"Signs:" A Sign Of Things To Come?

Signs
Rated PG-13
Kent's Grade: A
Kent's Grade: B-

The Plot:
Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a preacher who has lost his faith following the accidental death of
his wife. The whole scarred family, son Morgan (Rory Culkin), daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin) and
brother Merrill (Joaquin Pheonix) cope as best they can on the family farm.

But their grieving is interrupted when mysterious crop circles appear in the corn fields, slowly
pointing toward a conclusion no one can believe. Graham and his family prepare for the worst. But
often times, a gaze into the face of death brings about a new beginning.

Kent's Take:
"Signs" is "Close Encounters Of The 21st Century Kind" and is a signature M. Night Shyamalan
("6th Sense," "Unbreakable") film. Having written, produced and directed the movie, there is very
little that was not under his control, and it shows. Like writer Michael Crichton, Shyamalan is a
master of "What if?

What if crop circles weren't a hoax but instead an alien road map? What if we found ourselves
among aliens? What if E.T. bites?

Masterfully written, Shyamalan gives us a perfect balance of tense drama and cunningly disarming
humor. Like classic horror films such as "The Birds," "The Exorcist" and "Jaws" we are startled by
dramatic music, frightened from within and showered with bone chilling scares that expertly build
tension. Shyamalan skillfully toys with us from the very opening to the closing climax and
intelligently forgoes an ending twist for a more straight-forward sincere conclusion.

Gibson and Pheonix are at their best with moving performances that slowly draw you into their
minds, yet temporarily shut you out from their secrets. Culkin and especially Breslin are naturals in
front of the camera and round out a distressed family in desperate need of hope.

Having left the church, turning his back on God, Graham refuses to pray or be called "Father". Two
types of people are discussed throughout the film, realists and spiritualists. Graham calls himself a
realist since his wife's death, but throughout the movie he is given signs that he will inevitably have
to confront his wife's death, his own withdrawal from his family - and God.

"Signs" succeeds where so many other horror/ thriller films fail by teasing us, forcing us to use our
own imaginations to frighten ourselves. Then turning the tables, he shows us a chilling tidbit and
finally drops the horror right in our lap! This ingenious escalation systematically "one-ups" the
previous act, immersing us in tension as Graham confronts his inner demons while defending his
family from real ones.

"Signs" is a very scary movie with several kinds and levels of fright. That's the inevitable result of
great writing, directing and acting. I truly hope "Signs" is a sign of things to come from M. Night
Shyamalan.

CAROL'S Take:
The great looking "Signs" aims high. But the story, like its hero, suffers from internal struggles that
are almost crippling. The movie shifts restlessly between being a sci-fi thriller and taking a trip into
the mind of a troubled preacher. The layering of these two themes holds a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, they never mesh, and an alien invasion is relegated to being the background for a
man's spiritual collapse.

Questions surrounding otherworldly goings-on need to remain disturbing. Instead, any mystery in
"Signs" is diluted by the perfunctory manner in which such questions are dismissed. Over and over,
carefully built suspense is tossed aside by a story that divides its loyalties. It's okay that Graham
doesn't care what's going on. It's unfair that the audience can't afford to either.

"Signs" is bolstered by excellent performances. Phoenix is predictably good. Culkin and Breslin are
great creating characters that are much more than just window dressing.

Gibson works hard, but doesn't quite work. Part of the problem may be in the writing. Although
Graham grows crops, we have no sense that he's a farmer. Although he's left the church, we can't
believe he was once a man of the cloth. The ambiguity he experiences should be his alone, not
shared by the viewer.

For a movie so determined to be taken seriously, "Signs" is absolutely loaded with humor. It is one
of the things that the movie does best. And, it's not just the kind that offers relief from frightening
doings. It is an amusing look at characters who are scared too silly to maintain pretenses among
themselves.

© 2002 Webster-Kirkwood Times, Inc.
Movie reviews by Carol Hemphill and Kent Tentschert
reelworld@timesnewspapers.com

S.P. 67-090-01, Minnesota Project No. TEA 6701(201), Multi-Purpose Recreational Trail, Length 1.522 miles, located along CSAH No. 18 between Luverne and CSAH No. 8. The major items of work are: 4,781 Cu. Yd. of Common Excavation; 3,077 Cu. Yd. Common Borrow; 2,618 Ton of Aggregate Base, Class 5; 1,040 Ton of Type LV 3 Wearing Course Mixture (B) 84 Lin. Ft. of 18" CS Pipe Culvert; 78 Lin. Ft. of 36" CS Pipe Culvert; 6 Each 36" GS Pipe Aprons; 30 Lin. Ft. of 35" Span CS Pipe Culvert; 66 Lin. Ft. of 64" Span CS Pipe Culvert; 2 Each 35" Span GS Pipe Apron; 6 Each 64" Span GS Pipe Apron; 6 Each 18" GS Safety Aprons (3148); 5 Each Install Bench; 1 Lump Sum Traffic Control; 220 Lin. Ft. of Silt Fence, Type Heavy Duty, Maintained; 3 Acre of Seeding; 150 Pounds of Seed Mixture 50B; 6 Ton of Mulch Material, Type 1; 3 Acre of Disk Anchoring; and 900 Pounds of Commercial Fertilizer, Analysis 6-24-24.

S.P. 67-090-02, Minnesota Project No. TEA 6701(142), Multi-Purpose Recreational Trail, Length 0.948 Miles, located along CSAH No. 8 between a point 590 Feet East of T.H. 75 to a point 3,223 Feet East of T.H. 75. The major items of work are: 1,774 Cu. Yd. of Common Excavation; 6,335 Cu. Yd. of Common Borrow; 1,631 Ton of Aggregate Base, Class 5; 677 Ton of Type LV 3 Wearing Course Mixture (B); 118 Lin. F. of 18" CS Pipe Culvert; 882 Lin. Ft. of 18" CP Pipe Culvert; 8 Each of 18" GS Pipe Aprons; 2 Each of 18" GS Safety Aprons (3148); 4 Each Construct Drainage Structure; 1 Lump Sum Traffic Control; 3 Acres of Seeding; 6 Ton of Mulch Material, Type 1; 3 Acres of Disk Anchoring; and 900 Pounds of Commercial Fertilizer, Analysis 6-24-24.

S.P. 67-090-03, Minnesota Project No. TEAX 6702(253), Multi-Purpose Recreational Trail, Length 2.27 Miles, located in Blue Mound State Park between a point 3,223 Feet East of TH 75 to the Lower Lake. The major items of work are: 0.5 Acre of Clearing and Grubbing; 8, 951 Cu. Yd. of Common Excavation; 9,648 Cu. Yd. of Common Borrow; 2,262 Ton of Aggregate Surfacing, Class 2; 2,832 Ton of Aggregate Base, Class 5; 49 Lin. Ft. of 18" CS Pipe Culvert; 4 Each of 18" GS Pipe Aprons; 900 Lin. Ft. of Silt Fence, Type Heavy Duty, Maintained; 7 Acres of Seeding; 14 Ton of Mulch Material, Type 1; 7 Acres of Disk Anchoring; and 2,076 Pounds of Common Fertilizer, Analysis 6-24-24.

The non-refundable cost for Plan/Proposal (all three Plans are on one Proposal) will be $35.00.
Plans, Specifications and Proposal may be examined and obtained at the office of the Rock County Highway Engineer, 1120 North Blue Mound Ave., P.O. Box 808, Luverne, MN 56156-0808.

All bids shall be made on Proposal Forms furnished by the Engineer and must be accompanied by a certified check or corporate surety bond drawn in favor of the Rock County Treasurer in the amount as designated on the Proposal Form.

Sealed bids shall be clearly marked "Project No. SP 67-090-01 Etc.".

The Board of Rock County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any defects therein.

Rock County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Mark R. Sehr, P.E.
Rock County Highway Engineer
(7-18, 7-25, 8-1)

Willing Worker Samantha Raski prepares the groiund of a stall for her yearling colt, Thunder.

By Lori Ehde
The Rock County Fair is officially in progress, and it offers all the usual family entertainment in addition to some new attractions.

Fair Board Treasurer Isaac DeBoer said he expects big crowds at this year's event.

"I think people are traveling less [because of terrorism], and I think people look forward to spending some quiet time with their families at the fair."

He said the new attraction to keep an eye on this year is the amateur talent contest tonight at 7 p.m.

The event drew 25 entries in three categories, so he anticipates a big crowd. Pre-teens will perform first, followed by the teen division.

Before the open class competes, Rock County Deputy Ken Baker and the law enforcement dog, Tarzan, will present a demonstration on what the dog can do for the Sheriff's Department.

Prizes are awarded in each category, and winners are eligible to compete at the Minnesota State Fair.

Also new at the fair this year will be Kory and the Fireflies performing Friday night in the grandstand. The regional band takes the place of Johnny Holm, who has performed at the Rock County fair in recent years.

The band will start at 9 p.m.

In light of the national observance of 4-H's 100th anniversary, DeBoer said local clubs have several special things planned, including old-fashioned games Saturday afternoon and Ag Olympics.

Free family entertainment will be provided by singer Jennifer Johnson, Lake Benton, who will take the stage for the Senior Citizens program at 2 p.m. Friday.

She'll also perform at 5 and 7 p.m. later that day under the tent near the Floral Hall and 4-H food stand.

DeBoer said the fair will offer all the usual popular attractions, such as midway rides starting at 6 p.m. tonight, and enduro races at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

See the front page of this week's Announcer for a complete schedule and all Rock County Fair details.

By Lori Ehde
It was a busy 48 hours for local law enforcement officers who made two drug arrests Thursday and Friday.

In the early morning hours of Friday, July 26, officers executed a search warrant at the rural Hills residence of 49-year-old Donald Frederick Wilson.

At about 1:30 a.m., 12 members of the regional Emergency Entry Team entered Wilson's home. They were accompanied by seven Rock County deputies, three Minnehaha County deputies, two highway patrolmen and two South Dakota Drug Enforcement Agency officers.

According to Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure, the warrant didn't yield a substantial seizure of drugs, but all the evidence of a methamphetamine lab was there, including paint thinners, lithium batteries and drug paraphernalia.

Wilson, who has a history of drug-related offenses, was arrested for conspiracy to manufacture meth, possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also in the home but not arrested were Wilson's wife and adolescent son.

McClure said the search warrant was prompted by numerous tips to Rock County and Sioux Falls law enforcement of suspected meth production in Wilson's home.

In another drug arrest Thursday night, July 25, 42-year-old Kevin Dale Smiens, Luverne, is in custody in the Nobles County Jail, Worthington.

He was pulled over at 6:30 p.m. in Luverne on a moving violation when officers found 3 grams of meth in his 1992 blue Chevy Beretta.

Also found in his possession were large quantities of Suphedrine, a cold medicine that contains pseudoephedrine, which is commonly used in the manufacture of meth.

McClure said drug arrests like these two and investigations into countless other suspected cases are keeping his office busy.

"I really want to commend my staff - including the dispatchers," McClure said. "They put in a lot of hours. The guys really pull together and do a good job."

The Rock County Sheriff’s Department continues to seek local support in its drug control efforts.

"We do work with other agencies in Sioux Falls and Iowa, but if you see something out in the county that's abnormal, let us know," he said.

For example, if there's suddenly traffic on a dead-end road, or if there's activity at an abandoned farmhouse, residents should call the Sheriff’s Department at 283-5000.

"It may be nothing, but you never know," McClure said. "The more eyes we have out there watching, the better our chances are of catching them."

By Lori Ehde
Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church for Luverne's Nicholas Jay Mann, who was killed in a welding accident Wednesday.

Mann, 26, was killed when a tire he was working on at Cor-Tech Manufacturing, Luverne, exploded.

The force of the explosion sent the rim careening through the roof of the shop, delivering a fatal blow to Mann's head on the way.

He was pronounced dead when emergency crews arrived at the shop shortly after the 911 call at 1:55 p.m.

Also injured in the accident was John Teune, Steen, who was treated and released at Luverne Community Hospital.

Luverne's Corey Stratton opened Cor-Tech Manufacturing nearly 10 years ago on Gabrielson Drive. The business set out to repair farm equipment and custom manufacturer parts for people and businesses.

Cor-Tech, which now employs eight people, has a reputation for manufacturing unique equipment for specialized industries.

For example, Cor-Tech designs and manufactures the City of Luverne's trailers that are used to collect residential recyclables.

Engebretson Funeral Home is handling arrangements for the Mann family.

Visitation will be at the church two hours prior to the service.

Burial will follow the funeral service in Maplewood Cemetery.

Martha "Ikey" Richter, 77, Ellsworth, died Tuesday, July 16, 2002, at Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth.

Graveside services were Friday, July 19, at Grand Prairie Cemetery in Ellsworth.

Martha Richter was born to Bernard and Esther (Riley) Richter on Oct. 23, 1924, in Ellsworth. Her mother died when she was 10. Her sister, Margaret, raised her. She attended school in Ellsworth. She lived in St. Peter and Faribault. In 1972 she moved to Mankato where she worked at Mankato Rehabilitation Center. In June 1999, she became a resident of Parkview Manor Nursing Home.

Ms. Richter won several awards at Special Olympics. She enjoyed ceramics, bowling, embroidering, billiards, jigsaw puzzles, crafts and the Minnesota Twins.

Survivors include one brother Ed (Ella) Richter, Mound, one sister, Dorothy Barton, Dallas, Ore.; a special niece, Vicki Lenderts (Brad Gould), Ellsworth; and nieces and nephews, Lynn Afu, Orlando, Fla., Bruce Lenderts, Michigan, Kent Barton, Oregon, and Josh Barton, Oregon.

Ms. Richter was preceded in death by her parents, twin brothers, Russell and Robert Lenderts, and one sister, Margaret Lenderts.

A tree will be planted in memory of Martha Richter by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital.

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

A memorial service for Dennis McNeil will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 26, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Eugene Egan will officiate. A time of fellowship will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in St. Catherine Cemetery in Luverne.

Dennis Eugene McNeil, 70, Luverne, died Tuesday, July 23, 2002, at Luverne Hospice Cottage.

Dennis McNeil was born to Claude Dewey and Mary Ellen (Penney) McNeil on July 24, 1931, at home in Montrose, S.D.

He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. He received seven battle stars while on the USS Mansfield DD 728 and participated in the invasion of Inchon, Korea.

He married Virginia (Ginger) Marie Liest on Nov. 25, 1953, in Beresford, S.D. He spent his entire adult life in the insurance business, owning insurance agencies in San Diego, Calif., and Luverne. In 1993, he sold his Luverne business to Minnwest Bank and continued to manage the agency until 1997. He was also a real estate broker and spent his most recent years with Rock Real Estate in Luverne.

Mr. McNeil was a past president of the Luverne Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow, past president of the Southwest Region of the Independent Insurance Agents Association, past state director of the Independent Insurance Agents Association, chair of the Luverne Planning and Zoning, member of the Rock County Planning and Zoning 1975-79, chair of the Community Fund 1973, chair of Luverne Community Education 1978, director and past president of the Blue Mound Area Theatre Corporation.

He served eight years as a board member of the State of Minnesota Veterans Home Board where he and eight other volunteer members supervised five nursing homes for veterans. They built two new homes during his tenure, one in Luverne.

He was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, Knights of Columbus, Eucharistic minister at St. Catherine and Minnesota Veterans Home. He was also a member of the VFW, American Legion and other veteran organizations.

Survivors include his wife, Ginger McNeil, Luverne; three children, Dennis Gregory, Oak Harbor, Wash., Patrick (Kerry) McNeil, Sioux Falls, S.D., and Jane Marie McNeil, Luverne; two grandchildren, Michael and Lisa McNeil, Sioux Falls; two brothers, Daniel (Ocye) McNeil, Hampton, Va., and Robert (Mary) McNeil, El Paso, Texas; and two sisters, Mary Marcella (Nick) DeBates, San Diego, Calif., and Peggy (Denny) Fuehrer, Norfolk, Neb.

Mr. McNeil was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Harlan.

A tree will be planted in memory of Dennis McNeil by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital.

Dingmann Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Luverne, is in charge of arrangements.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth posted its first post-season tournament win in the history of the two schools' baseball program in Cottonwood Thursday.

Playing a Section 3A game that originally was scheduled to take place in Eden Valley Saturday, No. 12 H-BC-E was considered the underdog against No. 5 Lakeview.

In the end, some clutch hitting and pitching from senior Justin Van Maanen led the Patriots to an 8-6 win over the Lakers.

The victory snapped a seven-game H-BC-E losing streak and gave it a 4-10 record heading into the second round of the double-elimination tournament Saturday. Look for that game story elsewhere in the sports section of this edition of the Hills Crescent.

Van Maanen played a key role in putting the Patriots in the winner's bracket.

Not only did Van Maanen fan 10 batters while pitching a complete game, he also came up with what proved to be the game-winning hit.

Lakeview scored twice in the bottom half of the fifth inning to knot the score at six.

H-BC-E, however, countered with two runs in the top of the sixth to move in front to stay.

Zach Wysong singled and Lyle DeBoer walked to start the sixth for H-BC-E, and they moved to second and third when David Top laid down a sacrifice bunt. Van Maanan then delivered a two-run double that put H-BC-E in front to stay.

H-BC-E took a 1-0 lead when DeBoer doubled before scoring on a single by Top in the top of the first, but Lakeveiw moved in front 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.

Brant Deutsch walked and tied the game at two when Kevin Van Batavia tripled in the top of the second.

Lakeview, however, scored two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-2 lead that lasted until the Patriots scored four times in the top of the fourth.

Jeremy Tiesler singled home two runs, DeBoer slapped an RBI double and Top added an RBI single to the fourth-inning rally.

DeBoer and Top had two hits each at the plate.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills Thunder capped a 3-13 regular season by splitting a pair of games at different sites Sunday.

Hills traveled to Heron Lake for a noon game that turned into a 12-2 victory.

The Thunder returned home to host Hadley late in the afternoon. The Buttermakers blanked Hills by a 2-0 tally.

Hills opened the Gopher League Playoffs in Pipestone last night. A win would give the Thunder a Friday night game. A loss would lead to a tilt on Sunday.

A seven-run fourth inning lifted Hills to its third win of the season in Heron Lake in Sunday's opener.

The Thunder never trailed in the game and were leading 4-2 heading into the fourth inning, when Hills put the contest out of reach for the hosts.

Two-run singles by Scott and Eric Harnack proved to be the key hits during the fourth-inning eruption. Wade Jellema, Chris Harnack and Jarud Lang all drew bases-loaded walks to fuel the rally.

When Chad Rauk reached base on an error before scoring on Chris Harnack's single in the fifth, Hills had a 12-2 lead that led to a 10-run-rule win after Heron Lake batted in the bottom of the fifth.

Rauk tripled and scored the gameÕs first run on an error in the top of the second. Eric Harnack added a two-run double as the inning progressed to make it a 3-0 game.

Heron Lake scored once in the bottom of the second, but Kurt Bly reached base on an error before scoring on an RBI single by Jellema in the top of the third to make it a 4-1 game.

The hosts scored their final run in the bottom of the third.

Lang pitched all five innings to pick up the win. He yielded nine hits and fanned four batters.

Eric Harnack and Rauk slapped two hits each at the plate.

The regular season ended with a 2-0 home loss to Hadley late Sunday afternoon.

The Buttermakers scored single runs in the first and seventh innings to get the win.

Matt Wingate pitched the first four innings and took the loss after surrendering one run, five hits and one walk. He recorded five strikeouts.

Rauk pitched the final three innings, allowing one run, two hits, one walk and striking out five batters.

Hills was limited to a pair of hits in the game. Scott Harnack doubled in the fourth. Bly singled in the fifth.