OCTOBER 14, 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, October 14, 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, Gary Fisher, Stacy Gillette, Jane Cote, Tor Boen, 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 Deutsch, to approve the agenda with adjustment. Motion unanimously carried. Jane Cote, representing Bookin’ Buddies, reviewed with the school board the $1000 award recently received from the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority.Administrative reports were given.Motion by Stegemann, second by Kopp, to approve the school board minutes of September 28. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Tofteland, to set a special school board meeting for Thursday, November 4, at 12:00 p.m. in the District Office to canvass the election results. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve the Statement of Assurances as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Stegemann, to approve the 2004-2005 Staff Development plan as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Stegemann, second by Bryan, to approve Cliff Carmody, SW/WC Service Cooperative, as facilitator of the strategic planning process. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Tofteland, second by Deutsch, to change the October 28 school board meeting and Capital Outlay Hearing to October 26 at 7:30 p.m. tentatively. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Stegemann, second by Bryan, to approve the hiring of Cory Ziegler as long-term substitute for Angela Janiszeski as Discovery Time teacher through November 24. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Tofteland, second by Deutsch, to set the meet and confer dates of November 10, 2004, and March 9, 2005. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Tofteland, to table the Community Education Director contract. Motion unanimously carried. No committee reports were given.Superintendent Vince Schaefer reviewed the referendum presentation. A public forum was set for Monday, October 25, at 7:00 p.m. in the Elementary School Library.Motion by Stegemann, second by Radisewitz, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: October 14, 2004Colleen Deutsch, Clerk(11-4)

The Senior Nutrition Program is accepting bids to provide noon meals at several dining locations from 1/1/05 – 12-31/05. Call Nutrition Services, Inc. at (507) 835-9145 for bid specifications. Deadline for bids is November 24, 2004.(11-4)

MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATECERTIFICATE OFASSUMED NAMEMinnesota Statutes Chapter 333The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted:Agri-Energy2. State the address of the principal place of business. 502 S. Walnut Luverne MN 561563. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name or if the business is a corporation, provide the legal corporate name and registered office addresses of the corporation. Agri-Energy Limited Partnership 502 S. Walnut Luverne MN 56156Agri-Energy, LLC 502 S. Walnut Luverne MN 561564. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath./s/ David KolsrudOctober 18, 2004 David Kolsrud, General ManagerDavid Kolsrud (507) 283-1910(11-4, 11-11)

By the time you read this column all of the special events will be a thing of the past. I didn’t have any ghosts or goblins at my door on Halloween, the Boston Red Soxs won the World Series and we are back on Central Standard Time and all is going well. Our weather continues to be on the unpredictable side. (So what else is new?) It sounds like we might be receiving more precipitation. This is not good news for our farmers who still have corn in the field. I have a word of consolation for them. I heard on the radio this morning that fishing is very good when it rains. So why not forget the fieldwork and just go fishing! Good luck!Sunday dinner guests in the Harvey and Gertrude Rozeboom home following the morning worship service in Steen Reformed Church were Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bosch, Chino, Calif., Pete and Trudy Teune, Steen, and Gil and Betty Teunissen, Inwood, Iowa.Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bosch are here to visit their granddaughter Rachael Dahl who attends Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Steen Senior Citizens had their November meeting Monday afternoon at Steen Community Center. Cards and games were played. Lunch was served by Verla Baker.The Inspiration Hills harvest supper sponsored by the Women’s Auxiliary will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Monday afternoon coffee guests in the Jo Aykens home in honor of her birthday were Henrietta Huenink, Winnie Scholten, Jennie Schouwenburg, Joan Hoogeveen, Verla Baker and Mildred Keunen. The Hope Circle of the Women’s Society of Steen Reformed Church will hold their meeting at the Dries and Laura May Bosch home in Brandon, S.D., on Wednesday afternoon. The Hills-Beaver Creek FFA members are having their annual FFA fruit sale through Nov. 1. If no one has contacted you and you are interested in purchasing some fruit, call one of the FFA members or the H-BC School. I am sure they would be happy to know about your interest. The choir concert for grades K through 12 at the H-BC School will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the Elementary School in Beaver Creek. Saturday evening Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bosch, Chino, Calif., Harvey and Gertrude Rozeboom, Gil and Betty Teunissen, Inwood, and Pete and Trudy Teune enjoyed supper together at Luverne Pizza Ranch.I love going back to Central Standard Time! My day seems to be several hours longer. I do not know why but I think the extra hour of sleep helps us to be more alert and more competent. At any rate, time influences many things in our lives. We all have schedules to meet. We have no way of controlling our daily time. We cannot control time to suit ourselves. Time continues to run at its own speed. Time really influences our lives.I will give you a few examples of it. These are all taken from song titles, "Time on My Hands," "Your Time Is My Time," "Get Me to the Church on Time," Three O’clock in the Morning," and I could go on and on. However, we all know that "Time Marches On." There is very little we can do about it.I found an article titled "Create Energy," and I thought I had found the solution to our problem — but no. Everything that has been tried would not or could not work because of these two reasons: 1. Only an individual human being can generate human energy; and 2. only an individual human being can control the energy he generates. So, you see, that takes care of that!Then I ran across this story about a clock titled "One Tick at a Time," written by Daniel L. Moodly."There was one clock pendulum waiting to be fixed. It began to calculate how long it would be expected to tick day and night, 60 times a minute for every hour 24 hours a day times 365 days a year. It was awful! Enough to stagger his mind. Millions of ticks!‘I cannot do it,’ said the poor pendulum. But the clockmaker encouraged him. He said, ‘Do just one tick at a time. That is all that will be required of you.’So the pendulum went to work, one tick at a time and it is still ticking!"Perhaps this could be our answer. Just stick to what you are doing and it will all turn out right!

10 years ago (1994)"It took just three quarters to get the job done as the Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots defeated the Nicollet Raiders 46-0. H-BC now moves into the finals of the section nine-man playoffs Saturday The game is set for 1:30 p.m. at Edgerton. The Dutchmen stopped their opponents 55-36 Tuesday night."25 years ago (1979)"John Minette and Ann Brehm, co-owners of The Crescent, have started a newspaper in Ellsworth. The first issue of the new publication, called The Ellsworth Voice, was printed and distributed by mail this week. The Voice will concentrate on the news and advertising needs of the people of Ellsworth and surrounding areas. In the beginning copies will be circulated free to more than 1,000 families in that area. Subscriptions to the new paper will be sold at a future date."50 years ago (1954)"Carpenters are coming along nicely on the new home for Emil Hoyme in the east part of town. The furnace is in and the siding is on. Hills folks are happy to have these new homes coming up in our town, with prospects of more in the spring."75 years ago (1929)"The home of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Ruud was the scene of a pleasant gathering last Saturday afternoon, when a number of neighbors and friends, bringing well-filled lunch baskets, dropped in to spend a few hours." 100 years ago (1904)"The Halloween imps were out as usual Monday evening but not much damage was done. About the only thing that raised the ire of the inhabitants was the ringing of the church bell at the hour of midnight, especially as old Mr. Colby was laying very sick only two blocks away."

Mallory Jo, infant daughter of Chad and Jenny Nelson, Magnolia, was baptized Sunday morning at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Her sponsors were Jenny’s sister Stacey Swanson and Chad’s brother, Cory. They celebrated the occasion on Saturday evening by going out to supper in Sioux Falls. Six young people were confirmed Sunday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Among them was Ashley Hoyme, daughter of Eric and Wanda Hoyme. There was a gathering in the church with these guests: John and Sharon Boeve, Howard Hoyme, Neil and Kathy Hoyme and Katie of Pierre, S.D., Ken and Nancy Nielsen and Ron and Betty Techer, of Hull, Iowa, John Vanderberg, Doug and Lynette Bos and family, Doug and Lois Boeve and family and Pastor Berg.Rebecca Sandager, daughter of Mike and Nancy Sandager, and Brianna Sandager, daughter of Robert and Dawn Sandager, were also confirmed. They had a joint reception at Robert’s home with special guests being Dawn’s parents, Marvie and Bob Peterson and all her brothers and sisters and families. Nancy’s special guests included her father, Merlid Garlid, Center City, and her sister, Karin Rost, River Falls, Wis. Other Sandager members present were Sheldon and Ellie Sandager, Jo and Floyd Wulf and Beth Sandager, Herrick, S.D., and Carolyn, Jim and Andrew and friends.There was a confirmation gathering in the Doug and Sheri Scheerhorn home for Victoria Parrow and her brother Yancy. Gene Scheerhorn attended with other relatives and friends. Carol Scheerhorn was unable to attend.Perry Lien, Huntington Beach, Calif., spent several days in the area visiting old-time friends and also spent time with Gene and Shirley Sundem in Sioux Falls.There was a birthday party for relatives and friends a week ago Saturday in the home of Tyler and Amy Susie for their son Bailey who was four years old. Paul and Carolyn Randall, Jeffrey and Nathan returned to their home in Stillwater last Sunday after spending a few days with Carolyn’s mother, Erma Schubbe. Melvin and Violet Hecht attended confirmation Sunday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Inwood, Iowa, when their grandson Tyler Hecht was confirmed. He is the son of Kevin and Lori Hecht, Inwood. Last Monday evening Cliff and Vi VanWyhe and Earl and Laura Warner, Sioux Falls, had dinner together and afterwards spent the evening in the VanWyhe home. Sonja Berg and Amy motored to Sioux City, Iowa, Sunday to attend the confirmation of Sonja’s nephew Zachary Johnson at First Lutheran Church and the reception following in the home of Gary and Jeanne Johnson. Stacey Swanson, Phoenix, Ariz., came last Thursday to spend until this Thursday in the home of her parents, David and Nancy Swanson. Steve Heidenson, Battle Lake, left for his home Saturday morning after spending three days with his parents, Dick and Audrey Heidenson. Ian Sandager, Tommy Sandager and Gaer Sandager, Colorado Springs, Colo., spent the weekend in the home of Mark and Karen Sandager. Mary Carter went to a Lutheran church Sunday for the confirmation of her granddaughter Rachael Bunde, daughter of Todd and Joni Bunde. A dinner followed at their home. Don and Edyth Briggs, along with Norm and Joyce Wessels, were dinner guests in the Orland and Lois Ahrendt home in Luverne. Vi VanWyhe visited Saturday morning in the home of Marvin and Donna Warner at Larchwood, Iowa, and attended the craft show at the Kathy Reinke home. Carol VanMaanen took her mother, Helen Top, to Chandler Saturday where they attended a birthday party for Helen’s cousin Ethel Sankey’s 100th birthday. She had nine children, all who are living, and all were present at the event. Evelyn Rogness is now back in her home in Hills.

By Sara QuamThe Rock County Sheriff’s Office received the final evaluation of its community policing training.The report recommends that joint law between the city of Luverne and Rock County continue in order to keep the community policing style of law enforcement."I appreciated the positive evaluation," Sheriff Mike Winkels said. "I’ve always said that community policing is something Rock County has always done, but we had good additional training."The final report said, "Problematic to the hiring and maintenance of an effective and stable work force has been the fiscal challenges facing the County Board and the primary contract entity, the Luverne City Council. Cutbacks in state aid funding have stretched both the city and county budgets ... This has created an uneasy environment for the several new hires and for those seasoned deputies who were looking forward to promotional opportunities."The Rock County Board of Commissioners and the Luverne City Council jointly funded the training throughout two years for a total cost of $52,900.The report also said, "The Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute merely served as a catalyst and facilitator for an agency and a community that wanted to make changes and were willing to work hard to make the necessary improvements."The final evaluation leaves the department with recommendations, some of which are:
To continue with joint law enforcement between the city of Luverne and Rock County
To continue interaction with the community
To implement a promotional selection process for a patrol supervisor position
To create a citizens’ police academy
To develop community oriented policing meetings that would involve all city governance
To use local cable access television, e-mail, newsletter or other methods to communicate with the people of Rock County.The evaluation notes positive changes in the department and employees such as:
Sheriff Winkels modified the existing organization while long-time staff was retiring.
The new K-9 unit was added.
The Sheriff redefined what he expected from deputies when they are on patrol. Previously, deputies just looked for crime in progress and hoped that their presence deterred crime.
The "waiting to respond" philosophy of being on duty has changed to a "problem solving and proactive approach."Much of the success of community policing is lower crime rates, meaning officers are preventing crime by their new skills. Sometimes people judge a department by the number of tickets or arrests, but community policing credits the absence of crime and community involvement.Winkels said, "The community is more involved after the past couple years. They know their neighborhoods and are comfortable bringing information to our office."The Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute, Woodbury, evaluated the department before the community policing training started. The training included classes in various topics — from ethics to organizational skills to drug identification. That first evaluation highlighted shortcomings in the department and outlined how training could fix the problems.Some of the previous problems were:
Deputy distrust in leadership
Unwillingness of some deputies to interact with the community
A lack of clearly defined leadership and accountability in the officeCounty Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "The report was done by an independent group who did a nice job of training. I feel good about the work they did and about the work the department has done for the past few years."

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne is considering purchasing a new fire truck that will keep its insurance rates stable and include a ladder that now can reach the highest building in town.The potential new truck is actually a used 1985 truck from Maple Grove that would replace the 1957 model for $100,000.The old truck didn’t have a water pump and its ladder couldn’t be used because of safety violations. It was basically used as a ground ladder carrier.The new truck has a ladder that will reach Luverne’s tallest building, Blue Mound Tower. It also has a six-person cab, 1,500-gallon pump, an intercom system, and it pumps air and water to the platform.First Assistant Chief Tim Anderson said, "Basically, it’s a cherry of a truck." He saw the truck in person and got copies of all maintenance records.Chief Don Deutsch said, "This also has to do with maintaining our Insurance Service Organization rating." The ISO rating helps determine how fire departments are charged for insurance.A similar new truck would cost $800,000.The city may borrow the money from the refuse fund and pay it back over five years, if it decides to purchase the new truck.

By Sara QuamThe Luverne Economic Development Authority is working on a deal that could bring another restaurant to town.Culver’s Restaurant, under the ownership of Chad Huebner, Sioux Falls, is negotiating for land south of the Comfort Inn. Economic Development Director Jill Wolf shared negotiations with the LEDA Tuesday.The LEDA offered Huebner a $200,000 loan with a 15-year term. The first two years would require only interest payments in order to give the business time to establish. The interest offered was 6 percent for the first year and then would be adjusted to 2 percent higher than the city’s interest earnings for the year.A unique part of the Culver’s deal would also involve the Verne Drive-In Theater. It attracts 53,000 people during the summer months. The city wants to continue that draw during cooler months, April, May and October, in order to continue that heavy traffic through town.To keep the drive-in theater open, the city is offering to waive electrical charges for April, May and October.Wolf said, "Not only would that be good for Culver’s, but for McDonald’s, Subway and Country Kitchen. The gas stations would get more traffic, and all retail would benefit, really."If the deal is approved, the city of Luverne would hold a second mortgage on the Culver’s building and land.The LEDA has just made the offer at this point and nothing is finalized.LEDA members also discussed concerns at a Tuesday meeting. Karis Gust said, "It’s a sizeable loan, and it’s in fast food."Most of the employees would be part time. Seven full-time employees would receive health insurance, dental insurance, 401K retirement fund, life insurance and paid time off.The owners, in a partnership, will be required to have 15 percent equity up front.City Administrator Greg LaFond said, "It’s difficult to reach a balance between existing businesses and new business development. … We will tell you it’s a difficult balance you need to strike."He pointed out that existing businesses can access help and services through the city as well.LEDA member Bob Kaczrowski said he hoped the restaurant’s name recognition would draw people off the interstate and into Luverne for other businesses.Twisted ChoppersThe custom motorcycle parts business, Twisted Choppers, is still interested in moving and expanding in Luverne’s Job Opportunity Building Zones.Because the state of Minnesota leadership favors relocating out-of-state businesses to JOBZ, the state may offer assistance to help the move take place.Twisted Choppers, now by Tea, S.D., expects to start with six employees and have up to 24 in a few years.The LEDA is working on an offer that would help it relocate across from the Verne Drive-In.The benefits include a $350,000 loan with the interest only for the first five years at a rate of 6 percent. The city would hold a second mortgage on the building and land.Also, the LEDA is offering a $30,000 grant for equipment and $5,000 in training assistance for new employees.Twisted Chopper has local investors and part owners, including Jeff Ernst, Luverne.