I’ve always subscribed to the belief that bad things happen in threes.Friday night in Lamberton, the Adrian Dragon wrestling team will have the chance to prove me wrong in that belief.After the Dragons disposed of Pipestone in the quarterfinal round of the Section 3AA Wrestling Team Tournament Tuesday night in Worthington, they gained position to win what could be their third consecutive section championship.I consider AHS to be the cream of the crop when it comes to wrestling in Southwest Minnesota. If the Dragons complete their quest for a three-peat Friday, it would be tough for anyone to refute my conclusion.A title in Lamberton would give the Dragons their best three-year run since the 1980s, when they made three consecutive appearances at the state team tournament since 1983-85 under legendary coach Jim Carr.I wasn’t around here at that time, but I’m sure many area scribes placed the AHS teams of the middle ’80s on the same pedestal as I do of the Dragon teams of recent years.Since I don’t know anything about Adrian’s glory years of the past, trying to compare them with the AHS squads of this century would be stupid on my part. All I really know is the modern-day Dragons are pretty good.According to current coach Gregg Nelson, AHS hasn’t lost to an unranked team during the last three seasons.During the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns, AHS compiled a stunning 70-9 record. They went 36-6 and placed second in state in 2003-04, and followed it with a 34-3 season that ended with a third-place finish at the state tournament last year.Counting Tuesday night’s win over Pipestone, the 2005-06 Dragons have a solid 29-7 record."When we went through our schedule at the beginning of the year, we thought having 10 losses at this point of the season would be a good year for us," Nelson said."We knew we lost six seniors from last year’s team that were horses. We needed some other kids to step up and fill in for us in order to be successful this year, and a lot of the new faces in our lineup have been doing a good job. Obviously, we surpassed our expectations."The key to Adrian’s mat success is what appears to be a bottomless pool of talent.When I looked back at the results from Adrian’s state tournament appearance in 2003-04, I was stunned to find out only four current varsity wrestlers were members of that team.Current seniors Brandon Bullerman, Nate Engelkes and Cody Reverts, and freshman Tony Thier are the lone links to the third-place finishing squad of two years ago. That means at least 10 new individuals have stepped up to the varsity level since then, and they made the transition without AHS missing a beat in terms of success."We just have some really good, coachable kids. They are hard-working, and they are willing to listen," Nelson said."Another thing that helps us is the strength of our schedule. More than half of the teams we have faced are ranked teams. Our seven losses came against teams that were ranked in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Oklahoma. Our schedule is tough, and it makes us a better team."Adrian’s salty schedule could help make it a history-matching team if it can win the section title in Lamberton Friday.Considering the Dragons already have beaten two of the three teams (Windom and T-M-B) they might face in the final two rounds of the tournament, I wouldn’t bet against AHS from achieving its three-peat.Nelson, on the other hand, isn’t ready to celebrate anything until it’s settled on the mat."If we’re at full strength, we’ll be the team to beat. But we’ll just have to wait and see what happens Friday. We haven’t lost a match to an unranked team in more three years, and it wouldn’t be a good time for that to happen Friday."If AHS does capture the section title, I’ll have to come to grips with the fact that not all things that happen in threes are bad.

As you see in today’s Star Herald (page 5A), Big Loser II is underway. There are two teams, as there were in Big Loser I, but this time each team has eight members, compared with six last time around.One of the amazing things to me is that you can take 16 people and divide them into two teams and end up with a difference of only four pounds between the two teams. The Weigh Downs II started with a total weight of 2,070.2 pounds and the Pound Busters II started with 2,074.2 pounds.After this week’s weigh in, Weigh Downs II takes the early lead in the team competition by dropping a little more than 38 pounds as a team compared with Pound Busters II, who dropped 35 pounds. Orv Green, who is on the Weigh Downs II team, led all losers by shedding 15.2 himself.There are two married couples in the competition this time, Rick and Joy Dawson and Melissa and Tom Sterrett, and like the first round of Big Loser, the couples have been split up. I wonder if there were any chocolates exchanged on Valentine’s Day at the Sterrett or Dawson households.Being a part of the Big Loser weight loss promotion has greater powers than anyone could have imagined. It seems as we laid out the Big Loser II page for last week’s Star Herald, Carol Foster was on the Pound Busters side of the Big Loser scale, but on the printed version of that page that appeared in the Star Herald, somehow Carol disappeared from the scale. I am happy to report we found her, and she is included in today’s paper.

By Lexi MooreMembers of the Hills Fire Department met with the Hills City Council and representatives from Martin Township to discuss payment of an outstanding bill.In October the department purchased breathing apparatuses from a fire department equipment supplier using money they received through a FEMA grant.A representative from the company attended the meeting on Tuesday night to discuss a discrepancy in the bill. He said the department owed an additional $3,850 for the purchase of seven air bottles. This portion of the bill exceeded the amount of funding the department received through FEMA.Hills Fire Department member Mark Top handled the negotiations with the company and said he was promised seven free bottles if the department purchased a three-year service agreement.The representative explained to the parties involved that there had been a miscommunication during the negotiations. He was unwilling to take back the equipment because it had been used by the department.He offered to decrease the bill by $1,000, an offer that was not accepted by either the city or the township.After a lengthy discussion, township and city officials offered to pay half of the outstanding balance, owing $962.50 each. The company representative accepted this offer.Both Hills and township officials agreed to allow the department to donate old breathing gear to a department in the mutual aid area.Debris must be removedGeorge Reining appeared before the council regarding a letter he received following the January meeting.The letter reflected the city’s decision to require Reining to remove all debris from his property, including concrete.Reining, who lost his home to a fire in November, had asked the council to consider letting him bury the concrete from the basement rather than hauling it from the property. This would save him considerable expense.Reining said he just wanted his opinion to be heard. "I will pack the concrete three, even four feet below ground level and then cover it with dirt."Council members voted to stay with their initial decision to require all debris to be removed.However, they did mention that if George found a buyer for the property who didn’t care if the concrete was buried, he and the buyer could appear before the council to discuss the issue.Following the vote, Mayor Jim Jellema said, "George, I know that everyone at this table sympathizes with you. We are not doing this to hurt you – we just have to think about what is best for the town."Legion renovationsHills City Council members plan to get quotes and begin work on renovations in the American Legion building on Main Street.Interior painting and improvements to the lighting have been scheduled for spring.The city is considering adding a new water heater to the building. Currently the building does not have hot water in the bathrooms. The council asked City Clerk Connie Wiertzema to contact Hansel Plumbing to fix the problem.Replacing the sidewalk on the east side of Main Street is also being considered. The sidewalk has frost cracks and is missing pieces in some areas.The cost of replacing the sidewalk would be shared by the city and Main Street business owners based on the footage in front of each building. March meeting changeThe City Council March meeting will be on March 6 at 6 p.m.The regular meeting date, March 14, is the same night as township elections.

By: Lexi MooreThe Hills-Beaver Creek school district received $23,662.10 in vouchers from the Microsoft Corporation in February.The vouchers were the result of a $174.5 million settlement from a class action suit, which alleged that Microsoft overcharged Minnesota consumers and businesses for products.School districts in Minnesota applied for an estimated $55.2 million in vouchers to purchase new computer hardware and software.Under terms of the 2004 court-approved settlement, any consumer or business that purchased certain Microsoft software for use in Minnesota was eligible to receive vouchers for varying dollar amounts to purchase new computer hardware or software.In November, H-BC Superintendent David Deragisch requested more than $26,000 in new hardware and software products to be used at the elementary and high school. The total was based on a $21,000 estimate he received from the Minnesota Department of Education.After the deadline for the public closed, half the value of the unclaimed vouchers was made available to the Minnesota Department of Education.Last fall 467 school districts applied for vouchers of varying dollar amounts from several hundred dollars to $6.3 million.The voucher amount available to each district or charter school was determined by its percentage of the state’s total free and reduced price lunch eligible students.Software vouchers will be used to purchase Microsoft Word for Macintosh computers at both the high school and elementary school. In addition, the district will upgrade the software used in both libraries.The district will purchase a server, network printer and projector for both buildings with the portion of the vouchers designated for hardware.All-School Reunion Update:Information on the all-school reunion planned for students who attended Steen, Hills or Beaver Creek Schools was mailed this week.Administration officials at H-BC created a six-page informational packet to mail to alumni of the three former school districts. The packet details the events of the weekend, including meals, children’s activities, a silent auction and tours, as well as contact information for lodging options in the area.Other school news:Jessie Leenderts and John Sandbulte were nominated as H-BC’s local Triple A winners.Triple A winners competed at outstanding levels in fine arts, athletics and academics.Leenderts and Sandbulte each wrote an essay, got a teacher review and filled out paperwork in order to compete at the section level.Candidates selected as the top male and female Triple A winner at the section level will go on to compete at the state level.

By Lexi MooreFor seven years the Beaver Creek Sportsman’s Club members have gathered once a year to share their love of the outdoors with friends, neighbors and relatives during their annual Wild Game Feed.The afternoon event offers food, games and a raffle at the Beaver Bar in Beaver Creek. It gives non-members a chance to eat a good meal, learn more about the organization and become members.Club members gather at the bar early in the morning to begin preparing the food for the freewill donation meal. The meal depends on what club members have in their freezers from various fishing and hunting excursions over the past year."We have had a lot of different types of food throughout the years," said Club President Arlyn Gehrke, "… turtle, snake, elk, deer, duck, pheasant, alligator, rocky mountain oysters and more."The club organizes a raffle for the event to help raise money for their community projects. In 2005, the group used money from the raffle to help purchase and install a new dock at the Rez in Hills and started treating the Rez’s algae problem. The algae treatments are costly and will need to continue for two additional years before the situation improves.Residents interested in purchasing raffle tickets can contact BCSC members prior to the event or at the bar on Saturday. The tickets cost $1 each or $5 for a book of six.Raffle prizes will be outdoor items of all kinds. Last year’s raffle included a cooking fish won by Ed Gehrke, pictured at left, and Lonnie Ackerman, above, took home a VIP trip to Cabela’s in Mitchell, including the flight from Sioux Falls, and a $50 gift certificate.The drawing for raffle prizes begins at 6 p.m., but winners do not need to be present to win.The day of the feed the group will sell separate raffle tickets for a guided pheasant hunt. Unlike the regular raffle, the pheasant hunt winner must be present to win.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek boys put up a good fight before dropping their 10th straight game in Edgerton Tuesday.Playing Southwest Christian on the Eagles’ home floor, H-BC played with the hosts most of the night.The Patriots, however, experienced a scoring drought during a portion of the second half, and it led to a 71-62 setback.H-BC got off to a fast start by scoring the first nine points of the game.SWC tied the game at 10 moments later and sported a 30-29 edge at halftime.The teams continued to exchange blows in the early stages of the second half before H-BC entered a lapse that allowed the E-Gals to gain control of the game."It seemed like we were stuck on 38 points forever," said H-BC coach Steve Wiertzema.Aaron Esselink played a solid game for H-BC by scoring 31 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.Tom Scholten collected seven caroms, while Cody Rozeboom and Adam Finke distributed five and three assists respectively.The 1-21 Patriots host Murray County Central Friday and Adrian Tuesday.Box scoreVan Wyhe 0 2 2-2 8, Rozeboom 0 0 2-3 2, Finke 2 0 1-2 5, Scholten 2 0 2-4 6, DeBoer 1 0 1-2 3, Hup 2 0 0-0 4, Sandbulte 0 1 0-0 3, Esselink 12 0 7-10 31.Team statisticsH-BC: 22 of 58 field goals (38 percent), 15 of 23 free throws (65 percent), 32 rebounds, 19 turnovers.SWC: 24 of 68 field goals (35 percent), 15 of 24 free throws (63 percent), 28 rebounds, 15 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek girls recorded their first basketball win since Jan.10 when they traveled to Lake Benton for a non-conference contest Monday.It’s been 34 days since the Patriots beat Westbrook-Walnut Grove at home on that night in early January, but that time span — and a 10-game losing skid — became a thing of the past when H-BC rolled to a 72-39 win over the Bobcats.H-BC coach Jason Blosmo said his Patriots lacked rhythm during the first half of Monday’s game but managed to take a commanding 35-16 halftime lead.The Patriots put everything together while outscoring the Bobcats 37-23 in the second half to secure a 33-point victory."We played decent defense in the first half, but we didn’t move the ball very well," Blosmo said. "In the second half we did some things well offensively and were able to pull away."Chelsi Fink had a big night by scoring 25 points and recording five steals for the winners, but a number of players made contributions to the cause.Stacy Bush netted 13 points and passed for seven assists, Kerri Fransman tossed in 17 points and snared seven rebounds, and Kari Roozenboom charted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.Amanda Tilstra and Brittany Helgeson finished the game with 10 and seven rebounds respectively. Helgeson added four steals.The 5-18 Patriots host Southwest Christian tonight before ending the regular season in Slayton Monday.Box scoreFransman 6 1 2-4 17, Bush 3 2 1-3 13, Tilstra 0 0 1-2 1, Fink 10 1 2-3 25, Helgeson 2 0 0-0 4, Roozenboom 3 0 4-6 10, Hoyme 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsH-BC: 29 of 72 field goals (40 percent), 10 of 18 free throws (56 percent), 46 rebounds, 22 turnovers.

Hills-Beaver Creek Dist. 671Minutes1-09-06The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board met for its semimonthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the library in Hills. Board members present were Harnack, DeBoer, Fransman, Esselink, Boeve, Leuthold and Baker. Superintendent Deragisch and Principal Holthaus were also in attendance. The meeting was called to order by Superintendent Deragisch. Visitors to the meeting were recognized by the chairman. The only visitor was Meredith Mammon of TDK Accounting, the auditor for the school district. Motion by Esselink, second by DeBoer, and carried to approve the agenda. Patriot Pride: The calendar by the Beaver Creek Fire DepartmentMildred Moerke ScholarshipGym lights purchased by the HS Student CouncilThe audit report was presented by Ms. Mammon.Elementary report was given by Mr. Holthaus.High School report was presented by Superintendent Deragisch. Election of School Board Officers. Chairman – Gary Esselink Vice-Chairman – Ann Boeve Clerk – Lloyd DeBoer Treasurer – Lois LeutholdCommittee Assignments (1st person listed is the chairperson) Personnel/Negotiations/Budget Esselink, Boeve, DeBoer Building and Grounds DeBoer, Boeve, Baker Transportation Esselink, Leuthold, Baker MSHL Baker, Fransman Policy Leuthold, Esselink, Harnack Curriculum Boeve, Leuthold, Fransman Safety DeBoer, Baker, Fransman Standards/Staff Dev./Cont. Ed Boeve Community Ed/ECFE Leuthold Gifted and Talented Baker Legislation EsselinkMotion by Boeve, second by Baker and carried to establish meeting dates and times as the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as sent out.Motion by DeBoer, second by Fransman, and carried to approve the bills. Motion by Leuthold, second by Boeve, and carried to approve the 2004-2005 audit.Dates to Remember: January 11–13 MSBA Convention January 16 Teacher Inservice January 23 School Board meeting at 7:30 p.m.Agenda items for next meeting: MSBA reportMeeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.Lloyd DeBoer, Clerk(2-16)

10 years ago (1996)"The H-BC Patriot boys used stingy defense and solid rebounding to beat rival Luverne 65-60 last Tuesday night. Four Patriots scored in double digits. Aric Leenderts led the way with 20 points. Matt Metzger had 15, Chris Putnam had 11 and Jerrad Brouwer added 10."25 years ago (1981)"The boys and girls basketball teams at Hills Christian School took home two second place trophies from the Northwest Iowa Christian School Tournament for Class C schools." 50 years ago (1956)"Mr. and Mrs. Everett Fikse went to Kansas City, Mo., last Thursday to attend a Fact Finding Convention. They returned home Monday evening. En route home they stopped at Orange City, Iowa, to call on Rev. and Mrs. J.D. Vande Lune to learn that the pastor was in the Orange City hospital, confined there last week from a heart attack. They report he is getting along well."75 years ago (1931)"H.H. Nordby’s new feed mill is now in running order, and to Oliver Skattum belongs the honor of being the first farmer to have grinding done, the first test and try-out being last Thursday night. Everything was found to be in first-class running order, and Mr. Nordby is now ready to do your grinding in quick order.We find the mill is equipped with twenty-six inch burrs and power for same is furnished by two 30 h.p. motors, and grinds feed at a capacity of 300 bushels per hour. It is really a wonderful massive machine and must be seen to be appreciated."100 years ago (1906)"All aboard for our next Grand Homeseekers Excursion to Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado on Tuesday, Feb 20th. Round trip for only $15, including free sleeper. Homesteads can still be had but they are being picked up fast and all those desiring homesteads should not put it off longer, but plan to go with us on our next excursion. We charge only $10 for locating you on a claim. This includes free livery. Also, we can sell you a quarter adjoining your claim for from $3 to $8 an acre. Advise us no later than Saturday, the 17th so we can get your ticket and reserve a berth. A.C. Finke Land Agency, Hills, Minn."