Meghan Horvath peers at a 1941 4-by-5 Star Herald negative Tuesday.By Lori EhdeFlorentine Films Associate Producer Meghan Horvath spent two days in Luverne this week gathering material for the upcoming Ken Burns documentary film, "The War."It will feature Luverne as one of four cities across the United States in a story about how the war affected those communities, their soldiers and their families back at home.Horvath had encouraged Luverne residents to share photos, home movies, diaries, letters and anything else that might be helpful in portraying Luverne during World War II and in the decades leading up to it. She and Historical Society President Betty Mann set up a time Monday night at the Rock County Museum to meet with residents and review materials.This meeting drew 12 residents who had valuable memoirs to share, according to Horvath, who traveled from New York for her Luverne research. "I saw a ton of fabulous scrapbooks," Horvath said. "This has definitely been a productive trip."Among other promising materials gathered, Horvath said Linda Maras shared a priceless audio recording from her uncle to his mother. "Hi, Mom. I love you. I miss you," was a message from young the soldier overseas.Alex Frick’s mother, Edna, kept a diary from 1935 to 1980, and Alex had found an entry she had written in 1941 about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.Frick also has love letters his father, Ray, had recorded on audio cassette for Edna when he was overseas."There are so many wonderful things," Horvath said about the materials Luverne residents have shared.She said the hardest thing to find in all of the communities featured in the upcoming film is home movies.In Luverne, Warren Herreid, George Gabrielson and Jim Herman were all able to help out in that department. Horvath said they even have footage of Luverne soldiers departing from the Omaha Depot, with teary goodbyes."Home movies were a big deal back then," she said. "People were taping home movies to send to the boys in Kodiak, and these soldiers in Kodiak taping their activities to send to their families at home."She said she found accounts in the Rock County Herald of community gatherings to view these movies at local theatres. The "Pix Theatre" was mentioned in one story.Overall, Horvath said she was impressed by the national military presence Luverne has had throughout history."Everyone has a sense of Luverne’s military role in the country," she said. "I was surprised by that because for such a small town, there are a lot of veterans here."Outside personal visits with veterans and the arranged meeting Monday with the public, Horvath spent the bulk of her visit in the Star Herald office buried in the pages of old newspapers.From those pages, she was able to cross reference information from the Star Herald negative archive.Hundreds of 4-by-5 negatives held promising images of Luverne and its people that Horvath said the film could likely use.After a long day of wrapping up loose ends Tuesday, Mann and Herreid made sure Horvath didn’t leave town without experiencing a few of its trademark qualities.For example, they had dinner the Magnolia Steak House, took a tour of Prairie Heights Bison, and came away with bison jerky to share with her friends in New York."I had never been to this part of the country, and I was surprised that I like it so much," Horvath said. "I enjoyed driving around looking at farm houses. I imagined the town to be much smaller than it was. … The houses are really gorgeous. I didn’t expect all the trees that I saw."Horvath returned to her New York office Wednesday, and she said the next step will be to organize the information and meet with film editors to determine how it will be used, what to use, and what more is still needed.She said there’s a possibility a film crew will visit Luverne next year to incorporate live footage into the movie."The War," which is set to air across the country in 2006, also includes Sacramento, Calif., Waterbury, Conn., and Mobile, Ala."The film will juxtapose and intertwine the experiences of servicemen who fought on the front lines in all theaters of the war with those of their families and neighbors back home," Horvath said."We will also track the larger military drama as it unfolds, so that we can comprehend the experiences of these ordinary people in a larger social and historical context."

By Jolene FarleyThe Hills Telephone Company has a new owner and will soon have a new name.In 1996, Alliance Communications, Hector Communications and Golden West Communications purchased telephone exchanges in Hills, Steen and Alvord, Inwood, Larchwood and Lester, Iowa, together. Effective Monday, July 7, co-owners Hector Communications and Golden West Communications sold their interests and Alliance Communications became the sole owner of Hills Telephone Company. Because of the ownership transfer, the Hills Telephone Company name will change to Alliance Communications for accounting, customer service and marketing functions, according to a press release from the company."Alliance Communications has played a crucial role in the operations of Hills Telephone Company for the past seven years," General Manager of Alliance Communications Don Snyders said. "I’ve served as a member of the board of directors that has overseen Hills Telephone Company. We’re very familiar with how Hills Telephone Company has operated over the past several years." There are no anticipated rate increases as a result of the ownership transfer. The four technicians currently working out of the Hills office will continue to serve the Alvord, Hills, Inwood, Larchwood, Lester and Steen communities. "It’s important for Alliance Communications to have a strong local presence in the communities it serves," Alliance Communications Office Manager Mark Bahnson said. "These technicians live in the communities they serve, and they’re very committed to the people in the communities."Alliance Communications also owns exchanges in Alcester, Baltic, Brandon, Carthage, Crooks, Garretson, Howard, Hudson, Oldham and Romona, S.D.The company has three business offices, with headquarters in Garretson, S.D., and satellite offices in Baltic, and Brandon, S.D.

By Jolene FarleyLocal talent will again vie for prizes and a chance to advance to the Minnesota State Fair in the annual Rock County Talent Show next month. The local talent show is planned for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, in the grandstand during the Rock County Fair. "It’s local people from our area, a lot of parents and grandparents watching their kids," Talent Contest Committee member Ida Reverts said. "Just good local talent that I think everybody enjoys."Last year the event, sponsored by the Rock County Agricultural Society, drew 25 entries in three categories with a grandstand crowd of more than 500 people watching the contestants. Last year’s entries included instrumental, vocal and dance acts, according to Reverts."We’re hoping to get a few more this year," she said. There are three categories of competition: the open division is for any age contestants, the teen division is for young adults 13 through 18 years old, the pre-teen division is for children ages 12 and younger. First place prize in all categories is $100, second place prize is $75 and the third place prize is $50. First place winners will be invited to participate in the Minnesota State Fair contest, scheduled for various dates from Thursday, Aug. 21, to Sunday, Aug. 31.Talent contest committee members Ida Reverts, Bob Zinnel, Lyle Nelson and Jane Wildung are each asked to find one judge for the contest, according to Reverts. The stage, sound system, piano and lighting system are provided by the Fair Board during the two-hour event. Acts cannot be longer than four minutes and practice times will be arranged on the day of the event.Entry forms may be picked up at the Luverne Chamber of Commerce and at the Luverne Style Shop. To receive a registration form by mail, call Wildung at 283-4691 or 283-4053, or mail a request to 202 East Main St., Luverne, MN, 56156. Questions can also be directed to Ida Reverts during the day at 449-4900. Registrations and a $10 registration fee must be postmarked no later than Thursday, July 24, or hand-delivered by Friday, July 25, to Wildung at the Luverne Style Shop.

By Jolene FarleyCounty Board Member Richard Bakken attended the Hills City Council meeting Tuesday asking for the council’s support in the county budget process.He thanked Mayor Jim Jellema for a letter he had written detailing how budget cuts could affect a small community like Hills and make the community a less attractive place to live. Sen. Jim Vickerman read and commented on the letter, according to Bakken.Bakken said Rock County will have to cut or find $500,000 in its budget and asked the council for input."The biggest thing you are going to notice is cuts in services," he said."If anything comes up here that you would like me to take to the County Board, let me know," he said.The most visible cuts are likely to be in the Human Services Department, according to Bakken. The Highway Department may also lose funding, but that may not be as apparent because projects may be only delayed.The Sheriff’s Department is facing the challenge of providing 24-hour coverage to the county with limited staff, Bakken said. Currently, the county has two fewer deputies on staff than it has in the past."We’re a small county, but the sheriff’s got a million dollar budget," he said. "Everything is pretty much on the table. I really would like some input, because that’s the only way I can represent you."In other business:
Mayor Jim Jellema asked council members their opinion on paying for an agri-lime application for the softball diamond."We furnish the lights, we mow it," he said. The council also recently paid for the cost of materials for a sandbox at the field.Jellema added the Baseball Association paid for the agri-lime application for the baseball field. "I can see their point. It should have been done a long time ago," said Council Member Arlen Leenderts.The council asked for a price on the application for their next meeting."There’s two ball teams that play on there. Let them kick in," Jellema said.
The council reviewed a bid to paint the interior of the Hills Legion building. The council asked City Clerk Connie Wiertzema to get another bid for comparison pricing.The bid is for painting all the walls and the stage, including the paneling, in the building. Jellema said he hopes a fresh paint job will brighten up the interior of the building.
The council asked City Employee Wayne Ward to seek bids to fence in the designated burn area on the edge of town. Jellema said batteries and a recliner have shown up at the sight.The council discussed locking the gate after a fence is installed and allowing set hours for dumping.
Ward suggested that the council adopt a policy of not renting out city equipment unless it’s operated by a city employee. The council agreed after discussing possible liability issues."My suggestion would be that the only time we do rent it out, he’s (Wayne) doing it," council member Keith Elbers said. The rental rate is $40 per hour and time and a half for the employee with a minimum rental charge of one hour.
The cost to remodel the Post Office building was less than anticipated at $3,112. Contractor Jeff Bass bid the job at $2,500 with out the cost of the door included.

Dave and Dawn Leenderts, Hills, are expecting triplets soon. The babies will join a big brother, Dawson, who will turn 3 in August. The triplets were conceived without fertility drugs, making them a rare occurrence, because only one in 10,000 pregnancies naturally result in triplets.By Jolene FarleyDave and Dawn Leenderts, Hills, will be welcoming not one baby, but three into their family soon.Dawn, 31, found out during a routine 19-week ultrasound in April that she was the one out of 10,000 women that conceives triplets. The test revealed that Dawn is carrying two boys and a girl.The couple’s son, Dawson, will turn 3 years old in August and they used no fertility drugs to conceive. Although the Leenderts couldn’t find any triplets in the family tree, they have two distant relatives that had twins. Dawn’s grandmother’s sister had twins 70 years ago and Dave’s cousin had twins. Dawn, who was alone when she found out their family was growing much faster than expected, said she cried. "They found two of them," she said. "Then she looked around and they found three.""I was by myself, just shocked," she said. When she called her husband at work to tell him of the findings she warned him he better be sitting down. Dave said he had to calm his wife down. After the ultrasound, Dawn was referred to Perinatologist Dr. William Watson, a specialist in multiple births. Dawn said the only indications she had of a multiple pregnancy was she was larger earlier in the pregnancy and although she had morning sickness with Dawson, it was more severe with this pregnancy."It never went away," she said. "It lasted all day long." She also had urinary tract infection, a common ailment with a multiple pregnancy because the babies press on the bladder.With a due date of Sept. 12, Dawn is now 30 weeks into her pregnancy. Doctor Watson advised the couple that 32 weeks is an important milestone for premature births. Babies born past 32 weeks have better lung development, according to the couple.Earlier in the pregnancy, Dr. Watson prepared the couple for the reality that the babies will be born small and early and they will stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for a while after birth. He told the couple women carrying triplets are usually on bed rest by 20 weeks and sometimes hospitalized.Luckily, Dawn and the babies have done remarkably well and only recently has Dawn been put on semi-bed rest for a couple hours a day. Ideally, Dr. Watson would like to see the babies delivered after 36 weeks, but at the last visit he told the couple it could happen earlier. They have a girl’s name picked out but haven’t chosen names for the two boys. All the names will begin with a "D" like their son, Dawson. Friends and co-workers have given or loaned the couple cribs and other baby items. "The support of the community and family and friends has been wonderful," Dave said.The couple hasn’t developed a definite schedule for help after the babies are born but they say everyone is willing to pitch in. Family members are using vacation time to come and help care for the babies. "The toughest part after the babies are born will be adjusting and figuring out how to manage three infants at one time, three schedules, three feedings," Dawn said. "And trying to find room in our house."The couple was forced to purchase a mini van because their car couldn’t accommodate four car seats.Dave works at New Vision Co-op in Hills and Dawn worked as a Special Education Teacher for the Brandon School District. Dawn was granted 12 weeks of maternity leave, but was turned down when she requested a one-year leave of absence. Dave said his main concern is to make sure that everybody is healthy and things are proceeding well with Dawn and the babies. "I told her we’d just take everything else as it comes," he said. The couple has been trying to prepare soon-to-be big brother, Dawson, for two new brothers and a sister."He likes the sister idea," Dawn said, "But doesn’t say much about brothers." Dawn said she’ll be relieved when her pregnancy is over. "I’m getting very uncomfortable," she said. "They’re in my ribs and they’re all over. There’s not a lot of room for them."The babies will be delivered at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls .

Britz Open scheduled for July 20 at LCCThe Luverne Country Club is planning the first Britz Open, which it hopes will become an annual event.Hosted by former LPGA U.S. Open Champion, Jerilyn Britz, the July 20 tournament will be an 18-hole, 2-person event.The first nine holes will be a scramble, followed by an alternate shot.The tournament is divided into four divisions: Junior (15 years and younger), Women’s, Men’s and Mixed.If you would like to participate, you need to sign up by Friday, July 18.Contact the Luverne Country Club at 283-4383 for more details.Hot Dog NightLuverne’s 41st annual Hot Dog Night is set to go tonight, Thursday, July 10.Fifty-two businesses will take part in the event this year that is expects to give away more than 10,000 hot dogs as well as the buns and drinks to wash it all down.The grilling is expected to start at 6 p.m.The American Dairy Association plans to sell ice cream cones and the Luverne Lions Club will have their concession trailer downtown.Entertainment will be a part of the night.The spotlight dancers will have a demonstration beginning at 6 p.m. in front of the Palace Theatre.At 6:45 p.m. the Luverne Tae-Kwon-Do will demonstrate their skill in the vicinity of the Pizza Ranch.The Heartland Prairie Band will perform in the lawn of the Carnegie Cultural Center from 6 to 8 p.m.At 8:30 p.m. the 4-H will hold their annual dress review at the Hinkly House.There will also be a Noah’s Arc Jumping Castle open from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in front of city hall for kids to use, free of charge.Luverne Lanes reopens under new ownershipThe newly remodeled and renovated Luverne Lanes will open for the first time tonight under the new ownership of Cory and Lisa Schneekloth.Since purchasing the business in May from John and Ahne Serie, the Schneekloth’s have remodeled the interior with a 1950s theme as well as adding to the concession options.The new opening will coincide with Luverne’s annual Hot Dog Night.Pheasants Forever promotes GRPPheasants Forever is encouraging area farmers and landowners to sign up for the new Grassland Reserve Program .Sign-up for the GRP began nationwide on June 30, and runs through Sept. 30.The GRP is a new program authorized by the 2003 farm bill to address the loss of grasslands, rangelands, and pasturelands across the country.GRP participants collect payments for restoring and conserving these environmentally sensitive areas.Grasslands provide critical habitat for pheasant and a wide variety of wildlife, as well as play an important role in preventing soil erosion, improving water quality, and contributing to rural economies.GRP is patterned after Conservation Reserve Program, (CRP) which was started in 1985 and is the federal government’s largest environmental improvement program.Privately owned grasslands and shrublands cover more than 525 million acres in the United States.Between 1982 and 1997 more than 23 million acres were converted to cropland and another six million were urbanized during that same time.During 2003 fiscal year $49.9 million was made available for the implementation of the program.For those who wish to participate, several options are available.oPermanent easementsoThirty year easementsoRental agreements in 10-, 15-, 20- and 30-year durationsIf you have more questions about the program, you can contact either the Farm Service Agency or NRCS at 283-2369.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Amercian Legion baseball team turned in a strong performance Tuesday night after a rough weekend at the Brookings (S.D.) Tournament.Coming off a 1-4 weekend that ended with four consecutive losses, Luverne turned things around while thumping Edgerton 12-3.Adam Kurtz pitched all seven innings to lead the Cardinals to victory. Four Luverne players drove in at least two runs in the game, with a three-RBI effort by Adam Reisch setting the pace.Luverne struck an early blow by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first.Two-run singles by Reisch and Tim Boen gave the Cards their 4-0 lead.Edgerton trimmed the lead in half (4-2) in the top of the third, but the Cardinals responded by breaking the game open with a four-run third inning, a two-run fourth and a one-run fifth to gain an 11-2 lead.Joey Pick delivered the key hit in the third when he slapped a two-run single.Reisch and Kurtz drew bases-loaded walks before Pick slapped his single.Kuhlman registered a sacrifice fly and Kurtz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to account for fifth-inning runs that gave the Cards a 10-3 cushion.Rob Fodness walked and scored on a wild pitch to make it an 11-2 game in the fifth.Both teams scored once in the sixth.Zach Wysong, who led the Cardinals with four singles, slapped a run-scoring single in the sixth.Kurtz limited Edgerton to four hits and fanned five batters during his winning performance.The 5-7 Cardinals end the regular season in Worthington tonight before opening the Sub-District Tournament at a site to be determined Tuesday.Box score AB R H BISchmidt 2 2 1 0Kuhlman 5 1 1 1Reisch 1 2 1 3Goembel 1 0 0 0Kurtz 0 1 0 2Pick 5 1 2 2Boen 3 1 1 2Fodness 1 1 0 0Wysong 4 2 4 1Remme 0 2 0 0Kopp 2 0 0 0Studer 3 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team went 1-2 against league foes in games played since Thursday.The Cardinals lost a one-run home decision to Edgerton Thursday. Luverne lost a four-run game to Pipestone Monday before rallying to post a five-run victory in the second game.Luverne, 9-14 overall and 3-6 in league play, hosts Jackson tonight before opening the Sub-District Tournament at a site to be determined Monday.Pipestone 13,Luverne 9The Cardinals let a seven-run lead slip away during Monday’s first game in Pipestone.Luverne erupted for seven runs in the top half of the first inning, but the hosts scored eight times in the bottom half of the frame and went on to prevail by four runs.The Arrows plated a single run in the bottom of the fourth before scoring four times in the fifth to open a 13-7 cushion. Luverne capped the scoring with a two-run sixth inning.Jared Pick slapped a two-run double and Taylor Graphenteen added a two-run single to highlight Luverne’s seven-run first inning. Kelsey Petersen, Brian Deutsch and John Tofteland added one RBI single each to the rally.Tofteland singled home a run and Petersen drew a bases-loaded walk to account for Luverne’s runs in the seventh.Petersen walked four batters without recording an out before being removed as the starting pitcher. Graphenteen pitched five and two-thirds innings of relief and took the loss. Brett Lundgren worked the final inning and one-third.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 2 3 2Tofteland 4 1 3 2Pick 4 1 1 2Johnson 2 1 0 0Petersen 3 1 1 2Nath 4 0 0 0Richters 3 1 0 0Deutsch 1 1 1 1Oeding 2 0 0 0Ward 2 0 0 0Lundgren 1 1 0 0Luverne 7, Pipestone 2The Cardinals scored seven runs in the second inning and protected their lead during a five-run win in Game 2.Petersen and Derek Johnson supplied crucial blows in the second by rapping two-run singles. Deutsch, Graphenteen and Ben Nath added one RBI single each to the rally.Pipestone managed to score single runs in the second and third innings against Luverne starting pitcher Tofteland.Tofteland, however, pitched all five innings and limited the hosts to two hits.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 1 1Tofteland 3 1 1 0Pick 2 1 1 2Johnson 3 1 2 2Ward 2 0 0 0Deutsch 2 1 1 1Lundgren 1 1 0 0Nath 2 1 1 1Edgerton 4, Luverne 3A late-game rally by visiting Edgerton saddled the Cardinals with their second straight league loss Thursday at Redbird Field.Luverne erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.The 3-2 advantage looked like it might stand as the teams played four straight scoreless innings before Edgerton plated single runs in the sixth and seventh frames to win by one.Jared Pick, who led the Cards with three hits and two RBIs at plate, went the distance on the hill and took the loss.Pick supplied the key blow in the first when he singled home Taylor Graphenteen and Derek Johnson, who reached base with a walk and a single respectively to start the rally.Ben Nath chased home Pick with a single.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 2 1 0 0Johnson 3 1 1 0Pick 3 1 3 2Cote 2 0 0 0Petersen 3 0 0 0Nath 3 0 1 1Tofteland 2 0 0 0Oeding 3 0 1 0Richters 3 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseRacers with Rock County ties competed well at Rapid Speedway last week.The track in Rock Rapids, Iowa, hosted a pair of events in conjunction with the Fourth of July weekend.Local talent posted four feature victories and five heat wins during the outings.A special race was staged Wednesday, July 2, and it turned into a good night for Kanaranzi’s Colter Deutsch and Ellsworth’s Scott Overgaard.Deutsch won his heat race and the A feature in hobby stock competition. Overgaard, who placed second in the first heat race, won the A feature in the late model street stock division.Deutsch competed against Magnolia’s Josh Klay (second in the first heat and 15th in the feature), Luverne’s Mike Buss (fifth in second heat and fifth in the B feature), Steen’’s Billy Cowell (second in the third heat and ninth in the A feature), Ellsworth’s Chris Tiesler (fourth in the third heat and 11th in the A feature) and Hardwick’s Brent Hulstein (fifth in the third heat and sixth in the B feature).Adrian’s Mark DeBoer (first in the first heat and second in the feature), Luverne’s Chad Overgaard (first in the second heat and third in the feature), former Hills’ resident Darrin Korthals (second in second heat and seventh in the feature) and former Ash Creek resident David Kruger (third in the second heat and fourth in the feature) joined Scott Overgaard in the street stock competition.Former Luverne resident Anthony Mann placed third in the second heat and fifth in the feature in the sportsmen class.Luverne’s Brandon Buysse placed sixth in the first heat and 15th in the feature in the 360 sprints.Deutsch and Adrian’s Mark DeBoer won feature events during Friday’s regular race night.Deutsch was a double-winner in the hobby stocks, taking the first heat and feature titles.Klay (first in the second heat and second in the feature), Cowell (third in the second heat and fifth in the feature), Magnolia’s Larry Kracht (fourth in the second heat and 14th in the feature), Tiesler (fourth in the third heat and 17th in the feature) and Hulstein (fifth in the third heat and 16th in the feature) joined Deutsch in the hobby stock class.DeBoer won the street stock feature after placing second in the second heat.Kruger (second in the second heat and fifth in the feature), Korthals (fourth in first heat and fourth in the feature), Scott Overgaard (fifth in the first heat and seventh in the feature) and Chad Overgaard (fifth in the second heat and 10th in the feature) mixed it up in street stock competition.Mann finished fifth in the second heat and fourth in the feature in the sportsmen class.Huset’s Speedway hosted a pair of events, but local drivers registered one heat win at the track in Brandon, S.D.Cowell, who placed ninth in the A feature, won the first heat race in the hobby stock division during Thursday’s event.Deutsch (third in first heat and second in the A feature), Klay (second in the second heat and fifth in the A feature), Tiesler (sixth in the second heat and fourth in the B feature) and Buss (sixth in the third heat and fifth in the B feature) also raced in the hobby stock class Thursday.Scott Overgaard had a decent night in the street stock division after placing third in the second heat and third in the feature. Chad Overgaard was fourth in the first heat and fifth in the feature. Kruger was sixth in the first heat and ninth in the feature.Luverne’s Jake Peters placed fourth in the first heat and eighth in the feature in the outlaw sprints. Peters finished third in the second heat and eighth in the feature in the 360 sprints.Peters placed second in the first heat and fourth in the feature in the outlaw sprints during Sunday’s races. He was fifth in the second heat and 16th in the feature in the 360 sprints.Deutsch raced well in the hobby stock division. He placed third in the second heat and second in the feature.Cowell (third in the first heat and ninth in the feature) and Klay (fourth in the second heat and fifth in the feature) also competed in the hobby stock class.Kruger (sixth in the first heat and fourth in the feature), Scott Overgaard (fourth in the first heat and ninth in the feature) and Chad Overgaard (sixth in the second heat and seventh in the feature) raced in the street stock class Sunday.Luverne modified driver Mike Steensma placed fifth in the feature race at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday before finishing ninth in the modified feature at Worthington Speedway Sunday.DeBoer placed ninth in the street stock feature Sunday in Worthington.