Caroline Finney, Hattiesville, Maryland.
Mr. Mitchell is a member of the Methodist church, the Masonic Blue Lodge, the Commandery and Eastern Star.
He served three years as mayor of the city, and has been on the city council for four years.
He attributes his good health and age to just keeping busy, and having good habits. “I can’t remember that I’ve had a doctor more than once in my life,” he states.
In addition to woodworking, Mr. Mitchell also keeps bees as a hobby. “It’s not only interesting, but it’s profitable,” he declares.
         Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

10 years ago (2013)
•The historic Palace Theatre is once again challenged to keep pace in business that caters to large, multiplex theaters in a digital age.
Board members of the Blue Mound Area Theatre group recently learned that the Palace Theatre must switch to digital projection by the end of the year or cease to offer first-run movies.
The current 35 mm format is being phased out, and in order to continue offering first-run movies in Luverne, a digital projector will be required.
Early estimates are that the upgrade will cost nearly $70,000, and local theater board members are wondering how it will be paid for.
BMAT members considered options Monday night at their annual meeting.
 
25 years ago (1998)
•Fourteen students from Luverne High School, along with their German teacher, Esther Spease, will leave for Germany on March 28.
Students making the trip are Trista Boyenga, Nic Ceynowa, John Cox, Katie Dukleth, Sarah Ebert, Aaron Hilger, Jeff Kaczrowski, Becky Kaczrowski, Jason Krueger, Jordan Petersen, Jessica Popp, Alex Serie, Andy Tilstra and Katie Vander Kooi.
While in Germany they will visit Frankfurt, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Munsingen, Oberammergau, Munich and Heidelberg.
 
50 years ago (1973)
•Thanks to an alert neighbor, Gordon Helgeson still has his IHC 806 tractor.
The tractor, taken from the yard of his farm about a mile and a half northwest of Beaver Creek Sunday night, was recovered several hours later from a farm field about three miles north of Valley Springs.
The neighbor, who requested that his identity be withheld, said he had been watching television Sunday evening, and decided to step out of doors. As he stood there, he heard the sound of a tractor, but could see no lights. He recognized the sound as coming from a diesel tractor, he said, and he became curious. …
The farmer recognized the make and size of the tractor as one of two of its kind in the neighborhood. He said he just had a hunch it was Gordon Helgeson’s.
 
75 years ago (1948)
•Luverne baseball enthusiasts will have an opportunity Monday night to lay the foundation for the organization of a baseball team to play in Nobles county league.
A meeting has been called for 7:30 p.m. in the courthouse basement, and all young men interested in playing are urged to attend.
A league comprised of Worthington, Adrian, Rushmore and Ellsworth, has already been formed, and Luverne and Hardwick have been invited to make it a six-team loop.
Considerable interest has been shown in the sport here by young men who have passed the junior league age, and an appeal is made to them to be present at Monday night’s meeting.
 
100 years ago (1923)
•A basketball tournament, similar to the district tournament held here a week ago Saturday, will be staged at the armory tomorrow for the purpose of determining the county championship. The boys’ teams of Luverne, Beaver Creek, Magnolia, and Hardwick high schools will enter, but only girls’ teams of Luverne, Hardwick and Beaver Creek will play. Hills will not participate in the tournament.
As there are only three girls’ teams, it has been rather difficult to arrange for the preliminaries. Luverne will play Hardwick here this afternoon, however, and the winners of this game will play the Beaver Creek girls, who now hold the best record for the season, for championship honors tomorrow evening.

Dwayne Allen Rollag, formerly of Brookings, South Dakota, died peacefully March 11, 2023, at the age of 92, in Surprise, Arizona, under the loving care of family and hospice.
He was born June 18, 1930, in Steen, Minnesota, to Orville and Rose Rollag. He was the oldest of their seven children.  At age 6, he moved with his family to Rock Rapids, Iowa, where he graduated from high school in 1948.
Dwayne always loved music, so it was fitting that he began to pursue a music degree at the University of South Dakota. Just shy of completing that degree, he served in the army during the Korean War and was medically discharged. He then had the opportunity to work over a summer as a surveyor, and he discovered his passion for engineering. Thereafter, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1959.
He worked for three years as a professional engineer before attending South Dakota State University (SDSU) to complete his master’s degree in 1966. He finished his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Purdue University in 1975 and became a professor at SDSU. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching and mentoring students and said that they kept him young at heart. In 1979 he became the SDSU department head of civil and environmental engineering and served in that role until his retirement in 1999. Dwayne specialized in water treatment and management and was active and recognized locally, regionally and nationally on many water and wastewater related issues.
Dwayne married Helen Lu Haggard of Luverne, Minnesota, on September 1, 1956. The two spent most of their years living in Brookings, South Dakota, where they raised their three girls, Susan, Mary and Lisa, before retiring to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and wintering in Goodyear, Arizona.
Dwayne enjoyed spending time with friends, golfing, running, playing the trumpet in the municipal band, serving in the Rotary Club, strumming on his guitars, listening to choirs, and attending country or rock concerts. His favorite thing to do, though, was to spend time with his family, which involved many sporting events, movies with popcorn, dining at favorite restaurants, walking the dogs, and enjoying lots of cats. Dwayne loved his children and grandchildren and was especially fond of celebrating their events and accomplishments. He was a self-proclaimed stubborn Norwegian Lutheran and was an active, devoted member of First Lutheran Church, Brookings, South Dakota. Dwayne was a loyal husband, father, sibling, friend, community member and SDSU Jackrabbit fan. He had a humble, generous heart, and he maintained a strong faith and positive, uplifting spirit throughout his life.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 66 years, Helen Rollag; three daughters, Susan (Joe) Bowar of Goodyear, Arizona,  Mary Liggons of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Lisa (Dan) Ostlie of Fargo, North Dakota; grandchildren Keesha and Theron Liggons, Lauren, Ben and Sarah Ostlie; and great-grandchild Brielle Davis; siblings Sharon Snuttjer of Clive, Iowa, and Rhea Jean (John) McBride of St. Paul, Minnesota; sister-in-law Winifred Haggard of DeSmet, South Dakota; and many nieces, nephews and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Rose Rollag; siblings and their spouses, Donavan (Catherine) Rollag, Doris (Diedrik) Nelson, Darlene (Gene) VandeKop, and David Rollag; his mother-in-law, Jessie Haggard; brothers-in-law Jerome Snuttjer and Dale (Sonia) Haggard; and great-grandson Kyrie Davis.
A celebration of life service will be planned for the summer of 2023. Burial of cremains will be at the Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne, Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Dwayne and Helen Rollag Scholarship Endowment in CE at SDSU by mail in memory of Dwayne Rollag to SDSU Foundation, Lohr Building, 815 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006 or online at  
https://givenow.sdstatefoundation.org/campaigns/24272/donations/new?a=4…
(0323 V)