Law Library 9:00 A.M.Rock County Courthouse December 21, 2004Chair Jarchow called the meeting to order with all Commissioners present. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to approve the December 21, 2004, County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, to approve the December 14, 2004, County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Bakken, to approve the following consent agenda, declared carried on a voice vote. 1. FSA Contract 119-23135-05 w/Southwest Crisis Center to provide community education and prevention services; effective 01/01/05 – 12/31/05. 2. Rural Energy Task Force membership dues - $2,000The County Board was informed that the anticipated 2005 Homeland Security funding had changed; $25,000 had been pulled from the state allocation to the counties.The County Board was informed the county would be receiving a Safe & Sober grant award of $1,000 on December 28th, 11:00 A.M. in the Law Library of the Courthouse and that they were all invited to attend. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Hoime, to approve the 2005 County Board meeting schedule, declared carried on a voice vote. County Board Meeting Schedule – 2005 January 4 July 05 January 18 July 19 February 8 August 02 February 22 August 16 March 08 September 06March 22 September 20April 05 October 04 April 19 October 18 May 03 November 08 May 17 November 22 June 07 December 13 June 21 December 27Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to re-classify the Support Enforcement Aide at Family Services Agency to Child Support Officer effective 01/01/05, declared carried on a voice voteMotion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to authorize the purchase of (2) AFICIO 1232C copier/fax machines with additional paper deck and 1000 sheet finisher/stapler unit for the amount of $9,145.00/unit for the offices of Administrator and Sheriff with a portion of the expense to be paid from the remaining balance from a VSO equipment grant - $368.71. Motion was declared carried on a voice vote. Don Klosterbuer, County Attorney, reviewed the Rock County Pool & Fitness Center agreement with the City of Luverne. Following discussion, motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to extend the pool agreement and request additional information for capitol expenditures as well as the current status of the operational budget, declared carried on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Boyenga voting nay. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to reject the City of Luverne resolutions proposing to extend the law enforcement and dispatch agreements and directed the County Attorney to inform the city of this action based on the county’s position that the law enforcement contract is currently in place and effective through 2005 and that the county would be willing to negotiate a new law enforcement contract beginning 01/01/06. Motion was declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board was informed that the City of Luverne continues to discuss options for the animal impound; no action was taken. The County Board was also in receipt of the County’s response to the Department of Administration Information Policy Analysis Division pertaining to a complaint received from the Luverne City Administrator Greg LaFond.Gloria Rolfs, Auditor/Treasurer, presented a claims and per diems of $1,310.00; motion by Wildung, seconded Boyenga, to pay the claims as presented and per diems, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of the claims is available by request at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office.General $ 13,943.83Ditch 31.50LEC .00Road & Bridge 10,567.88Welfare 71,305.38Landfills 4,618.69TOTAL $100,467.28Motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to set the final levy to include the debt service at $3,261,258.00; a roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Bakken, Hoime, Wildung, and Jarchow voting aye and Commissioner Boyenga voting nay. Motion was declared carried.General Fund $2,207,324.00Library 114,075.00Road & Bridge 880,988.00Welfare 908,062.00Debt Service 69,489.00Landfill 22,878.00State Aide (941,558.00)TOTAL $3,261,258.00There was a discussion regarding postage expense on behalf of the Rock County Collaborative; the County Board directed that the expense be paid through the FSA budget by order of the Chair. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, to approve the employment contracts for the Administrator, Engineer and Family Services Director and the set elected salaries for year 2005 and to set the Per Diem rate at $40/half day meetings and $80/full day meetings, declared carried on a voice vote. County Administrator - $70,000 Auditor/Treasurer - $46,800 Sheriff - $62,400 Engineer - $78,000 Commissioners - $13,000FSA Director - $67,500 County Attorney’s Office - $101,000Commissioner Bakken stated that he had attended the SWCD meeting and that they are continuing to discuss establishing a technician position that will be funded through cost share dollars. Commissioner Hoime stated that he had attended the Buffalo Ridge Regional Railroad Authority meeting, a Judicial Ditch meeting and Hazardous Mitigation Planning meeting. With no further business to come before the County Board, meeting was declared adjourned. Bob Jarchow, Chairman of the BoardATTEST:Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board(1-6)

DECEMBER 16, 2004MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.A regular meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Thursday, December 16, 2004, at 7:30 p.m.The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Dan Kopp, Cary Radisewitz, Bill Stegemann, Steve Tofteland, and Becky Walgrave. Also present: Superintendent Vince Schaefer, Marlene Mann, Vicki Baartman, Matt Crosby, K101/KQAD Radio and Lori Ehde, Rock County Star Herald.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Becky Walgrave. Superintendent Schaefer gave announcements. Motion by Kopp, second by Stegemann, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Administrative reports were given.Motion by Stegemann, second by Deutsch, to approve the minutes of the November 29, 2004, school board meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Stegemann, second by Kopp, to pay the district bills as presented in the amount of $952,920.44. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, seconded by Bryan, to receive the Student Activity Report showing the balances as of November 30, 2004. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Bryan, second by Stegemann, to approve the final Levy Limitation and Certification 2004 Payable 2005 at the maximum allowed amount of $1,356,145.51. This reflects a 9.14% reduction as established by the State. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Kopp, second by Bryan, to approve the updates to Policy 1004.02 – Use of School District Facilities and Equipment. Motion unanimously carried. A motion was made by Stegemann, second by Kopp, to set a bid date of January 25, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. to receive bids on two school buses and one suburban. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Radisewitz, to name Member Stegemann as legislative liaison for the Minnesota School Board Association. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Bryan, second by Deutsch, to approve Lynette Stensland as long-term substitute for Angela Ahrendt as Title 1 teacher for twelve weeks. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to approve the student teaching agreement with Southwest Minnesota State University for Denae Besel. Motion unanimously carried. Committee reports were given. Chairperson Walgrave, on behalf of Mr. Schaefer and the School Board, expressed thanks to Don Bryan and Steve Tofteland for their years of service as School Board members.Motion by Kopp, second by Stegemann, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: December 16, 2004.(1-13, 2005)

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A VARIANCE TO THE CITY OF LUVERNE ZONING ORDINANCENOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the City of Luverne Board of Appeals and Adjustments that a public hearing will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, Luverne, Minnesota, at 5:05 p.m. on January 24, 2005, to consider a variance, as requested by Shirley Honken, to City Code (1) Section 11.35, (3) (c) to allow less than the required 20 ft. back yard setback, (2) Section 11.35 (2) (a) to allow less than the 7000 ft. minimum total lot area; and (3) Section 11.35 (2) (d) to allow less than the required 100 ft. lot depth in the R-1 Low Density Residential District on property located at 218 N. Oakley St., Luverne, Minnesota. All persons wishing to be heard in favor or in opposition to the variance request should be present at the hearing or present written comments prior thereto to the City Clerk. Anyone needing reasonable accommodations or an interpreter should contact the City Clerk’s office, 203 E. Main St. (507) 449-2388.MARIANNE PERKINSCITY CLERK(1-13)

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALETHE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described mortgage:DATE OF MORTGAGE: May 1, 2000MORTGAGORS: William H. Bullis and Terry R. Bullis, husband and wife.MORTGAGEE: Option One Mortgage Corporation.DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Recorded May 12, 2000, Rock County Recorder, Document No. 147827. ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. its successors and assigns, as nominee for "First Union National Bank, as Trustee of the Amortizing Residential Collateral Trust, 2000-BC3", without Recourse, Dated: June 22, 2001, Recorded: July 24, 2001, Document No. 150527.LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:The North Seventy-Six (N 76) feet of Lot Fourteen (14) in Auditor’s Plat No. 3, Subdivision of Outlot Seventeen (17) in County Auditor’s Plat of Luverne Outlots in Section Ten (10), Township One Hundred Two (102) North of Range Forty-Five (45) West of the 5th P.M.COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: RockORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $43,190.00AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $51,038.03That prior to the commencement of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by statute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof; PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: March 3, 2005 at 11:00 A.M.PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Office, West Entrance, Law Enforcement Center, 213 East Luverne Street, Luverne, MN to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys’ fees allowed by law subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns.MORTGAGOR(S) RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE: None "THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED."Dated: December 30, 2004Mortgage Electronic RegistrationSystems, Inc. its successors and assigns, as nominee for "FirstUnion National Bank, as Trustee of The Amortizing ResidentialCollateral Trust, 2000-BC3", without RecourseMortgagee/Assignee of MortgageeUSSET & WEINGARDEN P.L.L.P. By: /s/ Paul A. Weingarden Paul A. WeingardenAttorneys for Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee 4500 Park Glen Road #120Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952) 925-6888 40-1242 0002868594THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.(1-13, 1-20, 1-27, 2-3, 2-10, 2-17)

Forget Brad and Jennifer; read the Star Herald for lastest on love and marriageI wasn’t a bit surprised to hear Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are parting ways.I’d probably say I don’t care, except that this couple was actually married four years, and in Hollywood, that’s a long time.I care only in the sense that I’m mildly disappointed. From the little I’ve gathered about these two, they seem like sincere, benevolent individuals.They’re known not only for their TV and movie roles, but for their generosity on the other side of the camera — a quality we hoped would help with "happily ever after."I wouldn’t even be writing about the breakup if the whole thing didn’t bug me so much professionally.I’m bugged that it makes news at all, and I’m bugged that so many people are talking about it.To me, a Hollywood divorce is never that newsworthy. From the few glimpses I’ve taken at "Access Hollywood," it’s usually more a question of how many times movie stars have been married and divorced, rather than if they’re getting married or divorced.What I’d really like to see in the tabloids is a big headline every time a movie star reaches a milestone wedding anniversary. For example, I’m told Paul Newman and his actress wife Joanne Woodward have been married more than 50 years. Now there’s something to read about. Let’s not waste ink on the predictable movie star affairs and subsequent divorces.Stick to reading the Star HeraldFor a real quality read, the Star Herald is working on a special edition that features local couples mastering the marriage game.Our annual bridal special edition is inserted into the paper on Jan. 27, and while it’s geared for couples planning weddings, it will also highlight married couples who have agreed to share insight on real life after the wedding.We’ll feature couples married for 1 year, 10 years, 25 years and 50 years.They’ll be asked to share wedding pictures, offer their thoughts on marriage and give advice for newlyweds.If you’d like to participate in the project or nominate a couple to be featured, call me at 283-2333 or e-mail me at editor@star-herald.com.We’re not looking for the "perfect couple" or for those who consider themselves romance experts. The best examples will be those who consider themselves happily married, despite bumps they’ve encountered on the way to their current anniversary years.Deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 18, for submissions.

It was just after Christmas that the world changed for many and the word "tsunami" became a recurring theme on nightly newscasts and in newspaper headlines. The incredible loss of life and property will, in the end, reach staggering numbers that most of us will have trouble wrapping our minds around. The response of the entire world, including our own country, has been admirable as billions of dollars and thousands of relief workers from around the world have poured into the devastated areas.On a recent Monday evening, I along with several others from our church had the privilege of leading a chapel service at the Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls. There was a crowd of about seventy in attendance, mostly men. They came for a hot meal, and a part of the deal was that they had to sit through a chapel service first. They were good sports about it. They sang the songs, listened to a message, and then were served a hot meal. Many of the people were also staying in the Mission’s facilities, receiving a hot shower and a bed for the night.There is an important connection between those two events.When something large happens, it gets our attention, and rightly so. 200,000 deaths is not just a statistic, it is the death of 200,000 individuals. People matter. Individual people matter. They matter to Jesus, they should matter to us.The global response to the tsunami has been incredible to watch, but a part of me wonders if we are responding to what has happened to people or to the tsunami itself. Don’t get me wrong. I think the amount of relief pouring in is great; it’s the right thing to do. But why is the response to a big event like the tsunami so much greater than the response to people right here around us?The men I talked to at the Union Gospel Mission are important to Jesus, too. They matter to Him, they should matter to us. They have lives, families, hopes, and potential. One man told me that he was ten days sober and taking it a day at a time. Another man had recently been beaten into a coma down in Florida but dreams of writing and singing music. Those men matter.Frankly, we don’t have to look across the border into South Dakota either. Right here in Rock County there are hurting, needy individuals who matter to Jesus. Do they matter to you? When John the Baptizer was preaching in the wilderness, he told the people, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry" (Luke 3:11 New Living Translation). In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus told his followers that giving someone food, drink, and clothing and visiting them was the same as doing all of that for Him.Those are things we can and should do for the people right around us, not just for those on the other side of the world.Or is that too personal, to be involved in the lives of people right in our community? Maybe it’s easier just to write a check and then wait for the next big event to happen. Maybe it’s easier, but is it right?

I am carrying a heavy weight on my shoulders this week. The loving husband is gone and has left me with the burdensome and arduous task of taking care of the minnows. We went ice fishing last weekend and had some leftover bait. When the "leftover bait" gets turned over to my care, it turns into "pets." Sometimes I refer to them as "the boys." For example, I may say to Barb and April at the end of the workday, "Well, I guess I better get home and change the water on the boys." or "Three of the boys died last night and I had to bury them in the minnow cemetery." Kidding. I don’t really have a minnow cemetery. I’m just grateful that the loving husband didn’t leave any leeches or waxworms to take care of. They aren’t much fun to play with and they’re rather uncommunicative. Minnow care is an art form and volumes have been written about it. Here is a brief description I found on the Internet (slightly revised). Handle your little baitfish like you would the big fish you’re going to catch. Both have delicate skin covered with a protective slime coat. Rough treatment will rub off the slime that buffers them from abrasions that may knock off scales and damage the skin. The end result will be a highly stressed fish, not a good thing for you or the fish. Minnows need oxygen or they will go to minnow heaven. You can use a battery-powered aerator to help sustain the oxygen supply. Or you can give them fresh water every few days. We used an aerator one year, but people made fun of us. Now we just replace the water. Alert: Minnows do not survive in chlorinated water. Keeping the water temperature cool will help your new pets survive. We just keep the boys in the entryway, which is chilly, but not freezing. If you need to change the water or add water, be careful because extreme changes in water temperature will cause your loved ones to go into shock and die. No one wants to be responsible for that. Once the minnows become your pets, you will have a hard time using them for bait. I try to "accidentally" release as many as I can without being noticed. This, in itself, is an art form. If you find that using your pets as bait is more than you can stand, bring a book along and read instead. Don’t drop it in the ice hole. A good choice might be the new title by Joy Fielding, "Puppet." Amanda Travis is a successful 28-year-old attorney who wins just about every case for her less than admirable clientele. A Florida transplant, Amanda races through her glamorous life, concerned only with herself, a good bottle of red wine, and her pristine Palm Beach condominium. Her estranged mother, dead father and two ex-husbands have lagged far behind. When ex #1 won't stop calling, Amanda finally gives in. He tells her that her mother shot a man at point-blank range in the lobby of Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel. Despite her best arguments, Amanda knows she must return to her hometown to face her demons and uncover the hidden facts behind her mother's violent outburst. Soon she is drawn into the dark, strange power her mother seems to hold over everyone. Her childhood nickname, Puppet, echoing in her ears, Amanda must finally confront the past in order to be free of the ties that bind and learn to stand on her own. Don’t forget to sign up for the adult winter reading program. The more participants we have, the better chance we have of winning a $500 cash prize to buy new books.

Scientists hope to learn more about humans from our cousins, the chickens. That’s right — chickens, our next of kin. An international team of researchers recently identified the one billion letters of the DNA code in chickens and, quite surprisingly, about 60 percent of protein-coding genes in chickens match those in humans. The scientists believe that chickens flew off our rung on the evolutionary ladder more than 310 million years ago, which is slightly longer than some chicken leftovers have been aging in my refrigerator. (To shed some light on how long ago we separated from chickens, consider this. Over 310 million years would make us more distant than third or fourth cousins, but we still wouldn’t want to marry chickens because such relationships are banned in most states.) The DNA discovery may explain the similarities we have shared with chickens throughout the ages and the references to gallus domesticus which continue to surface in our language and culture. For openers, perhaps the corporate decision to change the name of Kentucky Fried Chicken didn’t have anything to do with fats or fat-free diets. Maybe it came about because we don’t need to be reminded that we’re eating our own kind. Call it a Donner Party sensitivity. It might be why some guys tend to strut around like barnyard roosters when they could just walk. It may also explain why they carry combs. Our similarities with the bird world might be why some of us tend to chicken out when the pressure’s on and why other people call us "big chickens." This might be the reason why we find pecking orders in our workplaces and why we think our paychecks are slightly better than chicken feed. In a world of pre-pubescent pop singer wannabes, it might be why so many mother hen types feel compelled to protect their cute chicks. It explains why not all "Why did the chicken cross the road?" jokes are funny. Sometimes it’s difficult to laugh at ourselves. The new DNA studies might explain why it was so easy to understand the adventures of Henny Penny and The Little Red Hen when we were young children. This might explain why some of us count our chickens before they’re hatched while others of us are more timid and afraid to play chicken. It may be why children used to come down with chicken pox rather than a sickness related to another species, such as ground squirrel pox or giraffe pox. This might be why some of us are never able to think beyond the most basic of philosophical questions, "Which came first – – the chicken or the egg?" The DNA studies might also shed some light on why certain spouses, many of them birds of a feather, try to rule the roost. Other spouses, less in control, might run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Our similarities might be why a few of us eat like birds. Ancestral links with chickens might explain why players on golf links score birdies and eagles rather than kitties and puppies. Finally, when author E.B. White wrote to humorist James Thurber, "I don’t know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens," he may have been referring to us.

I read the Star Herald this week thinking businesses in Luverne would be praised for passing the Alcohol Sting, but I guess that does not get published. It only gets three weeks of front page if you fail. I think equal press should be given this year as to last. But, we can publish we had four DWI’s, which was great, but nothing of the four bars and bowling alley passing the Sting. No one hears the good acts that happen.(Go, Coach Rops!)Dave HalversonSharkee’s Sports BarThe Star Herald received the Sting information from the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. It appears on the front page of this edition.