Dries G. Bosch, 80, Valley Springs, S.D., died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.

Services were Monday, Oct. 8, at Valley Springs Reformed Church in Valley Springs. Burial was in Pleasant View Cemetery, Valley Springs.

Dries G. Bosch was born to Gerrit and Jennie (Ten Haken) Bosch on Jan. 10, 1921, on a farm near Steen. In March 1921 he moved with his parents to a farm near Luverne where he grew up. He entered the U.S. Army on Aug. 15, 1942, and served overseas in the European Theatre. He was involved in the invasion of Normandy. He was discharged on Nov. 21, 1945.

He married Jennie Elzinga on Dec. 18, 1945, in her home. The couple farmed near Valley Springs for two years. They later farmed north of Beaver Creek until 1979. They then moved to Valley Springs. He worked at the stockyards for five yards before retiring.

Mr. Bosch was a member of Valley Springs Reformed Church where he served as a deacon for three years and as an elder for 36 years. He also served on the Beaver Creek Elevator Board for 24 years. He was a member of the American Legion in Valley Springs where he served as chaplain for many years.

Survivors include his wife, Jennie Bosch, Valley Springs; two sons and daughters-in-law, Dale and Karen Bosch, Beaver Creek, and Merlyn and Kathi Bosch, Valley Springs; one daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Denny Van Den Berg, Sioux Center, Iowa; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; three brothers, William (Bertha) Bosch, Steen, Gerald and (Vivian) Bosch, Valley Springs, and Arthur and (Dottie) Bosch, Pella, Iowa; one sister, Grace Wassenaar, Hills; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mr. Bosch was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Marvin Bosch.

George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls, S.D., was in charge of arrangements.

Dianne Greenfield, 60, Hills, died Saturday, Oct. 13 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls. Services will be Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills, with Rev. Lowell Berg officiating. Burial will follow in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fulda. Visitation will be Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 2 to 8:30 p.m. with family present from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Roste Funeral Home, Hills.

By John Rittenhouse
Adrian moved one step closer toward a Little Sioux Conference football championship by downing Murray County Central 20-13 in Adrian Friday.

Freshman quarterback Levi Bullerman threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns and senior tailback Tyler Bullerman ran for 118 yards and one touchdown to help the Dragons up their record to 5-0 overall and in the LSC.

The Dragons can take another stride toward a league title with a win over Dawson-Boyd in Dawson tonight. The Blackjacks and Ortonville are Adrian's main obstacles in the hunt for a conference championship as both teams have 4-1 league records.

Adrian now will be paying a price for a bye week it had earlier in the season. After playing in Dawson tonight, the Dragons return home to host Elmore Academy Saturday before traveling to Ortonville Wednesday.

The Dragons earned the right to control their own league destiny and gained a little revenge at the same time by upending the Rebels Friday.

Winless MCC ended AdrianÕs 2000 campaign by knocking the Dragons out of the section semifinals.

The Rebels drew first blood in Friday's tilt with a touchdown 7:35 into the game, but the Dragons recorded the next 20 points before winning by seven.

"MCC is a tough ball team to stop," said Dragon coach Randy Strand. "They are big up front, and they kept pushing us back all night. We survived this game."

The Rebels gave Adrian an indication that the game would be a tough one when they stopped the Dragons on downs early in the first quarter before going on a 12-play, 48-yard drive that ended with Sean Kuechenmeister scoring on a five-yard run at the 4:25 mark of the opening period. Nick Bruning kicked the extra point to make it a 7-0 game.

Adrian responded to the challenge by scoring one touchdown in each of the first three quarters to take a 20-7 lead.

Levi Bullerman, who completed nine of 13 passes in the game, made two key connections when Adrian answered MCCÕs touchdown in the first quarter.

The Dragon signal-caller hooked up with Bryce Block for a 29-yard completion before tossing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dusty Henning to cap a five-play, 60-yard drive with 2:27 remaining in the stanza. A missed extra-point attempt kept the Rebels clinging to a 7-6 edge.

Adrian moved in front late in the first half when the offense put together a six-play, 44-yard drive. Levi Bullerman threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Lynn before hitting Henning with a successful conversion toss to give the Dragons a 14-7 advantage with 3:43 left to play in the first half.

The Dragons padded their lead by six points with an 80-yard touchdown march to start the second half. The three-play possession featured the talents of Tyler Bullerman as the veteran back dashed 69 yards for a touchdown during the third play of the possession.

A botched snap during the extra-point attempt left Adrian sporting a 13-point advantage with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter.

It looked like the game might end with Adrian winning 20-7 before the MCC defense made a big play late in the fourth quarter.

Rebel defender Matt Kautz picked off a pass on the Dragon 33 to set up a six-play drive that ended with Ryan Streff scoring on a two-yard run with 4:44 left to play. A missed extra-point attempt kept the score at 20-13.

The Adrian offense made sure MCC didn't have the opportunity to tie the game as the Dragons ran the remaining time off the clock with a 13-play possession.

Team statistics
Adrian: 186 rushing yards, 137 passing yards, 323 total yards, 10 first downs, three penalties for 30 yards, one turnover.

MCC: 215 rushing yards, 28 passing yards, 243 total yards, 14 first downs, two penalties for 15 yards, one turnover.

Individual statistics
Rushing: T.Bullerman 16-118, L.Bullerman 11-59, Nate Bullerman 4-9.

Passing: L.Bullerman 9-13 for 137 yards.

Receiving: Henning 4-41, Lynn 2-30, T.Bullerman 2-37, Block 1-29.

Defense: Henning 17 tackles, Joe Kruger 15 tackles, Block 11 tackles, Brandon Schettler 10 tackles and one sack, Pete Hohn one fumble recovery.

By Sara Quam
Carole Olson said her newly completed children's book makes her feel "a bit like a mom who has been watching her little girl take dance lessons. Mom sees all the progress and thinks her little sweetheart is another Pavlova, but she fears putting her out for review on the big stage, to find out otherwise."

Olson, formerly of Luverne, now Richfield, has put three years into the project that will reach many Rock County homes.

"Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader" is a children's book that is also for parents.

"The idea," Olson said, "is that we're trying to get parents and babies together."

The Rock County Collaborative and Friends of the Library financed the project that will eventually get to all children born in the county.

At the fair this week, the school's booth is giving away copies to Rock County children ages 0-5. The library's booth will sell them, and copies will be available at any time at the Rock County Community Library, Luverne.

Collaborative board member Karen Willers said, "The book says a lot about what we want to say about parents and babies, not just the mom, but dads, too."

Children who don't get the book at the fair for free can expect one through the school or other community groups later on. The Collaborative is planning to make home visits to newborns in the county and will make the book a part of its visit.

The book of love
Olson said the idea of the book came during a Friends of the Library board meeting, of all places.

The board was discussing a teacher in-service session in which Dr. Hilary Pert Stecklein, a pediatrician who heads Reading Rx, spoke. She emphasized the importance of early reading to baby's brains. She said reading to babies is a vital part of giving children a head start on reading and on learning. She also talked about how the mother's voice - heard for nine months - gets the biggest response from babies and has an ongoing effect.

Olson was inspired to get this information to Rock County residents but couldn't find an adequate publication, so she considered making a pamphlet. But pamphlets are not hard to come by for new parents, who are bombarded with "handy" bits of information from hospitals and other organizations.

Olson decided to make a legitimate book, something for families to keep and enjoy together.

Local faces and Olson's niece's artwork cover the pages. Olson said she gave the material a lot of consideration and ended up using nursery rhymes along with information for parents within the same book.

While making it, she thought about who would be reading it. "I wanted to promote reading as a good tool in a way that isnÕt preachy and isnÕt in a language thatÕs difficult to understand."

She wanted to make it accessible to parents who may have struggled with learning as students themselves. "And they are intimidated by the educational establishment. These young parents often donÕt exactly know what separated them from the kids who found school easy and fun. They only know they love their own new babies and would like life and learning to be easier for them. They are the parents who can break the old patterns."

Olson said many teachers and other professionals know how important reading is for children's development. She hopes that giving this book away will reach others who may not know its impact.

"I tried not to preach but rather to encourage. I avoided as much educational jargon as I possibly could," Olson said.

The concept of reading with children as young as newborns isn't just an intellectual concept. "You're not going to have a child quoting Shakespeare in preschool; thatÕs not the point," she said.

"We're trying to get them interested in books inside their little brains as early as possible. You aren't born knowing that symbols on a page mean anything," Olson said.

"This book is not supposed to be a treatise on how to develop geniuses, just an encouragement to get moms and dads to turn off the TV set, hold their kids and read with them."

She suggests that people outside of Rock County may enjoy the book as a baby gift, rather than a tossable "congratulations" card.

The book has gotten good reviews locally but also from Stecklein. She said, "It's a wonderful tool to help families read together. It gives the essential message about brain development and the difference early reading makes. it's so calm and authentic. You have photos of regular people spending time together - reading, going to the library together."

By Lori Ehde
Bulldozers returned to Lincoln Street Monday after several weeks of inactivity on that construction project.

Work started July 9 on rebuilding the county-state-aid road and was due to be finished by the end of September.

According to Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr, Rupp Construction, Slayton, is aware of the deadline but has opted to work on other projects in the area.

For every day the project extends into October, a $400 per day penalty will be imposed, Sehr said.

Penalties will be deducted from what the county pays Rupp when the work is completed.

The $300,000 project includes work on sewer and water lines, and sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Lincoln Street from Cedar Street east to Blue Mound Avenue is torn up. Traffic can get to Glen's Food Center parking lot from Lincoln, but everything east of the grocery store is impassable by vehicle.

In addition to Glen's, others affected by the closed street include the Fire Department, Post Office, County Attorney's Office, Luverne Senior Center and apartment buildings.

By Lori Ehde
In a project that has already seen its share of setbacks, Lincoln Street work in Luverne hit another bump last week.

After putting in the curb and gutter along both sides of the street, crews noticed an elevation error that would have caused problems in the direction of water drainage at Spring and Oakley streets.

This prompted removal of 250 feet of new curb and gutter on the south side of the street Friday.

"It was our mistake," said Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr. "There was an error in our elevation measurements."

Sehr said the error cost the county about $5,000, but it didn't affect the timeline of the project. He said concrete crews were scheduled to work on a different project while the 250 feet of curb and gutter was torn out.

Work started July 9 on rebuilding the county-state-aid road that was due to be finished by the end of September.

Rupp Construction, Slayton, opted to work on other projects in the area for several weeks this summer, and for every day work extends into October, a $400-per-day penalty is imposed, Sehr said.

Penalties will be deducted from what the county pays Rupp when the work is completed.

The $300,000 project includes work on sewer and water lines, and sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Lincoln Street from Cedar Street east to Blue Mound Avenue is torn up. Traffic can get to Glen's Food Center parking lot from Lincoln, but everything east of the grocery store is impassable by vehicle.

Others affected by the closed street include the Fire Department, Post Office, County Attorney's Office, Luverne Senior Center and apartment buildings.

Sehr said paving could start as early as next week.

"If the weather holds, we should wrap up the whole project by Oct. 26," he said. "It might be before then, but I'm not going to guess anymore on this project."

Sod work on the boulevards will be completed next spring.

By Sara Quam
A small piece of property was annexed into the city of Luverne after a public hearing Tuesday.

Darold Laabs' property is mostly in Luverne, but a .3243 acre parcel is an "island" of township land surrounded by property in the city.

The city of Luverne wanted the land annexed to prevent problems if the Laabses would happen to sell the land to someone who doesnÕt care for it as well as they do.

City Attorney Don Klosterbuer said that because township land falls under different regulations for building codes, weed control and garbage collection future use of it would be in the city's control.

Councilman Keith Erickson said, "I think we should be consistent, and thatÕs why IÕm in favor of the annexation."

Laabs, who lives on Fairview Drive, said he didnÕt object to having a final piece of his property annexed into the city, but that he was concerned about his taxes increasing.

Another part of his property was annexed and it increased four times in assessed value. He asked the City Council to use caution when looking at his taxes next year.

Property values are determined by the assessor, but property owners can approach the City Council with clarifications or complaints during a meeting of the Board of Review.

Municipal liquor
The council passed a resolution in opposition of the sale of wine for off-premise consumption in outlets other than the municipal liquor store. Legislation is being proposed that would open up wine sales in grocery and convenience stores.

Blue Mound Liquor Manager Rich DeSchepper said he thought the legislation would open up the market to more underage alcohol sales.

"The pop-wines are very popular with kids. They'll have much more exposure," DeSchepper said.

Mayor Glen Gust said, "I do have a little background on this because I happen to be on the Minnesota Grocer's Board."

He said that the law would make sense in metropolitan areas where there are fewer municipal liquor stores but that rural legislators won't support it and that it won't likely pass.

"I think we don't need to do anything. Why deal with something that's not going to happen? It's a waste of time and effort," Gust said.

Councilman Jim Kirchhofer said he believed that it was appropriate for the council to present its side of the issue before it's voted on rather than after.

DeSchepper said that Blue Mound Liquor doesn't allow anyone inside the doors unless they're 21 years old, and all clerks are of legal drinking age. He said that the Municipal Beverage Association fears that underage clerks and salespeople wonÕt be as diligent.

The council acknowledged that liquor sale spot checks in Luverne haven't shown illegal sales in the past.

Lewis and Clark
Utilities Director Red Arndt gave the city an update on the project. He said that federal funding will determine how fast the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System is completed.

But even with high federal dollars, Arndt reminded the council that water won't come to Luverne for 12 years. "I want to remind people not to get discouraged. It takes a lot of money and it looks like nothingÕs going on, but it's a long-range plan and we will see results."

Now in their second week, the students work at the shops from 1 to 3 p.m. every school day, gaining valuable experience and insight on possible careers.

"It gives me a head start to see what it's like in the shop," Brockberg said Monday. He's not sure he'll go into auto mechanics for a living, but this will help him decide.

"I'm leaving my options open," he said. "I've always liked to fix things and do stuff in the yard.
This just helps me expand my horizons."

So far, Dreckman said the arrangement with Brockberg is working out well. "We help him learn things in the business, and he's getting his hands dirty," Dreckman said.

At the same time, the businesses are finding ways the arrangement helps them, too. For example, one day when things were busy at Luverne Body Shop, Mary Aaker said De Kam washed up a car that was ready to be returned to a customer.

"It's an extra set of hands when he's here, too," she said.

The decision to take on an intern goes beyond the work that's getting done, the business owners say.

Aaker said when Luverne High School offered the auto body and auto mechanics programs, any student who wanted to see what those jobs were like had the chance to find out.

"Now they don't anymore," he said. "This way a few can have the opportunity to try it."

By Lori Ehde
When the budget axe fell this spring, Luverne High School lost its auto body and auto mechanics vocational programs.

The classes no longer exist, but with a little creativity and participation from local businesses, two senior students are still getting their hands greasy while padding their academic rŽsumŽs.

Jeremy De Kam, Luverne, is working an apprenticeship with Kevin Aaker at Luverne Body Shop, and Mark Brockberg, Hardwick, is working under Rich Dreckman at Align Tech and Tire.

High School Principal Gary Fisher said these two students were particularly at a loss when the program was cut, because they had met most of their other requirements for graduation.

Besides that, funding had also been cut for the School to Work program in business education.

"I said if they could find a business in the community to offer the opportunity for them to explore the work environment, then we'd see what we could do," Fisher said. "They did the legwork and talked to the businesses."

From there, insurance issues and parameters for grades were worked out.

"Grades will be based on the employers' view of the job they did and things like their work ethic," Fisher said.

He will review the students' work with the employers at the end of each quarter to determine their grades.