By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council approved advertising the job description and community information to recruit a new city administrator Tuesday.City Administrator Search Committee members reported to the Council.Search Committee member Dave Smith said, "We’re trying to tap into as many avenues as we can."He said networking within state Chamber of Commerce groups and League of Minnesota Cities connections might draw a happily employed person to Luverne.Committee member Connie Connell also made contacts through the Blandin Foundation and Southwest Minnesota Foundation.Committee member Steve Perkins said drawing a currently employed person who is looking for a change is preferred, as opposed to hiring to someone who lost a job or left a job under difficult circumstances.He said offering a bigger salary might also draw a qualified, highly successful candidate.For that reason, the Committee recommended a salary of $80,000 to $120,000 depending on qualifications and experience. Perkins said managing many city departments requires more from Luverne’s administrator than in some other cities. He also said the salary is comparable with school superintendents.Connell said, "We’re open to discussion on the salary and we talked a lot about that. … But we are really committed to finding a highly-qualified person."She said cities of comparable size who operate their own electric and water utilities often have numerous boards or managers, whereas Luverne just has one.Perkins said, "We need to look at the position differently. In Luverne it is really a unique position. The charter places a great deal of responsibilities and duties on the administrator."Perkins said drawing a private-sector employee is an option as well as people with government experience.City staff, City Council members and a special community meeting all outlined ideal qualities of a city administrator. Perkins said, "There is no disharmony in those priorities laid out by those groups. We have to realize that recruitment can be difficult, however, when the last three city administrators left under difficult circumstances. People may have questions about Luverne."He said looking forward from now on is most important."At this point," Perkins said, "we need to fill the position and find somebody really good."Personality and intelligence testing as well as in-depth background checks will be a part of this search.Perkins said, "The packet [information for the job] has pages of issues that the city administrator has to tackle — it’s a big job."Timeline for administrator:Aug. 12: Deadline for applicationAug. 19-25: Semifinalist reference and background checks and testing Aug. 30: Presentation of candidates and selection of finalists Sept. 9-10: City tour, reception and interviews of finalistsSept. 12-16: Post-interview follow-ups, community visit, final selectionOct. 1-15: Administrator start date

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne and Dingmann Funeral Home are still ironing out details of how Dan Dingmann can move his business to the current Luverne Medical Center.The Luverne City Council approved Mayor Andy Steensma and Councilman Pat Baustian to participate in negotiations, since the city is without an administrator.There are a few options that both Dingmann and the city are considering, but time is becoming an issue.The new hospital and clinic will be occupied in August, and the memorandum of understanding between the city and Dingmann said he was to get the clinic 10 days after it is vacated and use parking to the north for customers. As it stood in the memo approved in December of 2003, the clinic and four lots north of the clinic would be sold to Dingmann for $235,000.The city would finance $100,000 of the purchase, to be repaid in 15 years.The city purchased the entire hospital and clinic building from Sioux Valley.Dingman is also selling Fledgling Field to the city.An architect just examined the clinic and hospital and recommended a section between the two that can be demolished without harming water or other utility systems.If that plan goes into effect, the city can sell the hospital portion for some other use. The city can also demolish it and sell it as a space for development. City Attorney Ben Vander Kooi said, "I could go into a lot of what-ifs but that’s as far as I’ll go now."Councilman Baustian said, "So many things are intertwined with these issues."Fledgling Field’s development has been a source of controversy; the Fire Department was considering using hospital space for expansion, and other businesses might want to use the existing hospital without the city being involved in demolition.The Council said it would be able to make firm decisions after more talks with Dingmann and his representatives.In other business Tuesday, the Council:
Received a report from water and wastewater supervisor Al Lais. He said that more of the northern residents of the city will be connected to the new water tower and notice increased water pressure.He also said the city has to replace parts of city wells, including meters and timers, because of damage from a lightening strike last Friday.
Heard a report from city intern Chelsea Park, who just completed her junior year at Luverne High School.She thanked the Council for the opportunity to work with the city. She completed a refuse and recycling survey of cities of comparable size to Luverne and developed a load management database that is used by the city for that utility program. Park also redesigned and added information to the city residents’ guide that newcomers receive.

By Lori EhdeA petition is gaining signatures among local people who support a smoke-free environment, and so far it has 665 names.Behind the petition is Nobles-Rock Public Health Educator Paula Anderson.She started circulating the petition last summer at the Rock County Fair as part of her work with Tobacco Free Communities Grant. The goal of the newly-formed Rock County SAFE Coalition (Safe Air For Everyone) is to have smoke-free public places in all of Rock County.Buildings and property owned by Rock County, the city of Luverne and the Luverne School District are already smoke-free.But the petition targets bars and restaurants in particular because of the danger second-hand smoke poses to both customers and employees."Waitresses have the highest death rate of any female occupational group," she said, "and that’s because of their exposure to second-hand smoke."A local billboard draws attention to smoke in restaurants. It says, "Smoke doesn’t know how to stay in the smoking section."Nine states have so far banned smoking in bars and restaurants. They are New York, Montana, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island.Anderson said a year after New York’s smoking ban, restaurants and bars in New York saw an 8.5 percent increase in business.Some counties in Minnesota have approved similar bans. They are Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, which include Minneapolis and St. Paul. Anderson said she doesn’t think Rock County is ready for a county-wide smoking ban in bars and restaurants, but she said she hopes the petition will help her increase awareness and public education."So many people think second-hand smoke is just an irritant," she said. "It’s not. It’s a toxin, and it kills more people than anything else, except tobacco use itself, alcohol or obesity-related ailments. … It’s the fourth-leading cause of preventable death."Anderson said she hopes the petition helps bring this information to light."We’re not trying to bring up any issues about smokers’ rights," she said. "We’re just trying to bring this forward as a public health issue."Her plan is to bring the petition to local municipalities sometime in 2006. The petition can be found at the Korner Gas Stop, Glen’s Food Center and Pizza Ranch in Luverne and at Rauk’s Hilltop Stop in Beaver Creek.

By Lori EhdeSchool Board members have hired a new principal for the middle school and high school in Luverne.They offered the position to Donna Judson, currently principal of Kenyon-Gleason High School in Kenyon, and she has accepted.Judson’s first official day on the job will be July 18, and she said she’s eager to start."I loved the town and I was very much impressed with how well everything was kept up," she said Tuesday, when asked why she applied for the job in Luverne. "People were so friendly."More than that, she said the school system in Luverne was what she was looking for."The school is beautiful," Judson said. "I was very much interested in the size of the school. I like to be in a school district where I can get to know all the kids, and the size of Luverne is very appealing."In the Kenyon-Wanamingo district there are 75 students per grade, compared with roughly 100 per grade in Luverne.She said getting to know the students and the community ranks among her most important initial challenges. She and her husband, Terry, who is self-employed in personal investments, are looking to buy or build a home in Luverne. "I hope to be a principal you’ll see out and about town," she said. "My husband I hope to be involved in the community … We look forward to the facilities and opportunities in Luverne."Judson has a bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., a master’s degree from Mankato State University and a specialist’s degree from Winona State University.She’s been principal in Kenyon for two years, and prior to that she was assistant principal in Fairmont for two years.In addition, Judson has 24 years of experience teaching physical education and adaptive PE. One-third of that time was in the elementary grades, one-third in middle school and one third in high school.She’s also coached volleyball, basketball, track and dance team.Luverne School Board will meet today at noon to formally approve Judson’contract, which sets her annual salary at $87,500.The middle school-high school principal position in Luverne was vacated by Gary Fisher, who was hired last month to fill the district’s superintendent position.Former Luverne Superintendent Vince Schaefer resigned from the post after six years in Luverne after accepting an offer for the superintendent position in the Beresford, S.D., district.

By Lori EhdeSioux Valley officials are expecting anywhere from 800 to 8,000 visitors at the public open house for the new hospital and clinic Sunday."There’s parking up there, but not enough to handle a thousand or more," said Diane Westenberg, hospital executive assistant.To alleviate potential parking and traffic congestion, arrangements have been made with Luverne School District and Heartland Express to shuttle people in and out of the facility.Westenberg said two school buses will be available, with a third on standby, and a Heartland Express bus will be available to transport handicapped riders.Riders can meet in the south parking lot of the Luverne Elementary School, and the first round of buses will leave at 12:30 p.m.Open house activities at the new Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center will start at 1 p.m. and continue through 8 p.m.Buses will shuttle riders back and forth throughout the day.While it’s difficult to estimate crowds for Sunday’s open house, hospital officials have tried to spread out the excitement over a series of separate tours.For example, Wednesday night’s Donor Wall unveiling was estimated to include 500 people for tours at that time.Also, groups of local public officials and hospital employees and their families have already toured the facility.The intent is that Sunday’s event be for members of the public who haven’t yet had a chance to tour the facility. See the 24-page hospital special edition included with this week’s Star Herald for more information about the medical facility and Sunday’s open house.

By Lori EhdeThe public open house at the new Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center is set for Sunday, but most roads leading to the facility are still closed.Luverne Public Works Supervisor Kenny Vos confirmed Tuesday that Christensen Drive is the only way to access the new hospital and clinic for the time being.Christensen Drive is an east-west residential street on the northernmost edge of town that accesses the medical center’s parking lot on the east side. Motorists can get there by taking North Blue Mound Avenue to Christensen Drive.Directing so much traffic down a residential street isn’t ideal, but Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr said it’s the only way to get there until construction of Highway 75 and 131st Street is completed.The new medical center prompted work on the two roads for two reasons.A north entrance was necessary on the back side of the hospital, so the former township gravel road, 131st Street, will serve that purpose. It is being transformed into a wide, paved, 10-ton road complete with curb, gutter and sidewalks.Highway 75 is under construction because a turn lane needed to be added for the hospital entrance on the south and west and for the 131st Street intersection. Also, the hill at that intersection needed to be graded down for safer stopping sight distance.The project started on May 11 and was due for completion during the second week of July – about now – weather permitting.So, far, Sehr said, weather has not permitted that schedule.He said since May 11, there have been 18 working days lost to wet conditions – about 3 calendar weeks."If there was no rain, the 40 working days would have ended the week of July 8," he said. "In the last five days we’ve had over three inches of rain on the project site."The primary contractor, Buffalo Bituminous, won’t be penalized for the rain days crews weren’t able to work on the site, but Sehr said the company will be charged for four days last week when it was out of town during dry working conditions.Traffic may be snarled for Sunday’s public open house at the new hospital and clinic, but Sehr said the facility will be accessible from Highway 75 in time for the first official day of business on July 29."Access will be available off 75 on opening day," he said, "whether the road work is done or not."He added that the Veterans Drive access on the west-southwest side will also be done by that time.Access from the north via 131st Street won’t be open until the first or second week in August, which is now the projected completion date in general for both that road and Highway 75. (131st Street has a calendar completion date of Sept. 16.)This will also postpone construction work scheduled for Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue, which was supposed to start Aug. 1.That project involves a mill and overlay of Main Street, from Highway 75 east to Blue Mound Avenue, and of Blue Mound Avenue from Main Street north to County Road 8.That work is expected to take about two weeks. "We’re going to try to squeeze in the work before Band Festival," Sehr said, referring to the Tri-State Band Festival, which is the last Saturday in September.Traffic will be allowed to use Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue while work is underway. Traffic flaggers will be on hand, and parking may be limited at times.

By Lexi MooreBill De Yager sold his Antique John Deere tractor collection at auction in Steen Wednesday.The collection, which began as a hobby for the farmer, consisted of 105 mostly-restored tractors.Wednesday’s auctioneer, Dennis Polk, welcomed a large crowd of national tractor collectors and local on-lookers to the sale on Wednesday morning."Top to bottom, this is probably the nicest group I’ve ever sold," Polk’s auctioneer’s note said.The tractor auction has attracted national attention because of its size and the large number of rare items on the auction block ,including a high crop, a styled BWH, a 430 T – single and a JD 730 LP.In addition to the tractors, Polk auctioned off miscellaneous John Deere parts and equipment.De Yager would purchase tractors through magazines, tractor shows and word of mouth. Many needed engine and bodywork.Refinishing the green and yellow tractors kept De Yager busy during the winter. At his peak, he was able to refinish six John Deeres."I do pretty much all of my own work," he said in a Star Herald article from 1991.Not long after beginning his collection, he started restoring tractors; De Yager realized his hobby was also an investment in his future.He said one tractor that he purchased for $100 had the potential to sell for over $3,000. He believes the value of all of his tractors has gone up since he started collecting. In November of 1987, De Yager opened his collection to the public. He welcomed visitors to his farm south of Steen to see inside the large buildings that hold his collection.A running guest book boasts comments from Germany, Holland and New Zealand.

Submitted storyThe Exchange Bank of Hills Town Softball team edged Ellsworth 6-5 in a recent Border League game.With the score knotted at five in the sixth inning, Greg Van Wyhe capped a two-hit game by driving in the game-winning run with a two-out double.Tim Bosch picked up his first pitching win of the season and helped his cause by slapping two hits, including one home run, during a two-RBI effort.Bosch fanned eight batters, surrendered 10 hits and walked one batter during a six-inning pitching stint.Chuck Hoffman tossed a scoreless seventh inning to earn his first save.Hills turned a triple play during the third inning of the game.With Ellsworth runners on first and second, Matt Metzger fielded a one-hop grounder near second base. Metzger tagged the runner out heading to third, flipped the ball to second baseman Van Wyhe to force out the runner heading to second, and Van Wyhe threw the ball to first baseman Hoffman in time to get out the player who hit the ball.Who’s hot?B.J. Boom has hit home runs in three of the team’s last six games, raising his average to .424.Dan Huisman pitched Hills to a second-place finish during the Fourth of July Tournament in Hills. He fanned 19 batters and yielded two hits during a 4-1 win over Ellsworth. Huisman recorded eight strikeouts and limited Steen to five hits in a 5-1 win. Northwest Iowa defeated Huisman 4-2 in the title game.Who’s not hot?Hoffman fanned during his first three official trips to the plate this season.Toby Smythe is 2-13 at the plate in the last five games, with his average dipping to .316 for the season.

By John RittenhouseSteve Esselink is playing professional basketball in North America.The 1999 Hills-Beaver Creek High School standout didn’t earn a roster spot for a team involved with any of the major basketball associations in this country, but he is getting paid to play hoops in our continent.And, according to his father, Gary Esselink, the leading scorer in H-BC school history is loving his new job."Steve’s playing in a professional basketball league in Mexico," his father said Monday."He’s a member of the Mexicali Soles, an expansion team in the country’s LNBP league. Mexicali is a city about 100 miles east of San Diego (Calif.), and Steve is living and playing there."According to the elder Esselink, the Soles (a Spanish word that means Suns) are the newest entry in the 20-team league.The new squad held tryouts in May, and Esselink earned one of three roster spots that are available to American-born players.The Soles, who currently sport a 2-2 record, will play 40-plus games from now through late October. The playoffs for the league will run through November.Esselink has made an instant impact for his new team.He scored 32 points during his league debut, which turned into an overtime loss for the team. The home game was played in front of a sellout crowd (4,500 fans) in Mexicali, as well as being televised and viewed by an estimated 75,000 more basketball fans throughout the country.Gary said his son is playing between 30 and 35 minutes through the first four games of the season, and he’s scoring points at a clip of 24 for each game."Steve said the players are treated like celebrities, and the team takes good care of them," Gary Esselink said."They fly to all of their games. The team puts them up in a house in Mexicali. There are three players in each house, and they all get their own rooms. Each house has a maid that does the cooking and cleaning for the players."Gary said his son seems to be adjusting to life in a new country well.He’s learning to speak the Spanish language, and he’s grown comfortable with his new life in Mexicali.Best of all, he’s getting paid to play basketball in a country that is devoted to the sport."He said the crowds seem to be more emotionally involved with the game in Mexico. That can be good or bad, depending if you are playing at home or on the road," Gary said."Steve doesn’t know what he’ll be doing after this season, but this will be an eye-opening, life-learning experience for him. He’ll get to see the whole country of Mexico, and he’ll get to see it for free."