10 years ago (1994)"It was bigger and better this year. …Ward reported that 62,000 pounds of garbage was collected on Saturday. ‘We had two garbage trucks full and Lyle (Bos) hauled away a fifth-wheel trailer and another small trailer full of appliances and iron,’ Ward said.On a normal Saturday collection day, Ward said between 31,000-32,000 pounds of garbage are collected."25 years ago (1979)"Linda Scholten, age 16, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Scholten, Beaver Creek, has been selected to be a state finalist in the 1979 Miss United Teenager Pageant to be at Winona State University in Winona." 50 years ago (1954)"Montie Horn, president of the local F.F.A. Chapter, received the highly coveted State Farmer Degree at the 18th annual State F.F.A. Banquet Monday evening, May 10. The degree is awarded to F.F.A boys for their excellence in farming and leadership. The total number awarded each year is limited to two percent of the total State Future Farmer of America members. Former Hills F.F.A. members who have received the degree are: Sheldon Sandager — 1942; Lee Sandager — 1943, and Edward Hartog — 1953." 75 years ago (1929)"The new fire siren was used for the first time last Monday evening at 7:30 when a phone call from the Simon Skovgaard farm, north of town asked for aid. The whistle had hardly quit blowing when the chemical wagon was brought into play and headed west. When the fire boys arrived they found that a spark from the gasoline engine in the workshop had started a fire and burned the building to the ground. The building contained a lot of tools and a barrel of gas, but luckily there was no wind to spread the flames to the house or barn." 100 years ago (1904)"When old Peter Halverson moved in from his farm this spring, his wife brought along an old family heirloom which has been in her possession for more than 45 years. It is an old Norwegian iron-bound chest which she inherited from her grandmother before leaving the old country. The figures 1746 are punched through the iron above the massive lock. Mrs. Halverson said the old relic has always been in the family and has evidently been handed down through seven or eight generations. It was made on the farm Hoff in Gran, Hadeland, Norway, and was brought to this country by its present owner when she immigrated in 1868. It was evidently made and presented to Mrs. Halvorson’s great-great-great-grandmother for her wardrobe when a young girl, as was the custom in those days."

Derek and Staci Bundesen have moved into their newly constructed home just south of the city apartments. Their residence has been sold to Brian Soehl who comes to Hills from Maine after retiring from the U.S. Navy. With him are his two daughters, Elizabeth, 5, and Emma, 3. Also, Paul and Stephanie Page and children have moved from the residence south of the school to the former Carrie Schouwenberg residence which they purchased.Leona Goehle, Tyler, spent an afternoon with Vic and Fran Sandager. Margo Edwards, Forestburg, S.D., was an overnight guest Saturday in the home of her mother, Harriet Skattum, and spent Mother’s Day with her.Cliff and Vi Van Wyhe attended a Mother’s Day dinner party at the home of Ron and Lexia DeWit in Sioux Falls Sunday noon. Others present were Steve and Marilyn and Justin Van Wyhe, Steen, Tom and Matthew Van Wyhe, Lindsay and Ashley DeWit, the Doug DeWit family and Mary DeWit, Sioux Falls.Vic and Fran Sandager and Mark and Karen Sandager were joined by Karen’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Prunty, Brookings, S.D., at a Mother’s Day dinner "out."Allan and Judy Top, Mike and Melissa Top and Chantz and Melissa’s mother of Sioux Falls enjoyed a Mother’s Day supper together in Sioux Falls Saturday evening. Bill Top, Sibley, Iowa, came for a visit Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening, Gerry and husband, Jim Sandstede took Mae out for supper in Sioux Falls. Mary Carter spent the weekend in the home of her daughter, Marilyn and Alf Metzger at Alcester, S.D. Sunday, they drove to Lyons, S.D., to have dinner in the home of her granddaughter, Joni and Todd Bunde. Charlie and Dawn Sandager and family spent Mother’s Day in the home of her sister, Laurie Johansen, in Tyler, with other relatives.Mother’s Day guests in the home of Joanne Goehle were Steve and Leanne Carmany and family, Tyler, Michelle and Mark Hadler and family, Edgerton, and Tom Goehle. Gerry Schlueter came from Lake Park Friday and spent overnight in the home of his mother, Luella Schlueter. Saturday they went to the Cities where she attended a bridal shower for her granddaughter, Kari Schlueter, whose wedding is scheduled for June 5. She attended a Mother’s Day celebration later that day when Ellen Hynes joined a group of youngsters who performed at a church gathering.

Do you remember who wrote the poem that began with the words "The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow, and what will the poor robin do then?" That is as much as I can remember and at this time of year, I don’t think I will worry much about the robin. What I am concerned about is when am I going to get my garden planted as the wind blows every day and he isn’t fussy about which direction he’s going to blow from. Each day I think tomorrow will be better, but no, it just blows from a different direction. So, the weeds take over. However, the lilacs are a beautiful color and my apple trees, which are in full bloom, make a beautiful white background and it would make a lovely picture. My garden is tilled but I haven’t purchased any garden seeds as yet. With this wind that continues to blow, my seeds would probably end up in Ash Creek! My beautiful deep purple lilacs have changed into pale lavender and my snow-white apple trees have lost most of their blossoms in the wind. So, enjoy what you have today as we don’t know what tomorrow might bring. Mother’s Day dinner guests in the Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra home were Larry and Joan Moeller and Margaret Moeller, Mitchell, S.D., Norman, Diane and Amy Sjaarda and Fred Tilstra. The afternoon was spent with Elizabeth Elbers who is a resident of Tuff Home in Hills. Bernice and Orrin Aukes and son, Jeff, were Mother’s Day dinner guests in the home of their daughter, Nancy and Steven Willers in Fairmont. Mother’s Day dinner guests in the Paul and Carole Aykens home in Orange City, Iowa, were Joyce Aykens, Worthington, Mildred Keunen and Jo Aykens, Steen. They also helped Paul celebrate his birthday.Saturday visitors in the Henrietta Huenink home were her children, Allan and Donna Bodewitz, Sioux Falls, Ken and Gwen Bodewitz, Valley Springs, S.D. Sunday visitors were Norma Van Wyhe, Lester, Iowa, and Jo Nuffer and family, Joe and Alex. Word was received here recently that Gary Rozeboom of Hills received a kidney transplant at Rochester the first of the week. If you wish to send him a card his address is: 1409 North Broadway, Rochester, MN 55906. I am sure he would enjoy hearing from you.Mildred Paulsen was a guest of Vern Behr and his sister, Caroline, to attend the Behr family Mother’s Day dinner in Sioux Falls.Steven Bosch, Minneapolis, son of Dries and Laura May Bosch, enjoyed the Mother’s Day weekend in the home of his parents. He returned to his home on Sunday. Melba Boeve, Marilyn Springman and Wilma Wissink left on Tuesday for Forest Lake where they spent Mother’s Day weekend visiting in the home of Julie and John Springman. Julie is Melba’s daughter. Wilma visited her son. They also celebrated the two daughter’s birthdays. They returned home on Saturday evening. Dries and Laura May Bosch were Mother’s Day dinner guests on Sunday in the home of their son, Paul and Diane Bosch, at Brandon. Other guests were members of Diane’s family. Mother’s Day dinner guests of Melvin and JoAnn Paulsen were his mother, Laura Paulsen and their son, Glen and wife Marla, and family of Sioux Falls. They enjoyed Mother’s Day dinner together at Luverne Pizza Ranch.The Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduation ceremony will be at 7 p.m. Friday, May 28. Baccalaureate will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 30, in the Hills High School gym.It seems May is a very busy month. I never thought about it before but the first day of May was May Day. How many of you received a May basket? Then there was Mother’s Day which is a holiday, a time for friends and family to get together and remember days gone by. The next big event is graduation! A special day for every young person some time in their life. They have completed their high school years and most all of us felt we had arrived as we graduated from high school. There is nothing wrong with that. After graduation our lives enter an entirely different world. I am going to leave you with a few helpful hints which might be helpful to you as you encounter many new and different experiences. It is titled, "Five rules for a happy life."1. You’re capable of standing on your own but taking full responsibility for your own actions. 2. Careful to maintain a regard for other persons regardless of race or religion.3. Able to start work under your own power and not be driven to do the task. 4. Mindful of the fact that happiness comes only to those who have purpose in life. 5. Able to take good fortune with a gracious smile and meet misfortune with faith in your ability to overcome it. Just remember there is no failure until you fail to keep trying!

Increasing numbers of milk drinkers in Canada have the best of all worlds. They are able to eat their fish and drink it, too. "Some landlocked Canadian cows are enjoying a little seafood with their hay and grain," recently reported Reuters, "so they can produce a new kind of milk being touted for its benefits for the brain, eyes and nerves." Researchers at the University of Guelph developed the milk, which is now produced by herring-fed cows in Ontario and sold by Canada’s largest food processor and distributor. The milk provides a fatty acid, commonly found in salmon, trout and mackerel, to diets of people who don’t eat enough fish. Only time will tell if consumers will fall hook, line and sinker for the new dairy product. Will they drink it like fish or will they think of it as just another crazy fish story? We can only imagine that when fisheries and dairies join forces, their new combination beverage will be offered in the following types –— whole, two-percent, skim and lightly battered. The article from Reuters failed to mention the name of the new dairy product. To differentiate the herring-milk from what Coca-Cola spokesmen might call "Classic Milk," it could be advertised as "mish" or "filk." Both names are short and catchy, perfect for the advice mothers feel obligated to dispense. "Now, be sure to drink your mish, children, or your teeth, bones, brains, nerves and eyes will fall out." What’s good enough for Canadians eventually finds its way to our own grocery shelves. The following tell-tale signs might indicate if you and your family are drinking milk from herring-fed cows: You might suspect something is fishy when, halfway through a glass a milk, you have inexplicable cravings for tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon. You read on the milk carton that the milk inside is processed by Chicken of the Sea or Mrs. Paul, better known for her fish sticks. The "Got milk?" ads in the media take on a new flavor — "Got herring?" or "Got mish?" You develop an adverse reaction to anything resembling fishing nets, including hairnets, fishnet stockings, and even basketball, badminton and volleyball nets. With enough of the new milk in your system, you discover that you react differently to old clichés, such as "swim like a fish" or "to be like a fish out of water." When people tell you they have "other fish to fry" or that so-and-so should "fish or cut bait", you find that you are suddenly craving a tall, frosty cold glass of filk. Canadian critics of the new milk view it as a "fish out of troubled waters." They believe cows should continue turning grass and hay into foods for humans. According to the critics, cows shouldn’t be part of a designer diet fad. If scientists and nutritionists are going to go through all of the time, money and effort anyway, they should be able to come up with more palatable food combinations than milk and herring. Let’s face it. A herring is little more than a sardine without its can. For example, how about feeding lobster meat to beef cattle? That way, we could experience a true "surf and turf" dinner — all in one bite.

By Jolene FarleySince 2002 local vehicle owners have had the option of renewing their license plate tags online directly through a Department of Revenue Web site instead of at the county court house. The cost for tags is the same on the Web site, but when renewals are done online, Rock County loses the revenue generated from fees charged for each license plate renewal and title transfer.Rock County charges a $4.50 fee when license plate tags are purchased for motor vehicles at the courthouse and a $7 fee for long form applications used when transferring a vehicle title. License plate and title fees alone generated a record $66,310 for the county in 2003, up from $65,358 in 2002, according to Rock County Deputy Registrar Wanda Kafka. The office also handles driver’s license applications and renewals, boat and snowmobile licensing and hunting and fishing licenses. Rock County officials have no way to gauge how much revenue has been lost by online renewals but they suspect it is a low amount."We don’t know who sends them in," Kafka said. "I have a feeling it’s quite low for Rock County." But Kafka said if more people renew online, the county will lose money."It will be less revenue because we will not see any of the fees, everything goes directly to the state," she said. "When 100 people do that it’s quite a lot of money. … That’s the operating income for our office. The state doesn’t fund the offices with any income to operate off of."Kafka attributes the low Internet renewal rate to the fact that some in the county don’t have Internet access or a computer and some don’t like to give credit card information online.Kafka said she never knows how many renewals they will have during the year because residents aren’t required to renew their license plates in the county they live in.

By Lori EhdeThe middle school-high school office remodeling project became another casualty in the long and difficult process of cutting the budget.During their Thursday, April 29 meeting, Luverne School Board members rejected all bids on the project, postponing the work at least another six months.Plans were to continue the heating, air-conditioning and ventilation work on the south wing of the building, in addition to remodeling student services and administrative offices.The bids came in higher than anticipated, and Schaefer recommended putting the project off in light of current budget constraints."It’s all about prioritizing spending," he said. "These offices needed to be updated since I got here how many years ago, but it’s not an emergency."He mentioned the all-weather track is in dire need of resurfacing, with some places worn down to bare concrete."It’s time to redo that track, but it’s time to do lots of things," he said. "We never want to do anything that loses the confidence of the voters and supporters of our school."The remodeling project will be rebid in January, when contractors aren’t as busy, and there’s more competition for work.
Saw a presentation by Adaptive Physical Education Teacher Jeanne Bowron and some middle school students on cup stacking.
Heard that four high school students qualified for the National Spanish Exam. They are Amanda Saum, Nicole Willers, James Broomsfield and Becca Sandager.
Heard from High School Principal Gary Fisher that prom went well. "We need to thank the parents and community — especially all the businesses — for their support for prom," he said.
Heard from Fisher about a new program, "Breaking Ranks," a process to improve school environment and structure of schools. It involves drawing on information from a cross section of ninth- through 12th-graders."Information we get back will help us look at things we need to do to improve," Fisher said. "It’s a starting point for school reform at the high school level."
Heard from Middle School Principal Stacy Gillette that the sixth-grade choir concert is May 6 and the Middle School play is at 5:30 p.m. May 14.

By Lori EhdeSeparating emotions from issues was difficult at times during the first round of budget cuts at the Luverne School Board meeting Thursday, April 29.Faced with a projected $375,000 deficit spending over the next few years, the board plans to make a series of budget cuts between now and July 1, the end of the school fiscal year.Most controversial so far is the board’s 5-2 decision Thursday to eliminate the positions of curriculum coordinator and alternative school director, at an annual savings of $39,000 for each position.Jan Olson has filled both positions for the past five years, with a strong record of improving both the alternative school and the district’s curriculum planning process.While it’s unclear how those responsibilities will be farmed out and what the ramifications of the cuts will be, one likely scenario would be that Olson’s time would divided between classroom teaching and administrative work.Board member Steve Tofteland voted against the motion, saying he wished he’d had more information about the cut and discussion on possible alternatives."I just got this information two days ago, and I’d like some discussion on it," he said.Board member Cary Radisewitz said he disagreed with Tofteland’s interpretation of the process, and he said the board was acting on a recommendation from people close to the issue."We’ve talked about this for a long time," he said to Tofteland. "What you’re saying is, ‘I think I know better than the superintendent and administrative team.""Can’t I ask questions?" said Tofteland, who also raised the issue of a $472,585 fund balance. "Can’t we use some of that money to take care of some of these cuts?"Radisewitz said that, too, had been discussed at length at prior meetings. "When I got on the board eight years ago, our goal then was to have two to three months of operating capital," he said. "You can ask questions, but I think you’re micromanaging."District Finance Officer Marlene Mann said the $472,585 fund balance is what appears on paper; and that doesn’t reflect what the state is withholding and "metering" slowly to districts to balance state budgets.She also said the proposal to cut the two positions had been presented at the April 15 board meeting and published in the Star Herald.Tofteland said he was merely trying to encourage an open process, and he quoted the board’s recently approved code of ethics that states board members must, for example take action after "considering the recommendation of the superintendent and only after the superintendent ahs furnished adequate information supporting the recommendation."Radisewitz said it’s not responsible for the board to put off unpopular decisions indefinitely."We’re called on to make tough decisions," he said. "This is an outstanding person, no doubt about it."The motion to eliminate the positions of curriculum coordinator and alternative school director was made by Don Bryan and seconded by Bill Stegemann.Board members voting in favor were Radisewitz, Stegemann, Bryan, Dan Kopp and Becky Walgrave. Voting against it were Tofteland and Colleen Deutsch.Schaefer clarified that cutting the position of alternative school director does not mean the alternative school is closing."It will continue, just with a new person at the helm," Schaefer said.Other personnel actionOlson wasn’t the only district employee affected by Thursday’s board action. Several others were notified that they’d either be terminated or their contracts not renewed.There’s a legal procedure and timeline the state requires for terminating non-tenured staff. Schaefer said he hoped the action could be temporary."When the budget process is completed there’s a chance this action may be reversed," Schaefer said. "But it’s important to note that this is in no way a reflection on their teaching abilities."That said, the board approved resolutions relating to the termination and non-renewal of the teaching contracts of probationary teachers Kelly Bergan, Jennifer Engesser and Lori Jacobs.In addition, the board passed resolutions placing James Lunder on unrequested leave of absence for half-time.In other personnel action the board:
Accepted the retirement of Lorna Harms, elementary head cook, effective at the end of the school year.
Accepted the resignation of Stacey Lihs, Middle School English teacher, effective at the end of the school year.
Approved a maternity leave request for Kari Lais, health teacher, from Sept. 1 through Jan. 2, 2005.Community inputUnder the agenda item, "community input," two people asked for the floor during Thursday’s meeting.Second-grade teacher Jane Cote urged the board to protect Luverne’s quality educational tradition heading into budget cuts.She also urged the public to get involved with the process. "Now is the time for everyone in the community to become involved, and it starts here," Cote said. "The quality of our children’s education does affect each and every one of us.Cheryl Thacker, parent of a incoming kindergarten student, encouraged the board to explore alternatives to all-day-every-day kindergarten, which is being considered as a cut in 2004-05 to save $137,000 per year.She said the most notable benefit of all-day- every-day kindergarten is identifying special needs students early, to rectify learning problems before they need more costly attention in later grades. "So does it not make more sense to concentrate our resources on those children who most need, rather pulling in all children with the same net," Thacker said.She suggested the board consider proven programs, such as Kindergarten Plus that works all day every day with kindergarten students who have been identified as having risk factors.

By Lori EhdeCell phone users dialing 911 will get better emergency service in Rock County, thanks to grant money that’s allowing some local improvements.Dispatch Supervisor Terri Ebert learned last week that the Rock County Sheriff’s Department was approved for a $164,800 grant through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.The money will be used for hardware improvements that will make it possible for Rock County dispatchers to locate cell-phone users using Global Positioning System."If someone’s upside down in their vehicle in a blinding snowstorm, they call us, and we ask them where they are and lots of times they have no idea," Ebert told County Commissioners at their Tuesday meeting.With Rock County’s current emergency system, 911 calls placed from residential locations automatically alert dispatchers where the call is coming from.Cellular 911 calls aren’t linked to this system."We’re getting cell 911 calls, but they’re coming up with no information," Ebert said.She said cell phone companies assign their users to geographic emergency centers, but since Rock County borders South Dakota and Iowa, it presents unique problems."We get calls from Iowa — way down in Iowa," she said.In addition to improving emergency cell service, the grant will allow Rock County to make related technical improvements in the Law Enforcement Center and to boost reception on the west side of the county with a 150-foot-high radio tower.Out of 110 applicants vying for $2.5 million in available grant dollars, Rock County was one of 17 recipients.This year has been a good year for emergency management money in Rock County, with a total of $220,000 granted so far in state and federal funding.Rock County has also been approved for an additional $50,000 in federal Homeland Security funding, and another 4,000 from the Minnesota Office of Domestic Preparedness.

By Lori EhdeOn Tuesday, it was the County Board’s turn to take the lead on re-establishing connections with Luverne City Council.Commissioners decided to schedule a meeting with the council to appoint a City-County Liaison Committee.County Commissioners had requested in March that City Council provide direction as to which services the city would like the county to continue providing. Specifically, the City-County Liaison Committee is in charge of the joint law enforcement contract.The city took action at their April 13 council meeting to send a letter to county commissioners requesting a meeting time to discuss the liaison committee.As of their Tuesday meeting, County Board members hadn’t received that letter, and decided to initiate their own correspondence instead."We have July 1 budgets, and it’s now the first meeting in May," said Commissioner Jane Wildung. "We should have been doing this in January, February and March. It’s getting critical that we begin thinking about a lot of issues out there."The County Board suggested meeting dates of May 10, 11, 19 and 28, with full boards present, along with administrators and legal counsel.Last-minute approval of hot mix asphalt plantThe board approved a last-minute provisional permit for Duininck Bros. Inc., Prinsburg, to start an asphalt mixing plant in a pit about five miles east of Hardwick.Harris Duininck requested County Board members grant early permission to start the asphalt pit before the permitting process was technically complete.A company representative had mistakenly overlooked the permitting timeline, and the company already has a portion of Highway 91 in Nobles County torn up, ready for an asphalt overlay.To complete the legal permitting process would take two weeks, and Duininck said that would pose a hazard to motorists in that area if left that long.The board asked County Attorney Don Klosterbuer if granting early permission would be legal, and Klosterbuer replied that doing so would be to ignore their own land use ordinance."You open yourselves to liability issues with the public," Klosterbuer said. "Your risk is if you grant it and any one of the neighbors at any point objects to the process."Duininck said he would personally contact anyone within a half-mile radius of the asphalt plant to see if there are objections.As far he knew, affected residents include Dwight Bremer, Arlyn Sneller and John Schiebout in Battle Plain Township. Meanwhile, the board approved a provisional permit to start a hot mix plant, subject to complying to the legal process by the next County Board meeting and subject to obtaining signatures from the affected neighboring residents.Klosterbuer warned Duininck of the tight restrictions on the provisional permit."There better not be one load of that going anywhere but Highway 91," Klosterbuer said. "We’re doing this for Highway 91, so there better be no commercial sales."Tobacco-free county parks coming soonPublic Health Educator Paula Anderson and student members of Rock County Partners in Prevention attended Tuesday’s County Board meeting to present information on tobacco-free parks.They asked the county to adopt a policy similar to one recently approved by the Luverne City Council that would prohibit tobacco in all Rock County parks.County areas affected would include the Little League ball diamonds east of the County Highway Department property, the soccer fields along north Blue Mound Avenue and Schoneman Park south of Luverne.The board agreed to endorse the idea and develop a plan clarifying the terms of the policy for county residents and employees.The actual policy will be approved at a future County Board meeting. Recycling contractCommissioners are reviewing the county’s contract with Ketterling Services for recycling and are considering some changes.The contract was on Tuesday’s board agenda because the county is receiving less money from the state to support recycling and other environmental programs."We don’t have enough money to continue the current recycling program," Commissioner Wildung said.The board is considering cutting services or changing the materials included in the program.The Solid Waste Committee of Wildung and Commissioner Ron Boyenga will bring a recommendation to the board.