By Sara Strong
Luverne utility customers could notice slightly higher charges for the first time in almost six years.

The basic charges are increasing $2 a month for residential customers and 1/10 ¢ per kilowatt hour over three years.

Commercial customers will pay an increase of 2 1/2 ¢ per kilowatt hour over three years.

The increase is based on a utility cost of service study. The city of Luverne is slightly higher than the state utility average charges.

The Luverne City Council discussed the rate study and proposed changes at its Tuesday meeting. It will vote on the rates at its next meeting, Monday, Dec. 23.

Kapperman site
The city had intended to work with Jerome Kapperman in cleaning up the burn site on Southeast Park Street, Luverne.

Part of working with him included allowing him time to move salvage material from that site to another he owns on Edgehill Street.

After Assistant City Attorney Jeffrey Haubrich considered the city’s plans, he shared the opinion that it isn’t legal to move the salvaged material from Southeast Park Street to Edgehill, because Edgehill is in a residential district and Kapperman’s use of the site doesn’t fit within the codes.

Kapperman would be expanding an already non-conforming use of the Edgehill property by storing and selling more refrigeration supplies.

The city cannot even grant a variance in this case because it isn’t allowable under restrictions a variance could impose either.

The city has the option of rezoning the Edgehill area to make the Kapperman use legal.

Hills-Beaver Creek sophomore guard Cassi Tilstra drives past Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Stephanie Evans during Monday’s girls’ basketball game in Hills. Tilstra scored 10 points, passed for seven assists and recorded three steals during a 58-36 win that snapped a two-game losing skid for the Patriots.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ basketball team snapped a two-game losing skid with an impressive performance in Hills Monday.

Hosting Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in a non-conference tilt, H-BC used a 32-3 scoring run in the first and second quarters to set the stage for a 58-36 victory.

The game started out close when the teams battled to a draw at six in the first four minutes of the first quarter, but that all changed by halftime.

H-BC limited the Knights to one field goal and one free throw the rest of the first half, which ended with the Patriots sporting a commanding 38-9 advantage.

After R-T-R tied the game at six in the first quarter, H-BC ended the opening period with a 12-0 run that was capped by a pair of free throws from Cassi Tilstra with 36 seconds remaining to give the hosts an 18-6 cushion.

Tilstra, who had 10 points in the game, and Erin Boeve, who led all players with 24 points, netted six counters each in the first quarter.

Things didn’t get any better in the second quarter for R-T-R, which was outscored 20-3 in the period and trailed 38-9 when Brittney Rozeboom buried a pair of free throws with one second left.

Boeve had nine points in the second period, which all but locked the game up for H-BC.

The Knights did show some spark when they started the third quarter with a 13-3 run that made the tally 41-22, but the Patriots countered with a 9-0 surge capped by a field goal from Becky Mulder with eight seconds remaining to take a 50-22 advantage into the fourth period.

R-T-R scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to trail 50-31, but a free throw by Mulder capped a 7-0 H-BC run to give the Patriots a 26-point cushion (57-31) before settling for a 22-point win.

Rozeboom, who had nine rebounds and three steals in the game, joined Boeve and Tilstra in double-figure scoring for H-BC by netting 11 points.

Boeve had 13 rebounds, while Tilstra charted seven assists and three steals.

The 5-3 Patriots cap the 2002 portion of their schedule by playing in Fulda tonight.

Box score
B.Rozeboom 3 0 5-8 11, Bush 1 0 0-0 2, Tilstra 3 0 4-4 10, S.Rozeboom 2 0 2-4 6, Hoyme 1 0 0-0 2, Boeve 8 0 8-11 24, Wassenaar 0 0 0-0 0, Olson 0 0 0-1 0, Mulder 1 0 1-4 3.

Team statistics
H-BC: 19 of 47 field goals (40 percent), 20 of 32 free throws (63 percent), 40 rebounds, 12 turnovers.
R-T-R: 15 of 52 field goals (29 percent), three of seven free throws (43 percent), 36 rebounds, 16 turnovers.

By Lori Ehde
For nearly 30 years, federal legislators have mandated that school districts provide special education programs for students who need them.

While the programs were implemented with successful results for special needs students, the federal government has not lived up to its promise to fund 40 percent of the costs.

The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 stipulated that 40 percent of funding for the new programs would come from federal sources, with the remainder coming from state and local sources.

According to the original legislation, the federal government would assume this level of funding by 1982, but up until 1996, it barely reached 10 percent, and now hovers at about 16 percent.

Plus, new unfunded mandates require districts to provide additional programs at their own costs.

Shortfall amounts to $250,000 each year for Luverne School District
Sen. Mark Dayton’s state director, Jim Gelbmann, was in Luverne Thursday, Dec. 12, to discuss how this shortfall has affected Minnesota schools and students.

He detailed upcoming efforts in Congress to improve special ed funding and heard concerns about how Luverne district specifically has been affected.

What this means in Luverne is that roughly $250,000 in special education funding comes out of the district’s general fund, when it should be coming from the federal government.

"The bills come in for special education funding whether it’s funded by the federal government or not," said Luverne Superintendent Vince Schaefer. "That general fund gets hit hard by that shortfall."

To make matters worse, Schaefer said, any increase in federal support for education is usually attached to stipulations to add new programs.

"We’d rather they didn’t have that requirement until we’re able to cash flow the programs we now have," he said.

Quality programs
don’t come cheap
Minnesota schools, and Luverne in particular, have led the nation in providing quality education to students with physical and learning disabilities.

"We do have good programs in special education, and for that reason, we have families with special needs choosing to attend here," Schaefer said.

Luverne’s special education students represent nearly 12 percent of the student body.

That’s somewhat higher than numbers in neighboring districts, largely due to Luverne’s reputation for meeting and exceeding special education needs.

"We have been doing a good job, but we now think it’s time for the federal government to fulfill its commitment," Schaefer said, adding that it’s particularly important in light of decreasing education dollars from the state.

"It would free up money for the general fund and help keep programs alive."

For years school boards and administrators have listened to the debate over providing special education at what some view as a cost to other students.

"On one hand we are required to provide a free and appropriate education to special needs kids," Schaefer said.

"On the other hand, some feel regular education kids are denied programs because some of that money is going to special education programs. … Unfortunately, there’s some truth to that."

Federal changes
on the horizon
Both Schaefer and Gelbmann emphasized that no one suggests taking away programs from special needs children. Rather, the funding mechanisms for making those programs possible are under scrutiny.

Original special education legislation calls for the law to be reviewed and reauthorized every six years. The last time it was reauthorized was 1997, so it’s due for a fresh look, Gelbmann said.

"We take a new look at the law to see if it’s serving its purpose and to look at funding," he said.

With school districts nationwide making budget cuts, he said there’s a good chance for a special education increase next year from federal sources.

"There’s more of a recognition that the federal government has not kept its commitment to funding special education," Gelbmann said.

He said George W. Bush’s President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education is currently reviewing legislation and its effects on schools.

"What they’re finding is too many children may be provided with special education services, often known as the ‘over-identification’ issue," Gelbmann said.

Districts may be allowed to provide fewer services as the term "special needs" is redefined, allowing schools to recoup some costs.

Gelbmann said Sen. Dayton is also prepared to testify that paperwork requirements for special ed teachers need to be less stringent.

"He’s heard from too many teachers that they’re spending an increasing amount of time doing paperwork, which limits the amount of time they can actually spend with students," Gelbmann said.

In January, Congress will begin the process of reviewing the bill, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which will determine future funding and implementation of special education services.

Discussion will reach the Senate floor in April or May.

Roughly 25 people, including parents, teachers and school administrators, attended Thursday’s meeting,
"We very much appreciate the input," Gelbmann said. "It’s so much better to get first-hand information from people who deal with the issues on a daily basis. They know the programs the best."

Sen. Dayton’s toll-free office number is 1-888-224-9043.

By Sara Strong
With two offers to purchase the city apartments, and conflicting opinions on how to decide on a sale, the Luverne Economic Development Authority will start over and advertise for bids on the Mounds View and Evergreen Apartments.

The LEDA isn’t obligated to advertise for proposals, but to eliminate confusion and last-minute offers, it will set a bid opening date and put conditions on the sale.

Potential buyers Doug Eisma, Dan Vis, Paul Vis and Bill Vis made an offer to the LEDA about four months ago, and the board indicated it was in favor of selling to the group.

Then, Dec. 11, Steve Perkins made a $1.4 million offer — $110,000 more than the Eisma-Vis proposal.
Other than the price, both offers were similar. Neither wanted to change maintenance managers or raise rent to risk losing good tenants.

Eisma felt he had a deal with the city while Perkins says he would have liked the process to be more open, as it would be in the case of advertising for bids.

Perkins said, "It’s important as a public body to ask, how do you maximize returns for taxpayers? … The most important thing to the community is that it’s a fair and open process to allow the best proposal to come forward."

Eisma and Vises’ offer was made independently, and once that dollar amount was on the table, Perkins had the opportunity to top it.

"We felt that at the Nov. 18 meeting there was a commitment made to our group. The LEDA directed Dan Statema to get paperwork together. In reliance on the commitment, we did appraisals, lined up our financing, and were ready to close the deal. The higher offer was made on Dec. 11, which was simply too late," Eisma said.

The Eisma-Vis position is that the "11th hour" offer from Perkins shouldn’t have factored into a decision on the sale of the apartments.

The LEDA admitted that it probably would have accepted the Eisma-Vis offer at the earlier meeting it was discussed. However, the board delayed action in order to find the exact figure of outstanding debt on the apartments before finalizing a purchase agreement.

The new advertisement will specify selling guidelines buyers will have to follow, such as keeping the apartments rental property, maintenance standards and rent increases.

That way, all potential buyers will have similar offers and the LEDA can decide based on dollar amounts.

Board member Nate Golla said, "Our duty is to the taxpayers to get a good selling price and also to the tenants to keep them happy and the rents low."

LEDA member Karis Gust said, "I struggle with this because [Eisma and the Vises] have spent four months of going to meetings and working with tenants and doing all this leg work to have it come down to someone coming up with more money."

Eisma said, "Our position is, that Perkins wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t made the offer."

Tenants attending the public hearing said they liked the communication the Eisma-Vis group had with tenants and felt comfortable with them as landlords.

Keith Erickson said the city is in an unusual position, because it can sometimes be accused of spending too much money, but now has the chance to bring in more money.

In bringing in more money, though, the city could be breaking a gentleman’s agreement with the first offer and come under ethical question.

LEDA president Glen Gust said, "I think a gentlemen’s agreement or a handshake is worth a lot."

LEDA member Mike Engesser said, "My primary concern is that they stay apartments because there’s a need for that in the city."

The LEDA will have to meet in another public hearing before the apartments are sold to any buyer.

Holiday sounds
Beth Behal directs the Luverne High School Choir Monday as it performs the winter program. The seventh and eighth grade choir also performed Monday. Special soloists were Kirk Oldre and Becky Antoine. Musicians were Kaitlyn Deragisch, LaRae Kor, Natalie Willers, Stephanie Steensma, Katie Klosterbuer, Rachel Tofteland. An ensemble group made up of Callen Bosshart, Emily Brandel, Brent Fransen and Chris Thacker also performed. Angie Hylen and Sue Sandbulte were accompanists.

Photo by Sue Bruynes

Tuff Village employee Deb Bowman talks to resident Carolyn Crawford while passing out popcorn to the residents and guests. Crawford was celebrating more than Santa’s arrival on Saturday, it was also her birthday.

Noah Hellerud, Hills, contemplates what to ask Santa to bring him for Christmas. Santa and his little elves visited Hills on Saturday. Children gathered at the Tuff Village before Santa’s arrival to make Christmas crafts and watch a movie. See pages 10 and 11 of the Crescent for more photos of Santa’s visit and other activities of the day.

Photo by Jolene Farley

I emptied the dishwasher after Thanksgiving and nothing would fit in my Tupperware drawer. I cleaned it out and discovered nearly two-dozen cottage cheese containers, which is odd for a family that rarely eats cottage cheese.

In my quest to organize the Tupperware drawer, it occurred to me what a charmed era I’m living right now with my mothers (my mom and my mother-in-law).

The creatively recycled cottage cheese containers are vehicles for getting the moms’ homemade leftovers from their homes to ours. In the process, the accumulating blue and white plastic has come to represent their undying generosity to their grown (and perhaps free-loading) children.

We have a fully-equipped kitchen and an accommodating dining room, yet, year after year, we put our feet under the tables of our parents’ homes for the holidays.

We bring a meager dish to pass, but for the most part, we eat their food, and they send us home with yummy leftovers — in plastic cottage cheese containers that we don’t have to return.

In a fair and reciprocal exchange, some containers would occasionally leave our home with leftovers in them.

But the arrangement never seems to work that way. They only come in, and never go out.
I should feel guilty, but I don’t.

I just feel really lucky.

I leave the grocery store during the holidays with a bag of hash browns and shredded cheddar for my usual contribution of cheesy potatoes, while others negotiate the aisles with their carts sagging under the weight of groceries for 24 people.

When they share exhausting stories of how many are coming to visit, eat and even stay for the weekend, I just smile and feel … well … lucky.

It’s not that I haven’t offered to host a turkey dinner. That way I could send Mom and everyone else home with a smattering of leftovers in carefully labeled cottage cheese containers.

But as far as I and my sisters are concerned, holiday food just tastes better in Mom’s kitchen.

And the leftovers, even when packaged in the homely cottage cheese containers, taste great the next day or even later that night.

It’s like experiencing a little taste of Mom’s kitchen — and the delicious flavor of the holiday — from underneath an unassuming, white plastic lid.

Alumni hockey tournament set for Dec. 27.
Years ago, the alumni basketball tournament was a hot event during Christmas holiday week.

That event seems to have faded from sight, but John Paquette hopes to start a new tradition this year with what he hopes will become the 1st annual Luverne Hockey Alumni Game.

The tournament will be at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27, at the Blue Mound Ice Arena.

Participating players can be any former Luverne High School or Junior Gold player.

Players should bring their old jerseys and arrive at 6 p.m. sharp.

Fans are also encouraged to come and cheer on the old great ones.

If you have any questions about the event, contact John Paquette at 283-9898, or by e-mail at jdpaquette61@hotmail.com.

You can also contact the Blue Mound Ice Arena at 449-9138.

Brandenburg to appear on WCCO radio
Luverne native, Jim Brandenburg, is scheduled to appear on WCCO radio Christmas eve day, Dec. 24.

His appearance will run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. during the Don Shelby show.

According to Randy Creeger, Brandenburg plans to spend the hour talking about several of his projects, including the Touch the Sky Prairie, northwest of Luverne.

Luverne Fire Apparatus merges with Quality Mfg.
Spartan Motors Inc. recently announced plans to merge its two fire equipment companies into one.

Effective Jan. 6, 2003, Luverne Fire Apparatus, Brandon S. D., will merge with Quality Manufacturing, Talladega, Ala., to form a new company named Crimson Fire.

Both Luverne and Quality make fire trucks for the middle to premium market, but market their products to different regions of the country.

The new Crimson Fire will market products from the combined company including heavy-duty pumpers, tankers, aerials, rescue vehicles and highly customized built- to-order fire trucks.

According to John Sztykiel, CEO of Spartan Motors, the combined new company will only have a 3 percent market share in a business with tremendous potential for growth.

Jeff Lautt, president of Luverne Fire Apparatus for the past four years, will serve as president of the combined new company.

Spartan Motors acquired both Luverne and Quality in Aug 1997.

Quality celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, while Luverne Fire Apparatus was founded in Luverne 90 years ago.

Brandenburg has two new Christmas prints
The Brandenburg Gallery has received two new Christmas prints for the 2002 gift-giving season.

The two new prints are titled "Blue Mound Bison" and "Fresh Ice".

Do you have a special beef cook-off recipe?
Does your family have a favorite beef recipe? If it’s really as good as you think, it could be worth $500.

The beef cook-off, which started 25 years ago, is coordinating with the National Beef Cook-Off.

If you enter your Minnesota recipe in the National contest, you could win $50,000 for the grand prize.

The criteria for entering the contest include:
Preparation and cooking time of 45 minutes or less, including marinating time.
Use of 8 ingredients or less, excluding salt, pepper and water.
Be an original unpublished recipe.
Enter one of three categories: One Dish Meals, Handheld Kid Pleasers, and Quick & Easy Beef.

To get a copy of the complete rules, phone 952-854-6950, or check out their Web site at www.mnbeef.org.

Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com