Public invited to Betty Mann's appreciation day at History Center
To the Editor:
After 27 years Betty Mann is stepping down as president of the Rock County Historical Society, and you are invited to an open house to honor Betty at the History Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1, Betty’s 92nd birthday!
There are so many reasons to celebrate with Betty. She has recently been awarded the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding work in promoting Rock County history (see last week’s front page story). We also thank and honor Betty for her dedication, leadership and accomplishments as president of the Rock County Historical Society for the past 27 years. And we get to wish her a Happy 92nd Birthday on the very day, May 1! Besides greeting Betty, enjoy a self-guided tour of the History Center and a birthday treat while you’re at the History Center!
If you wish to give a card/special donation to the ongoing work and future projects of the Rock County Historical Society in honor and appreciation of Betty, checks may be written to Rock County Historical Society or to LACF Rock County Historical Society (tax-deductible). A “birthday basket” will be available for cards and gifts.
Under Betty’s leadership for 27 years, the Historical Society has achieved some remarkable growth. Back in November 1994 the Historical Society housed all artifacts in the Hinkly House, the only building that was owned by the group at that time. The first project of the Historical Society under Betty’s leadership was to purchase the Masonic Temple in 1996 for $1 as headquarters for a work center as well as a display area. The Hinkly House was then renovated and restored to its original beauty.
Going forward, several historic buildings were acquired for the Rock County fairgrounds, including a country schoolhouse, a summer kitchen, the Fitzer barn and the Ordung barn.
But the most challenging project was the acquisition of the former Herman Motor Company building in 2014, now known as the History Center. Under Betty’s leadership, a fundraising project was undertaken to raise $1.1 million for a major renovation of the building, and the generous people of Rock County and others with Rock County ties stepped up and gave generously. The beautiful History Center has become a reality!
Betty gives countless hours of time and energy to the work of the Historical Society and plans to continue serving on the board and volunteering her time. She is always willing to lead tours or meet with those who are looking for records of information.
The Christmas Haus was opened at the History Center under Betty’s leadership as a way to raise additional funds for the general operation of the Historical Society, and of course her donation of the nutcracker collection, last count over 4,600, has been a tremendous tourist attraction to the center.
We hope you are able to celebrate with Betty Sunday, May 1, but if you aren’t able to come, you may send cards and gifts to the Rock County Historical Society at 312 East Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156. Or donations may be sent to LACF Rock County Historical Society at 102 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mayors propose common sense workforce development
To the Editor:
As mayors of southwest Minnesota cities, we frequently hear from employers about the shortage of employees, and help wanted signs are everywhere. Sign-on bonuses are increasing, as are starting wages.
For jobs that require a two-year accreditation or four-year degree, many businesses are paying all or part of workers’ education in exchange for a commitment to work. New or struggling businesses may not readily have the financial resources to hire these employees.
The pandemic exacerbated a problem that existed for years: The exodus of young people from greater Minnesota and a worker shortage that is threatening a rural way of life.
Greater Minnesota provides manufacturing and an agricultural economy that is second to none in this nation, and greater Minnesota provides the outdoors and recreational areas that are the envy of the nation. We can’t afford to let greater Minnesota communities struggle.
The states of Iowa and South Dakota that border southwest Minnesota have for several years lured our youngest and brightest students, providing free two-year degrees in exchange for a three-year work commitment in those states.
The chances of getting these employees back to Minnesota are slim to none. If companies in our region cannot find quality trained employees, they will be forced to close or relocate.
In November of 2021 the unemployment rate in our region reached a record low of 1.7 percent. This unheard-of unemployment rate illustrates the severe workforce shortage in our region and likely many other regions of the state.
A few months ago, many of the mayors in southwest Minnesota introduced language and a bill in the Senate and House (SF4153 & HF4512) to address workforce development.
These bills are laser focused on the current employment needs of our businesses and the ability of our higher education institutions to provide these associate degrees.
This five-year pilot program would pay for a two-year associate degree in carpentry, electrical, mechatronics, plumbing, diesel mechanics, automotive and autobody.
The free education in these fields would come with a commitment to work in southwest Minnesota. Each of our communities and private businesses would also invest in this program as partners with the state with local dollars. The bill would provide funds from the state to our Southwest Initiative Foundation to be administered.
As we all know, workforce needs in our communities can and will change from year to year. During the five-year pilot program the SW MN Private Industry Council will evaluate the education degrees that are needed by our businesses and can adjust education specialties as needed (maybe animal vaccine technicians, medical lab technicians, dental hygienists or electrical linemen). The point is, we focus our precious tax dollars on education that will enhance economic development and grow our communities.
The House DFL leadership has proposed a $30-plus million program to pay for all community college costs for our residents. It’s a noble idea, but as we understand it, it would need to be funded on a yearly basis, it’s extremely expensive, it doesn’t target businesses’ employment needs and it doesn’t require a commitment to work in our state and benefit our local communities.
We need to provide education that benefits our young people and our local economies with a more targeted approach that spends only $3.5 million over five years in southwest Minnesota where it’s needed most.
Even if this tuition initiative is rolled out to all six regions in the state that are most likely in need of qualified trained employees as we are, the cost to the taxpayer would still be minimal.
 
Mike Kuhle, mayor of Worthington
Pat Baustian, mayor of Luverne
 
Esther Frakes
Luverne

I’m not sure if it’s muscle memory or just that we’re creatures of habit, but there are things we do every day without giving it any thought.
Challenge yourself to pay attention to how many daily routine things you do the same way and don’t even realize it.
Here are a few of the things I do every day and never really notice as to how or why I do them the way I do.
I shave the right side of my face first, I brush my teeth on the left side of my mouth first, then the front and finish on the right side.
I put my sock on my left foot first, then the right …  same with my shoes.
Recently I and seven others participated in the Citizens Academy course with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office.
We met at the Law Enforcement Center for three two-hour sessions.
I found it interesting that while we could sit in any of the 25 or so seats available, for each of the three sessions we all sat in the same seat that we did the week before. I call that the “church pew syndrome.”
I bet you park your car on the same side of the garage every night. Ever wonder why?
If you need to put gas in your car, do you stop and think about which station to go to? Me neither. I always go to the same one.
Do you use salt and pepper? If so, which one do you put on first?
When you set the table, how do you align your silverware? Is the blade of your knife facing toward the plate or away? I bet you do it the same way every time.
I know people who go for a walk every day and take the same route every day. (I do too, by the way.)
So, part of my challenge to you is to take notice of the things you do without giving it a thought.
Now, moving forward, try to change your routine a bit. We can call it the new norm.

Dispatch report
April 8
•Complainant on U.S. Highway 75 reported an abandoned vehicle.
•Complainant on E. Highway 34, Pierre, South Dakota, reported a subject with a Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on W. Edgehill Street reported theft.
•Complainant reported unsafe driving on County Road 4.
•Complainant on S. Fassett Street reported his son threated him.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 12, reported car partially blocking ramp.
April 9
•Complainant on E. Dodge Street reported a Microsoft computer scam.
•Complainant on 20th Avenue, Beaver Creek, reported harassment/ threats.
•Complainant on Highway 75 and Interstate 90, Luverne, reported person wearing dark jacket is walking near interstate bridge.
April 10
•Driving complaint was reported westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Magnolia.
•Complainant on 161st Street, Luverne, reported a grass fire.
•Complainant on S. Estey Street requested to speak with a deputy about neighbor issues.
April 11
•Complainant on N. Oakley Street reported a parking issue at location.
•Parking complaint was reported on W. Main Street.
•Complainant on 61st Street and 20th Avenue, Manley, reported dangerous driving in the area.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported property damage.
•Complainant on 31st Street and 50th Avenue, Hills, reported a grass fire.
April 12
•Complainant on 91st Street, Beaver Creek, reported an attempted theft.
•Complainant on 1st Street, Hardwick, reported a fire at location.
•Complainant reported a scam.
•A weather bulletin was issued.
April 13
•Complainant on E. Main Street reported a civil issue/harassing communications.
•Subject was arrested on an out of state warrant.
April 14
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue heard guests yelling in parking lot.
•Complainant on S. Walnut Avenue reported a chemical spill.
•Complainant on W. Maple Street reported an abandoned vehicle.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a trespasser.
•Complainant reported trucks hauling dirt with uncovered loads.
April 15
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street reported loud music at location.
•Complainant on W. Maple Street reported a crime in another county.
•Complainant on N. McKenzie Street reported property damage.
In addition, officers responded to 7 motor vehicle accidents, 2 deer accidents, 1 vehicle in ditch, 2 escorts, 16 ambulance runs, 6 paper services, 3 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 14 burn permits, 1 background check, 1 alarm, 7 drug court tests, 9 purchase and carry permits, 20 traffic stops, 5 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 3 welfare checks and 1 OFP.

Luverne City Council members took action at their Tuesday, April 12, meeting to further develop the Dakota Industrial Subdivision in the city’s industrial park.
In an addendum to the agenda, they approved a resolution allowing the waiver of city subdivision requirements and recording of subdivided property.
The action approves the plans and allows development of the 235,000-square-foot Lineage Logistics cold storage warehouse.
The company purchased two tracts of land owned by the Luverne Economic Development Authority along the Minnesota Southern Railroad.
The purchase price of the EDA land, totaling 5.43 acres, was $118,265. Closing was Wednesday.
The city’s role in the process is to extend Dakota Avenue 500 feet to the Lineage Logistics property line and to provide city utilities as well.
The road goes through a low area and will need culverts, along with the extension of water and sewer electrical utilities.
Henning Construction, which is doing site work for Lineage, was the low bidder for that work at $775,000.
The city will receive a BDPI public utilities grant that will cover half of the cost.
According to plans shared with city leaders, Lineage is acquiring additional, larger tracts of property from Driftless Meats near Premium Minnesota Pork in a separate private transaction.
Lineage has indicated it will create up to 75 new “quality-paying” jobs in the community to support the operation.
The company expects complete construction by early 2023.

LSS meals at Generations
Monday, April 25: Tater tot casserole, green beans, warm peaches, dessert, dinner roll.
Half-Price Day sponsored by American Reformed Church.
Tuesday, April 26: Fiesta chicken casserole, carrots, Spanish rice, pineapple.
Wednesday, April 27: Spaghetti with meat sauce, Romaine salad with dressing, Tropical fruit, Texas toast, dessert.
Thursday, April 28: Roasted turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, dinner roll, dessert.
Friday, April 29: Barbecue pork on a bun, potato salad, pears, dessert.
LSS Dining offers well-balanced and affordable meals in a community atmosphere.
Call Lynette Hoiland at 283-9846 to arrange to pick up a dinner or for home-delivered meals.
Gift certificates are available at the meal site or online at www.lssmn.org/nutrition.

Luverne-Adrian FFA’ers travel to Little I
Three teams from the Luverne-Adrian FFA Chapter traveled to Brookings April 1 for the South Dakota State University’s Little I contests.
Nine members participated in the general livestock competition including Jaden Reisch, Brianna Sieve, Andrew Kinsinger, Lucas Hansen, Tucker Remme, Layne Sasker, Lacey Sasker, Ayden Bonnett and Nathan Kinsinger.
Bonnett was the team’s high individual, placing 83rd out of 346 participants.
The team placed 45th out of 79 teams.
The veterinary science team of Maren Stegenga and Andrea Luitjens also took part in the Little I contest.
The team placed 27th out of 39 teams. Stegenga had the high individual score for the team, placing 59th.
The horse judging team of Cash Bonnett, Emma Deutsch, Julia Hoogland, Morgan Bonnett and Sawyer Sasker placed 15th out of 45 teams.
Hoogland was the team’s high individual, placing 20th overall.
 
FFA’ers attend Region 6 contest
Four members of the Luverne-Adrian FFA Chapter traveled to South Dakota State University-Brookings April 8 for the Region 6 FFA General Livestock contest. Team members included Ayden Bonnett, Lacey Sasker, Andrew Kinsinger and Layne Sasker.
The team placed 14th out of 18 teams. Bonnett was the high individual for the team, placing 29th out of 78 contestants.

10 years ago (2012)
•Geronimo Wind Energy’s Main Street office in Luverne was abuzz with activity last week.
Owners of the land where wind turbines will be located were signing final contracts, learning the turbine locations and hearing construction site safety guidelines.
Geronimo Wind Energy President Blake Nixon said that activity will soon be evident in the rest of the community.
 
25 years ago (1997)
•A handful of Grand Forks flood refugees are making their temporary homes in Luverne.
About 20 employees of American West Insurance Company in Grand Forks are working out of the Tri-State Insurance Office, Luverne, trying to handle claims and conduct business as usual.
American West was acquired by Tri-State in 1987 as a sister company. It operated independently until a year ago when Tri-State in Luverne began to manage it under company President Curt Bloemendaal, Luverne.
 
50 years ago (1972)
•It’s cold and it’s dry, but Rock County farmers are fairly close to schedule, according to County Agent Kent Ringkob and ASC Executive Director Jim Lewis.
Farmers got off to a fast start this spring and there has been a lot of oats seeded already, Ringkob reported. Both men added that there has been a great deal of fertilizer already applied to fields, a sign that work is really on the way.
“We’ve had a good start on plowing,” Ringkob said, “and a lot of farmers have told me the soil is ‘mellow’ and works up well.”
 
75 years ago (1947)
•Announcement was made this week that Jake Schoon has purchased the Pontiac dealership franchise for Luverne from H. A. Shelby, and that he has leased the new building, owned by Alfred Shelby, on the corner of Cedar and Maple Street.
Schoon, who is now located in the former Masnon-Nesguthe garage, just across the street from the new building, said he expected to move within the next 30 days. Work on the interior of the structure is being completed at the present time.
The new building will give Schoon Motor Sales 6,800 square feet of floor space. Mr. Schoon said he would have a display and parts room, in an area 40 by 50 feet, and the remainder of the building would be utilized as an up-to-date repair shop. For the present, however, he intends to retain possession of his present location, he said.
 
100 years ago (1922)
•Two of Luverne’s manufacturing concerns, the National Concrete Materials Co. and the Quartzite Quarries, Inc., have secured substantial contracts for their products during the past week.
The National Concrete materials Co. was awarded a $36,000 contract for drainage pipe as a part of a $69,000 drainage system project let last week by the Nobles county board of commissioners.
The Quartzite Quarries, Inc. contract consists of an order secured this week by Manager Harper Shaffer for about two hundred carloads of crushed rock, to be shipped to Omaha, Neb., for use on the roads of Douglas county. An order also was secured for crushed rock to be shipped to Sioux City.

The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. This is continued from last week’s edition of the Star Herald.
Mr. Kennedy was married May 4, 1894, at Luverne to Susie Kean, a native of Village Creek, Ia. and they made their home on the farm at the east edge of Hardwick until they moved to Luverne about four years ago.
When Mr. Kennedy bought the place, it was unbroken prairie and had no improvements. He broke all the sod, however, and built all the buildings. He modernized it by piping water to the buildings from a spring 80 rods distant, and by installing electric lights as soon as electricity was available in Hardwick.
Very few have had the privilege to watch a village grow as Mr. Kennedy did. He recalls when there was nothing at Hardwick except a station platform. After several had settled there, Mr. Kennedy and some of the others organized the first village council. After that time, Mr. Kennedy served in various capacities but mostly as mayor, an office which he held for 22 years.
“You learn a lot of things when you hold an office like that,” Mr. Kennedy said, “and if I had it to do over again, I don’t think I’d ever want to go through it. Now that it is done, though, I guess it was worth it.”
Through the efforts of Mr. Kennedy and fellow council members, Hardwick became the first village in Rock county to have electric lights and a water system. Because they had the foresight to spend $7 and $8 per foot for drilling a well through solid rock to a depth of 410 feet, the village now has one of the finest water supplies in the county, and has over three miles of water mains to serve its residents.
The time the council got into the most “hot water” was when they bought trees with village funds and gave two to each lot owner. Although some of the taxpayers didn’t like the idea of spending money for such items as trees at that time, they have since changed their minds, because Hardwick now has as beautiful a residential section as any village its size.
Mr. Kennedy also served on the school board at the time the present Hardwick school building was built. He and another board member decided to look at other school buildings in the county before letting the contract, and this gave him an opportunity to take his first ride in a car. They came by team to Luverne and here hired a car from an “auto livery.” Not only was that Mr. Kennedy’s first trip in a car, but it was the first time he had ever seen Beaver Creek or Hills.
Although Mr. Kennedy devoted considerable time to the bettering of his community, he still had time to handle his farming affairs. He enjoyed raising livestock, and always had large numbers of cattle, horses and hogs on hand. He raised a considerable number of horses and mules.
Although farming has been his business all his life, Mr. Kennedy states he earned one of his first dollars as a mason’s assistant. He was a youth in his teens when a man by the name of Smith asked him to help mix mortar for layering rocks in a basement in Luverne. He worked for him for about three days, and earned about a dollar a day. His employer he recalls came to Luverne as a peddler, and later became a leading builder in this area. He later built the Calumet building in Pipestone, according to Mr. Kennedy.
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy are the parents of four children, all of whom are living. They include Emmet Kennedy, Luverne; Leo Kennedy, Hardwick; Neva, at home; and Mrs. Rufus (Virginia) Putnam, Rawlings, Wyo. They also have seven grandchildren.
Of seven children in his father’s family, Mr. Kennedy is one of five still living. They include Mrs. Frank (Kate) Kennedy, Luverne; Robert Kennedy, Pipestone; Thomas Kennedy, Ellsworth; and Mrs. Ronald (Elizabeth) Kean, of Los Angeles.
         Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Gerald “Garry” Tokheim, 85, Alcester, South Dakota died Wednesday, March 23, 2022, at the Alcester Care Center in Alcester.
A memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Palisade Lutheran Church in rural Beaver Creek.
Arrangements are provided by Chapel Hill Funeral Home of Sioux Falls. www.chapelhillfuneralhome.com
(0421 DN)