Question:  How do you determine if your tires are unsafe for winter driving?
Answer:  Over the years, I have investigated numerous crashes where worn tires were a contributing factor. Tires with inadequate tread depth may cause your vehicle to skid or slide out of control on a slippery or wet road surface. It is important to remember that unsafe tires can hydroplane on both wet and snow covered roadways.
When losing control of your vehicle, you can easily go off the road and into the ditch, or into oncoming traffic, possibly causing serious injury or death.
According to Minnesota State Statute 169.723 a tire shall be considered unsafe if it has:
(1) Any part of the ply or cord exposed; or
(2) Any bump, bulge or separation; or
(3) a tread design depth of less than 2/32 (1/16) of an inch measured in the tread groove nearest the center of the tire at three locations equally spaced around the circumference of the tire, exclusive of  tie bars or for those tires with tread wear indicators; or
(4) Been worn to the level of the tread wear indicators in any two tread grooves at three locations; or
(5) A marking “not for highway use,” or “for racing purposes only,” or “unsafe for highway use;” or
(6) Tread or sidewall cracks, cuts or snags deep enough to expose the body cords.
My best advice is to keep an eye on your tires.  Check your tire pressure often as it can be as much as 50 percent underinflated before it is visibly noticeable. Use a pressure gauge to check each tire and know what your pressure should be. Routine maintenance is good insurance; rotate, balance and be sure that your vehicle is correctly aligned, according to your vehicle owner’s manual. 
Taking a few seconds to walk around your vehicle before leaving for your destination can pay off, potentially keeping you from getting into a crash. Speaking from personal and professional experience, the “snow” tires I run at this time of the year have made all the difference throughout some of the deepest snow and treacherous conditions. I would not want to be without them. Having a set of tires with good, legal tread depth will increase your chances of not being involved in a crash, especially when the weather and road conditions become poor.
You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober.  Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.
If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848.  (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)

Luverne Elementary School’s 506 kindergarten through fifth-grade students enjoyed their annual Respect Lunch Friday when kitchen staff prepared a sit-down meal of mashed potatoes, corn and ham, with sugar cookies decorated as Christmas trees for dessert. Students dressed up for the occasion and invited adult parents or guests to join them at the tables. They practiced passing the meal items to one another and carried on polite conversations at their tables, which were decorated with tablecloths, centerpieces and disposable flatware. Diners were serenaded with live piano music by Janine Papik. The event is organized by the school’s Parents Partners in Education or PPIE.

LSS meals at Generations
 
Monday, Dec. 12: Baked seasoned fish, potatoes, green beans, dinner roll, dessert.  
Half-Price Day sponsored by Christian Reformed Church.
Tuesday, Dec. 13: Meatloaf, corn, baked potato with sour cream, bread, dessert.
Wednesday, Dec. 14: Baked chicken, peas and carrots, mandarin oranges, rice pilaf, gelatin with whipped topping.
 Thursday, Dec. 15: Sloppy Joe on a bun, romaine salad with dressing, baked beans, warm peaches.
Friday, Dec. 16: Turkey and noodles, California Normandy vegetables, warm apple slices, cake.
Half-Price Day sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church.
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.

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 July 1, 1943, and is continued from last week.
Helped Bind Grain
Before she was married, Mrs. Ellis W. Colby learned how to do both indoor and out of door work. She states that she has bound grain after a “self-rake”, the predecessor of the binder. “We’d bind all day,” she states, “and in the evening, we’d shock up what we bound during the day.”
Her mother had worked in a tailor shop in Norway, and from her, Mrs. Colby learned the art of sewing. She has sewn many men’s shirts, and other garments by hand, she declares. Her mother also could weave, and Mrs. Emmett Kennedy, daughter of Mrs. Colby, has a portion of Mrs. Colby’s cloth which she has then made into a petticoat for her own wedding.
Walked to Town
During the early days of Martin township, it was customary to walk to town, in her case about four miles each way, to buy groceries. Many times, she states, she walked to Beaver Creek carrying a pail full of eggs or butter. Butter would bring about 10 cents a pound, and eggs about six cents per dozen. However, prices of commodities purchased were correspondingly low. Shoes, the sturdy kind with copper toes, sold for about $2 per pair.
When she was a girl, nearly everyone drove oxen. Mrs. Colby said that she learned how to guide an ox-team by shouting “gee” and “haw” and by cracking a long whip over their backs. After her step-father obtained a team of horses, he’d hitch them to a wagon load of grain and drive to Luverne, and she’d follow him with another load, drawn by oxen.
Railroad Built
Mr. and Mrs. Colby were married in Martin township, Dec. 5, 1883, and they immediately began farming on the southwest quarter of section 16, Martin township. In 1889, the Great Northern railroad was built directly through their farm. “It was nice to have the railroad,” Mrs. Colby states, “but I certainly became tired of closing gates. It seemed as though every time a teamster would go through, he’d leave a gate open and our stock would get out.”
Mr. and Mrs. Colby lived on that farm for 19 years, and then moved to the farm Mr. Colby bought from his father, the north half of section 10 in Martin township. This, according to Mrs. Colby, was considered the largest tree claim in the county, 40 acres having been planted to trees on that place. The Colby grove, as it was known, was a community landmark, and a gathering place for the people of the community whenever a holiday called for a celebration. Mr. Colby helped to plant the trees, and later, sawed some of them into lumber. They lived on that place from 1904 until 1915, and then moved to Luverne.
Hospitality Compared
Comparing hospitality then to hospitality now, Mrs. Colby recalls how one night, 29 persons stayed at their place, and she made breakfast for all of them the following day. Included in the group were the members of her family, a threshing crew, a bridge building gang, and hired help.
She and her daughters would bake 12 to 14 loaves of bread every other day, and a cake every day. “No one needed a special invitation to come to visit on those days,” Mrs. Colby says. “They’d just walk right in, and no one thought of letting them go away without having something to eat.”
Because of the size of the family she had to care for, Mrs. Colby always had a big garden and raised lots of chickens. Sometimes, she’d raise as many as 500 chicks a year with setting hens alone.
Eight Children Living
Mr. and Mrs. Colby had 10 children, eight of whom are living. They are Mrs. Emil Hoyme, Hills; Mrs. R. Emmett Kennedy, Luverne, Mrs. C. J. Rierson, Hills; Mrs. Paul Pierce, Long Beach; Mrs. George Dawson, Sacramento; James Colby, Long Beach; Mrs. Blaine Christian, Portland, Ore., and Dr. Henry Colby, Minneapolis. She also has 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mr. Colby died here in 1926, and at the present time, Mrs. Colby lives alone in her own apartment and does her own work here. As a hobby, she crochets and raises houseplants.
 
         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 (2012)
•More than $900 was raised for the Rock County SHARE program during photos with Santa at the Winterfest Craft Show Saturday at Luverne Elementary School. Rodger and Dianne Ossenfort played the part of Santa and Mrs. Claus for their 26th year. They posed for pictures, listened to requests for gifts and gave treats to children who came to see Santa. One child said, “Kind of,” when Santa asked him if he had been a very good boy.
 
25 years ago (1997)
•The early-morning breakfast crowd got a rude awakening Wednesday morning when they met at Hardee’s for coffee. On the door, a black and white sign read, “Sorry. We are closed. Thanks for your local patronage.”
According to District Manager Tarryl Olson, the restaurant closed Tuesday afternoon. In a brief interview with the Star Herald Tuesday night, Olson said only that the business was closed and he was in the process of cleaning it out.
He would not comment on why the restaurant closed.
 
50 years ago (1972)
•Residents of Rock County received an early Christmas gift this week — compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Ben E. Schoneman, Luverne.
The Luverne couple this week turned over 34 acres of land in Luverne Township to be used as a county park.
The donated land is located two miles south of Luverne near Highway 75 and runs south to CSAH 16. Seven acres is to be developed outright including the south edge of the southern most pond. The remaining acres have been deeded to the county, but the Schonemans will retain gravel rights there. The only other stipulation in giving the land to the county is that no admission be charged once the park is developed.
Schoneman is a retired veterinarian who has resided in Luverne since 1947.
 
75 years ago (1947)
•The local school board last week approved a “cost-of-living” salary increase of $125 each to all Luverne teachers. Representatives of the Luverne Educational association met with the school board, pointing out that the cost of living had increased about five per cent since they signed their contracts. After some discussion, it was agreed to grant each teacher an increase of $125, which represents on the average a five percent salary increase.
 
100 years ago (1922)
•Gratifying progress is being made by the committees of Dell-Hogan post and the Women’s  Auxiliary  of the American Legion, in charge of the different phases of work connected with the indoor circus which will be held on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9. The list of varied attractions they have already arranged for promise to make it equally as good, or probably it will even excel every carnival project that has ever been held here.
The armory will be lined on all sides with booths and stands, about fourteen or fifteen in all, each featuring a different attraction. There will be “raffle” stands, side show tents, lunch counters, and shooting galleries.
The circus will be held on the evening of each day. At eight o’clock the band will begin to play, starting the good time which will last far into the night. A boxing match between the two Davies boys of Magnolia will be put on at about nine o’clock, followed by several other exhibition attractions of much merit.
The greatest curiosity will undoubtedly be the old time bar and dance hall, a rejuvenation of the days of ’49, when the dances were held in the bar rooms and thirst was slackened after each dance. Thirty masked girls, each a proficient dancer, will be in attendance.

We visited our son in Detroit over Thanksgiving weekend, and that trip always includes visiting a couple of the biggest and best greenhouses in the city as well as the Eastern Market in downtown Detroit. For a gardening and plant addict, this makes driving 14 hours each way a bonus on top of the time spent with Grant.
I am inspired but not tempted by some of the plants and fresh holiday décor we get to see. Case in point were the beautiful white hellebores loaded with flowers and buds … excellent plants for a greenhouse, not so much for our homes. They thrive in a cool environment, but humans tend to like warm, and you can’t please both, so the plant will soon become the victim.
Another holiday temptation are paper white narcissus bulbs. They are fun to force and will grow and bloom quickly in a tray of rocks and water. The description says the flowers are fragrant … and they are. What the description doesn’t say is what that fragrance is like. If you want to know, try growing them.
Flowering plants that are traditional but more sure to please are cyclamen, poinsettias and amaryllis.
Poinsettias are a traditional favorite. The colored leaves are just that. The flowers are the tiny yellow cyathia in the center of the colored leaf cluster. The plants are happiest with uniformly moist soil. Too wet will rot the roots. Dry to the point of wilting, even just a little, will result in leaf drop. Bright indirect sun will keep the plant happy.
Cyclamen plants grow from a bulb (corm) that sits at soil level. The plant will continue blooming throughout the winter if given the right conditions.
Any blooming plant has a higher light requirement than do non-bloomers because sunlight gives energy, and energy is necessary for the plant to continue producing flower buds.
Cyclamen grow best in a cool, (although not as cool as the aforementioned hellebore) brightly lit area. An east-facing window is perfect. This is another plant that prefers uniformly moist soil, and by uniformly moist, I’m referring to moist like a cake is moist. When the flower on the stem has finished blooming, give the stem a gentle “tug” to pull it off the bulb. I know people who have successfully kept a cyclamen in bloom year-round for several years.
Amaryllis are the drama plants for winter. They grow from a bulb, and like a tulip, the flower buds form in the bulb prior to its going dormant. Your job as the plant keeper is to persuade that flower to come out of the bulb and bless you with its beauty.
In recent years “waxed” bulbs are the easy route because you don’t have to plant the bulb in soil. Looks easy and is easy, but I have yet to see a real success story. The flower stem gets pretty heavy so if it actually gets to that stage, it is difficult to keep it standing upright. And when it’s done or you’re tired of it, you pitch it … end of story.
On the other hand, I believe that when I purchase a bulb like this, I am making an investment it its future, and my plan is to have the joy of a repeat performance year after year.
Next week, I’ll tell you how to make that happen.

Martha Lursen, 95, Adrian, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, at the Sanford Luverne Medical Center in Luverne.
A memorial service was Monday, Dec. 5, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Adrian. A private family burial preceded the funeral.
Arrangements were provided by Dingmann Funeral Home of Adrian, dingmannandsons.com.
(1208 DN)

Randall Lee Harms, 54, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, died Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, as the result of a workplace accident.
A funeral service was Monday, Dec. 5, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Randall Lee Harms was born on March 5, 1968, to Larry and Lorna (Noerenberg) Harms in Luverne. He was raised in Luverne and graduated from Luverne High School in 1986.
He furthered his education and obtained an associate’s degree from Worthington Community College in Worthington. He then attended Southwest Minnesota State College in Marshall for one year. Randy went to work at Sailor Plastics for a short time before moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he began working at Bell Box, where he remained for 27 years.
He began dating Nikki Smith, who became his life partner. On March 23, 2001, they were blessed with a daughter, Cameron.
Randy was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. He loved music and was known as an encyclopedia of classic rock music. Randy was also an avid sports fan. He loved hockey and still skated. He also had numerous hockey jerseys. He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild hockey team, and attended many local Stampede hockey games in Sioux Falls. He enjoyed going to sprint car races at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, and in Knoxville, Iowa. He also enjoyed watching the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Randy loved spending his free time with his family, watching his daughter and nieces’ sporting events and other events, and visiting with his parents. His siblings were his best friends.
Randy is survived by his life partner, Nikki Smith of Sioux Falls; daughter Cameron Harms of Brookings, South Dakota; his parents, Larry and Lorna Harms of Luverne; partner parents Randy and Debbie Smith of Sioux Falls; two siblings, Wayne Harms of Luverne and Shelley (Blair) Nattress of Luverne; two nieces; and numerous friends.
He was preceded in death by his sister-in-law, Peggy Harms; and both sets of grandparents.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
(1208 F)

Susan M. Badger Horton, 69, Luverne, died Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at the Sanford Luverne Medical Center in Luverne.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at St. Catherine Cemetery in Luverne.
Susan Badger was born on Oct. 12, 1953, to Gerald and Bertha (Sorrell) Badger in Utica, New York, where she was raised. She was baptized in 1953 and confirmed in 1967 at St. Agnes Catholic Church. She attended school in Utica, graduating from Thomas R. Proctor High School in 1971. Following school, Susan worked as a teacher’s aide at local schools. The family moved to Urbana, Ohio, for a few years in the early 1980s before moving to Luverne. While in town, Susan worked in hospitality at Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown, was a hospice volunteer, and worked several years at Pizza Ranch in Luverne.
Susan was a devoted member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, where she taught catechism, volunteered at adoration chapel, and helped serve at Mass. She loved her prayer books and was a faithful member.
Susan was an avid reader. She enjoyed camping with Jeff and Heather at Kayuta Lake in Forestport, New York, dancing with Denise, and spending time with Brittany and family at The Lake. Susan was a great listener and cared for everyone around her.
Susan is survived by her husband, Earl Horton, of Spokane, Washington; three children, Jeffrey Badger (Heather Bumbolo) of Utica, New York, Brittany (Jason) Remme of Luverne, and Allen Lampron of Luverne; 17 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; her mother, Bertha Badger of Utica; four siblings, Denise Gleba, Mark Badger (Kim Chapple), Todd (Tracy) Badger, and Kevin Badger of Utica; several nieces, nephews, family and friends; and special friend Marie Chapin.
She was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Badger; two brothers, David and Daniel Badger; sister-in-law Colleen Badger; and nephew Jason Badger.
Arrangements are provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
(1208 F)