Members of the Save the Manfred House group are hoping to have the former interpretive center at the Blue Mounds State Park to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Their aim is to save the structure from the state’s plan to partially demolish the house, built in 1961 by the late Luverne author Fred Manfred.
The group hired Rolf Anderson, Minneapolis, who has an architecture degree and studies buildings for their historic value.
He concluded that it is eligible for the register under both literary and architectural criteria and submitted a formal nomination to the State Historic Preservation Review Board.
“Listing in the National Register of Historic Places recognizes properties important in our history and worthy of preservation,” Anderson said.
He explained that the National Register is a federal program, and the designation is honorific.
“However, in Minnesota, National Register properties that are publicly owned or are owned by non-profit entities qualify for Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants, also known as Legacy Grants, which can provide funding for their rehabilitation and maintenance,” Anderson said. 
“Once listed in the National Register, the Manfred House would be eligible for this funding.”   
The state board will consider the nomination of the Manfred House at the Blue Mounds State Park to the National Register of Historic Places during a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12.
A link to Anderson’s nomination of the Manfred House can be found at savethemanfredhouse.org.
A link to the April 12 meeting and instructions will be available on the State Review Board Meeting page, mn.gov/admin/shpo/registration/nrhp/review-board/meetings.
Written comments can be directed to Secretary, State Historic Preservation Review Board, SHPO, 50 Sherburne Ave., Suite 203, St. Paul, MN 55155.
 
Background
The state acquired the Manfred house in 1972 for use as an interpretive center, however moisture routinely seeped through the north wall of the home, built into the Sioux quartzite.
Water routinely flooded the lower level and created maintenance difficulties for park staff who annually ran a sump pump from the house.
The building remained a central gathering point for community author readings and live music, despite its doors being closed to the public.
In 2015 a primary support beam was found to be rotten from moisture, and mold had formed throughout the building, so DNR personnel began contemplating its future.
As part of an overall Blue Mounds State Park improvement plan, a local citizens’ advisory committee was formed to consider options in light of limited funds.
After several meetings, the consensus was that rebuilding the former Manfred home wasn’t a prudent investment.
 However, the group insisted that portions of the building be salvaged as a historic reminder of Manfred’s literary and cultural contributions.
Early in 2019, the state sought bids from architects for trailhead development at the site that would make the area more functional while still honoring Manfred’s legacy.
Of eight architect firms that bid on the project, TKDA was chosen for having the best proposal for public consideration.
 
Save the Manfred House opposes all three proposals, demands structure be saved
While the DNR heard ample feedback in 2017 when the advisory groups were meeting, a survey in 2021 seeking feedback on the state’s plans showed 78 percent of the 542 respondents were against any demolition of the Manfred house.
This, according to the Save the Manfred House group, is another reason to consider saving the structure.
“Our interest is in seeing that the DNR's plans be suspended until a more thorough review can occur and all reasonable funding and preservation options can be considered fully,” the group states on its website.
Save the Manfred House was organized in late 2019 by the author’s daughter Freya Manfred, her husband Thomas Pope, and former Luverne resident Tom Brakke because they feared that the DNR would remove the house without fully exploring alternatives.
“We continue to encourage the DNR to rethink its decision to tear down the Manfred house,” Brakke said last month, also pointing out that DNR neglect contributed to the building’s condition.
“Losing that historical building without a proper review of all of the options would be a travesty. We are gratified that the survey conducted by the DNR shows that the public feels the same way.”
 
DNR defends process that involved ‘lengthy process of engagement of stakeholders’
In response to the group’s public outcry, DNR resource and asset manager Bob Welsh
reaffirms the state’s commitment to honoring Manfred with the new trailhead options.
“It is important to note for context that the Frederick Manfred House site is an important and valued area within Blue Mounds State Park,” Welsh writes. “It reflects the contributions of a famous American author to the community of Luverne, and his family’s legacy.”
And he also defends the process for arriving at the current proposals.
“The DNR has undertaken a lengthy process of engagement of stakeholders including a series of group meetings in the community to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to the park, including the Manfred house,” Welsh said.
“And there have been multiple communications with advocates for saving the Manfred house about the condition of the house and plans to redevelop the area into a trailhead dating back to at least 2019.”
Blue Mounds State Park manager Chris Ingebretsen also weighed in on the discussion last year.
“We understand the attachment that some people feel toward Frederick Manfred’s former home,” he said. “However, its very unique design made it susceptible to water intrusion, which severely compromised the building’s structural integrity over many years, to the point that restoration isn’t feasible.”

Hills-Beaver Creek School District will receive two solar arrays for its elementary and high school buildings under Minnesota’s “Solar On Schools” program.
H-BC received preliminary approval from the Minnesota Department of Commerce in January for a $66,000 grant toward the project.
School board members approved the solar energy project at their March 28 meeting.
“We are not breaking the bank for energy savings,” Superintendent Todd Holthaus said.
“We are looking at the education component for students to learn about green energy and its impact on the environment.”
H-BC will submit a full application to the Department of Commerce.
If accepted, the solar arrays (up to 40 kilowatts each) will be placed on the rooftops later this year.
There is no out-of-pocket expense to the district.
H-BC will work with iDEAL Energies in Minneapolis. IDEAL will design, install, finance and operate the solar arrays for the next 20 years.
H-BC will own the solar arrays and will purchase the electricity generated from iDEAL under the 20-year agreement. After 20 years, the district receives the electricity free.
Life expectancy of the arrays is 40 years.
The arrays will be placed on the roofs of the elementary and high school buildings.
The arrays are not anchored into the roofs and are engineered to withstand the wind as they stay in place on the roof.
Annual energy savings to the district ranges from $6,900 in Year 1 to $11,000 by Year 20.
Holthaus said he budgets $75,000 a year for utilities within the district.
The high school averages $6,000 to $8,500 a month in utility costs with the elementary at $1,300 to $2,000 a month, depending on the time of the year.
The Solar On Schools grant program began in 2021 as part of the Commerce and Energy Omnibus Bill.
Under the program the solar installation must be part of the school’s educational curriculum.
Production information from the arrays must be available by monitoring equipment in the schools.
Added to the school’s curriculum are learning opportunities that invigorate student interest in solar and demonstrate to parents and the community the power of solar energy.
In other business, the H-BC school board also accepted the resignations of Caitlin Slaba, middle school English teacher, and Tyler Johnson, K-12 art teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Two Rock County residents paid more than $10,000 each to repurchase their tax-forfeited properties, and the city of Jasper purchased a forfeited property for $1.
Rock County Commissioners approved the resale resolutions at their March 22 meeting when auditor/treasurer Ashley Kurtz presented them for approval.
She said two of the foreclosures were unusual in that properties were almost through the five-year foreclosure process that would have ended with a public auction.
“I’ve never had it that they have also been occupied houses,” she said. “This is a first time for me.”
Sara Misterek repurchased the house at 330 W. Warren St., Luverne, by paying $10,719.39 in delinquent taxes, penalties and other costs associated with the forfeiture process.
“I do apologize for allowing my property taxes to get so far behind,” Misterek wrote in a letter to Kurtz. “There were some extenuating circumstances, including an extended illness of more than a year and a job loss of almost a year.
“Regardless of why, it will not happen again.”
In a similar resolution, Sheri Rozeboom-Kloes repurchased the Martin County acreage at 117 21st Street, Hills, for $10,089.43.
“I have filed a surviving spouse tax-exempt form that will be processed as soon as I get the deed back to my property and goes into effect 1-1-23,” Rozeboom-Kloes wrote in a letter to Kurtz.
Kurtz explained a new law in 2021 allows spouses of honorably discharged veterans who have a service-connected disability to receive a market value exclusion, which reduces the market value of the homestead property subject to taxes.
The paperwork has been filed with the assessor’s office, Kurtz said.
An unoccupied manufactured house at 121 Spicer Avenue North, Jasper, was sold to the city of Jasper for $1.
“The city of Jasper plans to correct the blighted conditions by demolishing the building, capping off the utilities and grading the lot in order to provide for a shovel-ready lot for redevelopment,” wrote Jasper City Clerk Cortney Kunkel to Kurtz.
The property, which is located in Rock County, was forfeited in 2019. However, a manufactured home on the property had been sold and the title had been changed, leading to a delay in the forfeiture proceedings until the home’s owners removed the home.
The deadline to remove the manufactured home has passed and the foreclosure process was completed. This gives the city of Jasper the first opportunity to purchase the property before a public auction is conducted.

Meetings
Beaver Creek Sportsman’s Club 2022 Annual Meeting and dinner will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Big Top Tents and Events on West Hatting Street in Luverne. 
Pleasantview Cemetery board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, April 11, at the Brent Taubert residence, 690 81st St., Beaver Creek. Potluck dinner will follow.
Beaver Creek Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, in the township hall.  
Vienna Township Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in Kenneth Community Center.
Blue Mound Cemetery Association will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, at the Dick and Dolly Remme home.
Maplewood Cemetery Association annual meeting will be Monday, April 18, in the Atlas Community Room on Maple Street in Luverne. Lot owners meet at 12:30 p.m., board meets at 1 p.m. Use the door on the west side of the building.
Kenneth Cemetery annual meeting will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, in the Kenneth Community Center.
Friendship Club (formerly TOPS) meets Mondays at 9 a.m. at the Luverne Pizza Ranch. New members welcome. Contact Karen at 507-935-2004 for more information.
 
GEP performs ‘Those Crazy Ladies’
The Green Earth Players will present “Those Crazy Ladies in the House on the Corner” April 7-10 at the Palace Theatre in Luverne. Sunday performance is at 2 p.m. and the others begin at 7:30 p.m. Contact the Palace Box Office, 507-283-4399, or online at palacetheatre.us for tickets. Cost is $7 for students and $14 for adults.
 
Elementary music programs April 8
Luverne Elementary School first- and third-graders will perform their music programs Friday afternoon, April 8, in the Performing Arts Center.
The first-grade “Pajama Party!” is at 1:45 p.m. and the third-grade “Bada Bing, It’s Spring!” is at 2:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. 
 
Easter egg hunts in Luverne and Hills April 16
The Blue Ribbon 4-H Club will host an Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, in the Tuff Memorial Home courtyard in Hills for children ages 10 and younger.
Participants will be divided into age groups and complete the hunt at different times. There will be special boys’ and girls’ prizes given away. The Easter bunny will also visit.
The Luverne Area Chamber and sponsoring local businesses will host an Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, on the Courthouse Square at the corner of Cedar and Luverne streets for children 12 and younger.
The Easter Bunny will make a guest appearance. The event will move into the Elementary School commons in case of inclement weather.
 
Food giveaway at ATLAS April 21
New Life Celebration Church’s third Thursday monthly food giveaway is now at the ATLAS building at 101 W. Maple Street in Luverne. The next distribution is at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21.
Enter from Maple Street and stay along the WEST side of the building. (Do not block the Redeemed Remnants parking lot.) Food will be loaded into vehicles which will then exit via the alley going WEST toward Estey Street. Call 507-283-4366 with questions.
 
Free tax prep at library
AARP volunteers offer free tax preparation for low-income individuals and seniors at the Rock County Library on Mondays through April 15. Call 507-449-5040 for appointments. Bring documents, including last year’s tax return, and a form of identification to document social security number. Masks are required.
 
Community Ed
Call Cindy at Luverne Community Education, 507-283-4724, to register for classes. Community Ed’s website is www.isd2184.net, select Luverne Community Education under schools.
 
Rock County Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com
Story Time with Bronwyn is at 10:30 a.m. Fridays through April 29.
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration begins at 6 p.m.
Reminiscence Kits are available featuring various topics such as gardening, pets, baking, sewing, farming and hunting. The kits are designed to use with a loved one experiencing memory loss, encouraging the loved one to open up about activities they once loved in the past.
 
Sanford Health accepting scholarships
Students in select Sanford Health Network locations are invited to apply for a health network scholarship. The $2,000 scholarships are for students pursuing a post-secondary degree in a health care-related field. Each participating Sanford network facility will sponsor one student with a scholarship. Email educationalassistance@sanfordhealth.org for info.
 
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours),

A March 31 report of two vehicles driving around Luverne Middle-High School with guns resulted in the confiscation of a paintball gun.
“Unfortunately the students think that these types of events are all in fun,” said Sheriff Evan Verbrugge.
“At the time of the (afterschool) incident, students do not know what is being used to ‘shoot’ at someone else. From a distance, anything, whether it is a paintball gun, a BB gun or an actual gun, can look like an actual gun.”
The March 31 report in Luverne came on the heels of an actual school shooting in South Carolina that same day when a 12-year-old was killed by his classmate.
“Parents, teachers and other family members talk about being safe to their children and to report anything that could possibly hurt them,” Verbrugge said. “This is no different.”
Law enforcement located the car and found the individual had a paintball gun in the vehicle.
“Witnesses only see something that looks like a gun and report it,” Verbrugge added. “Until it is investigated, we have to treat it as an actual gun until we find out differently.”
Verbrugge said the paintball gun was not modified; it looked like a paintball gun. No one was injured.
Superintendent Craig Oftedahl released a statement to district families after the incident on March 31.
“There is no continued threat to students or staff. Law enforcement and the school district will handle this violation per policy,” Oftedahl said.
Luverne School District has a “zero tolerance” weapons policy, according to the district student handbooks.
“The school district would like to commend the students who reported this violation,” Oftedahl said.
“Again, there is no threat to students or staff at the Luverne Schools, and this situation has been handled.”

Sixty wastewater plants in southwestern Minnesota were recently recognized by the state’s Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for outstanding compliance.
Six of those plants are in Rock County: the cities of Beaver Creek, Magnolia, Hills and Hardwick, along with Agri-Energy LLC and Blue Mounds State Park, both of Luverne.
All municipal and industrial facilities demonstrated consistent compliance with monitoring, operations and maintenance requirements, submitted all reports to the MPCA correctly and on time, and employed staff certified by the MPCA in wastewater operations.
“The MPCA appreciates the considerable efforts by permittees and operators to protect and preserve water quality,” said Dana Vanderbosch, assistant commissioner for water policy and agriculture at the MPCA.
“It is this kind of difficult work that has enabled Minnesota to significantly reduce pollution coming from point sources like sewage treatment facilities.”
A total of 273 wastewater treatment plants across the state were recognized with the award. There are about 1,600 municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities in Minnesota.

No one intends to seriously injure or kill someone by driving while distracted, but good intentions alone don’t prevent crashes. Smart choices do.
In Minnesota the dangerous choice of driving while distracted contributed to more than 39,000 crashes from 2017-2021 and an average of 28 deaths and 161 serious, life-changing injuries per year on the road.
To increase awareness and change dangerous driving behaviors, law enforcement agencies statewide are participating in a distracted driving enforcement campaign, including extra enforcement, April 1 through April 30.
 
Hands-free cell phone use is the law
The hands-free cell phone law means drivers can no longer hold their phone in their hand.
A driver can use voice commands or single-touch activation without holding the phone to make calls, text, listen to music or podcasts, and get directions.
Accessing or posting on social media, streaming videos, checking box scores and Googling information on a device while driving are all still against the law in Minnesota, even in hands-free mode.
 
Consequences for violating the Hands-Free Law
$100 or more including court fees for a first offense.
$300 or more including court fees for a second and/or subsequent offense.
If you injure or kill someone while violating the hands-free law, you can face a felony charge of criminal vehicular operation or homicide.
“It doesn’t take much for the life story of a distracted driver to end, just like that, or end the life stories of other people on the road,” said Mike Hanson, Office of Traffic Safety director.
“It can end the second they text with the phone in their hand, are lost in thought and not focused on driving, or take their eyes off the road to reach for something. Park the phone, avoid distractions and pay attention. That’s the way to drive smart and keep yourself and others safe and alive.”
 
Drive smart and drive distracted-free
Pre-program radio stations and arrange music in an easy-to-access spot. Adjust mirrors and ventilation before traveling.
For navigation, map out the destination and enter the route in advance.
When eating and drinking, avoid messy foods and secure drinks.
Teach children the importance of good behavior in a vehicle and model safe driving behaviors.
Passengers, speak up to stop drivers from distracted-driving behavior and offer to help with anything that takes the driver’s attention off the road.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety coordinates the campaign with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Both of my grandmas had fat arms.
As youngsters growing up in St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, my siblings and I would occasionally sit with either set of grandparents during the church service instead of with our parents.
When the morning grew exceptionally long, our grandmothers’ large, pillowy arms served as lovely headrests.
I recalled those moments as my six-year-old granddaughter, Evelyn, rested her head against my arm during the service in a church on the south side of Indianapolis last Sunday.
Doing my best to focus on the pastor’s message, “God protects and prepares his people for his purposes,” I wondered, “Do I have fat arms?”
“Does this beautiful child think she is just resting her head against her grandma? Or, is she thinking, ‘My grandma has big, fat arms.’”
The pastor spoke of Moses and how God used him to lead hundreds of thousands of people out of slavery.
Did Moses sit with his grandmother in the synagogue? Did she have fat arms? 
My granddaughter’s little blonde head rested against the large expanse of beige that was my sweater. 
(Somehow, since Covid hit, my sweater size has shifted from a medium to a large. I have no idea why. I blame the supply chain.)
The 4-year-old younger sister, two seats over, bounced between her parents like a ping pong ball. She wiggled. She flipped. She flopped. She even tooted.
But next to me, a peaceful child rested her head on my ample arm, her gaze fixed on the pastor.
He was explaining that God used each stage of Moses’ life to prepare him for the next.
And it occurred to me, “God uses fat arms for his purposes.”
I thought of my grandmothers. I looked at my granddaughter and said, “Amen.”

Meinerts: 'If you don't like the message, attack the messenger'
To the Editor:
Regarding the editor’s notes on my recent letter, a big thumbs up to the Star Herald for showing us all how the media works in the U.S. If you don’t like the message, attack the messenger.
I really don’t understand how trying to paint the live-streamers in a bad light is really news. If the media would actually give us an unbiased view of what’s happening in this country, the live-streamers wouldn’t be needed. Many more people are following live-streamers by the day to get an idea of what is really going on.
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) TV was at the Jan. 6 event to give us all a look at the rally; portraying him as some sort of criminal seems quite unjust. I suggest you tune in to his channel and follow along with the convoy. You will see what a soft-spoken, unbiased man he is.
As far as Oreo Express, I too am a “patriot standing against the communist left.” The public is fast losing faith in all the media. Educate yourself and make an informed decision based upon what you find. Maybe start with the Pfizer documents that dropped starting Nov. 18, 2021, and continue to come out. The first batch was 150 documents comprising of an estimated 50,000 pages. Feel free to contact me; obviously if I write it here it will be “fact checked.”
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Todd Meinerts,
Luverne