Cole Janshen, infant son of Calvin and Stephanie Janshen, Luverne, died Wednesday, March 19 at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne. Burial will be 12:30 p.m. in Richland Cemetery, Inwood, Iowa.

Gena Dibbern, 102, Luverne, died Thursday, March 20 at her daughter's home in North Mankato. Visitation will be Sunday, March 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne. Services will be Monday, march 24 at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Rev. Maurice Hagen and Rev. Dell Sanderson officiating.

Mabel (Bendt) Tobiason, 91, Enid, Okla., formerly of Luverne, died Sunday, March 9, 2003, at Methodist Home.

Services were Thursday, March 13, in Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Christopher Hall officiated. Burial was in Zion Lutheran Cemetery at Fairmont, Okla.

Mabel Bendt was born to Frederick and Mary (Luitjens) Bendt on Aug. 2, 1911, in Luverne. She graduated from Luverne High School in 1929. She then attended beauty school in Sioux Falls, S.D., graduating in 1932. She worked as a beautician in Sioux Falls.

She married Trygve “Trig” Tobiason in 1942 at Luverne. They farmed for several years before moving to the Enid area in 1984.

Survivors include her husband, Trig Tobiason, two sons, Orvin Tobiason, Covington, La., and Darrell Tobiason, Enid; two grandchildren; and one sister, Dora VanWesterhizen, Orange, Calif.

Mrs. Tobiason was preceded in death by one granddaughter, four brothers and two sisters.

Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Methodist Home.

Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Ruth Kathryn Smith, 87, Hills, died Monday, March 10, 2003, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.

A memorial service will be at a later date. The family requests no floral tributes at this time. However, donations in Ruth’s name to Tuff Memorial Home in Hills would be appreciated.

Ruth Searles was born to Jesse F. and Clara A. (Warne) Searles on Jan. 3, 1916, on the family farm near Rock Rapids, Iowa. She graduated from Beaver Creek High School.

She married Henry Gerald Smith on July 11, 1937, on the family farm near Beaver Creek. After their marriage, the couple moved to Adrian where they owned and operated Smith’s Bakery for 44 years.
Following Mr. Smith’s death in 1983, she moved to Luverne.

Mrs. Smith was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church. She loved to bake at home and was famous for her desserts.

Survivors include three sons and their spouses, Richard (Jacqueline) Smith, San Francisco, Calif., Robert (Daryl) Smith, St. Louis, Mo., and Donald Smith and partner Marion Boyer, Taipei, Taiwan; seven grandchildren, Angie, Jeffrey, Jessica, Sara, Marcus, Jennifer and Michelle; two great-grandchildren, Alexis and Austin; four siblings, James Searles, White Bear Lake, Joseph Searles, St. Paul, JoLoyce Holmes, Lusby, Md., and Clevonne Jeka, Calumet City, Ill.

Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Henry, one sister, Marion Mills, and three brothers, Jack, William and Donald Searles.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, is in charge of arrangements.

Donald Soehl, 68, Hills, died Tuesday, March 11 at Luverne Community Hospital. Visitation will be Thursday, March 13 from 1 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Roste Funeral Home, Hills. Services will be Friday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, Luverne. Burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery, rural Beaver Creek..

By Jolene Farley
At a Monday meeting, the Hills City Council discussed where to decrease the city’s budget if Minnesota state aid is cut by Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s plan.

The state hasn’t notified the city of specific cuts yet, but the council decided on a plan of action to follow when and if those cuts occur.

Mayor Jim Jellema suggested the city not do sewer work that was budgeted for this year. The city routinely contracts to televise (run a camera through the lines) a portion of the sewer lines for needed repairs and problems.

The contractor generally works on the sewer lines until he reaches the dollars allotted by the city.
Depending on the amount of repairs needed, the contractor could complete several blocks or only a few blocks of work each year.
"We’ve done that every year … we could probably hold back on that," said Jellema.

After some discussion, the council decided to eliminate funds budgeted for the purchase of a tractor and pickup for the city.

Jellema cautioned that the pickup is getting worn and it may or may not make it through another year.
If the state aid comes through, these items could be added back into the budget.

The council also discussed not seal coating the streets this year as an alternative money saver. The east side of town was done last year and the west side of town was budgeted for this year.

The council decided against cutting the street budget and awarded the seal coating job to Top Coat, Yankton, S.D., after reviewing bids.

Fire department budget
The council reviewed the proposed $31,425 Fire Department budget for 2004 but didn’t approve it.

The total budget for 2003 was $23,350, according to City Clerk Connie Wiertzema. The increase in the proposed 2004 budget is attributed to a $2,000 increase, from $3,000 to $5,000, in the Firemen’s Relief Fund contribution, a $700 increase in the truck replacement fund, from $2,300 to $3,000, and an increase in roof expenses from $500 to $6,000. Officials plan to replace the roof on the fire hall in 2004.
Fire department expenses are split with Martin??? Township, so the budget must be approved by the township board in addition to the Hills City Council.

One of the board members questioned why taxpayers should be asked to contribute more to the Firemen’s Relief Association fund.

A portion of the money in this fund, used to pay for the firemen’s retirement, was invested in the stock market and devalued as the stock market fell, according to the council.

Council Member Arlen Leenderts asserted that the fire department has several firemen retiring with 25 to 30 years of service and the department pays out $475 for each year of service.

"For the time spent and for what those guys put in … the time … it’s not much," said Council Member Dana Dahlquist.

"We can’t make a decision (about the budget) one way or another until we have more answers from the firemen and we see if the township goes along with it," Jellema said.

He suggested a representative from the fire department come to the next meeting with more information on the Firemen’s Relief Fund for the council.

Volleyball courts
The board agreed to donate $400 toward repairing the existing volleyball courts in the park and at the Rez and building another court.

The Lion’s Club and the Hills Community Club have already agreed to donate $400 each toward the estimated $1,200 project.

"They’d like to get a better turnout for tournaments during Friendship Days and there’s enough interest in town to start a league," Stacen Burgers said.

Burgers added that since most of the residents interested in joining a league have young children, they would like the new court to be at the park rather than the Rez.

Volunteers will dig and haul away the dirt for the new court, to be located about 200 feet southwest of the current court in the park.

The groups also want to redo the court at the Rez for use during tournaments and by campers.

The project could cost more than $1,500 if the electrical work for lighting costs more than the allotted $500, according to Burgers.

Propane tanks
The board discussed whether the city should purchase eight propane tanks instead of renting them.

The city currently contracts for 15,000 gallons of propane a year. The city could accept bids from any company without changing tanks if the low bidder wasn’t the current supplier.

"Without owning these tanks you can be looking at changing these tanks," Jellema said.

By Jolene Farley
The City of Hills is selling the Patriot Academy and barbershop property on Main Street. The council recently voted to advertise for sealed bids on the structure.

Kelly’s Roadhouse owner Kelly Demuth attended the Hills City Council meeting Monday as an interested buyer for the building, located next door to his bar.

Demuth told the council he’d like to open a café and arcade room in the space.

"There would be double doors between the bar and the café part," Demuth said, but wasn’t specific on a timetable for the project.

Demuth would also increase the amount of parking he owns if he purchases the building.

Mayor Jim Jellema informed Demuth that the city is obligated to advertise for bids on the building.

The Council added the following stipulations to the sale:

The council has the right to refuse any bids because of the intended use of the property,

The property is taxed commercial, and

Any business must be open within one year.

The bids will be opened at the April City Council meeting.

Barber Bud Hoogeveen operates his shop in the building, so the council decided to offer rental space in the Legion building to Hoogeveen for the same rent he currently pays.

Patriot Academy rented the remainder of the space until last fall when classes were moved to Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School.

By Jolene Farley
Voters passed the $400,000 levy Tuesday, ensuring that construction on the locker room and fitness center at Hills-Beaver Creek High School will move forward.

H-BC School Board members immediately canvassed the election results at a meeting after the polls closed.

"What’s ironic is this is real close to that survey we received in January," said Superintendent Dave Deragisch.

The district sent out a survey in December 2002 asking residents if they were interested in the locker room project at a cost of $400,000.

Initial cost estimates for the project without a weight room ranged from $398,144 to $439,552.

The weight room adds $113,302 to the project, handled by Group II Architects, Sioux Falls.

With 453 votes, 315 yes votes or 69.5 percent and 138 no votes or 30.5 percent, there was good participation at the polls.

"The big thing I was telling people was … vote … I don’t care how you vote, just vote," Deragisch said.
Only 12 people reportedly cast their ballots at the last Martin Township election, but on Tuesday, 109 voters showed up.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to start after bids are opened May 8, but school officials hope to set that date earlier.

Test drilling has been done at the construction sight to test the soil, according to Deragisch.

A final review of the building plans between the school board and the architect is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, and bidding information will be issued on Friday, April 4.

The vote broke down in this way: the City of Beaver Creek had 57 yes votes and 11 no votes; the City of Hills, 115 yes votes and 16 no votes; the City of Steen, 29 yes votes and 11 no votes; Springwater Township, seven yes votes and 11 no votes; Clinton Township, 18 yes votes and 13 no votes; Beaver Creek Township, 25 yes votes and 31 no votes; Martin Township, 64 yes votes and 45 no votes.

Jim Harsma and his daughter, Marisa, work their way through the Hula Hoop obstacle course Monday night during Gym Night with Dad in the Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary gym. Sponsored by H-BC Early Childhood Family Education (E.C.F.E.) 104 students and 68 dads, grandpas or uncles ate pizza and enjoyed various activities, including basketball, volleyball, jump rope, toss-n-catch, parachute, hopscotch, threw balls or rode toys.

Submitted photo