The two-story brick apartment building just north of the eye clinic at 118 N. Freeman Ave will soon get a facelift, thanks to support from the Luverne Economic Development Authority.
Cory and Bethany Tilstra and Dave and Teresa Hup, doing business as T&H Investments, LLC, are purchasing the building, which includes both commercial and residential business space.
They applied to the LEDA for a façade improvement grant and loan for façade improvements estimated to cost $63,000.
The work includes replacing all doors and windows, improving the façade with batten board and shakes, and adding a metal awning with under lighting and can lights to provide added security for residents. 
The LEDA board discussed the fact that many interior improvements have already been completed, resulting in 10 quality, affordable rental units. Also, the building is structurally sound and the roof is in good shape.
At Monday’s meeting, the LEDA unanimously approved the maximum grant and loan through the city’s façade improvement program.
Tilstra and Hup will receive a grant in the amount of $21,000 and a loan in the amount of $21,000 at a rate of 2 percent for seven years. They are also utilizing private financing.
LEDA director Holly Sammons said T&H Investments has submitted the proper paperwork and meets all of the requirements for the loan.
She said the Freeman Avenue building is a good fit for the façade improvement funds.
“A bank may not finance a $60,000 loan do this project,” Sammons said. “But they will do a $20,000 loan, and if we can take a second position on the next $20,000 and a grant for the last $20,000, that suddenly changes the dialogue on accomplishing the work.”
Mayor Pat Baustian remarked that the program is meeting its objectives.
“That is a huge assistance to encourage developers to make these investments,” he said. “Just think of properties that may not have been improved, if not for this program.”
 
Opitz property improvement
In other business Monday, the LEDA approved a $5,000 loan to Opitz Properties LLC for a $5,400 sealcoating project at 401 W. Hatting St.
Funding is through the Rural Business Assistance Loan for a property improvement project at 401 W. Hatting Street. 
The $5,000 loan was approved at 0-percent interest for five years. The first payment is due in September.
Opitz Properties has submitted the proper paperwork and meets all of the requirements for this loan.

Tom Houselog will leave his post this summer as Rock County Land Records director after a 46-year career that spanned 21 years in Rock County and 25 years in Pipestone County.
In his June 24 resignation letter to Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, he said he’ll miss his work and the people he worked with and for.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my work here for Rock County and have appreciated the respect you and the County Board have shown me,” Houselog wrote.
“… I will deeply miss the relationships that I have made within the county and am immensely proud to have been part of this office and its accomplishments.”
He started in Rock County in 2000, replacing Bob Meester.
 
‘Mantle of change’
Since then, Houselog led his staff through a series of departmental and technology changes that have benefited county workers and taxpayers.
For example, he guided the process in recent years to digitize recording and assessing work.
“He’s carried the mantle of change for us,” Oldre said.
“They used to do all paper, books and cards, and now he’s got them all digitized. … His whole field has really changed.”
Houselog said the automation improves efficiencies and accuracies and results in better outcomes for staff and taxpayers.
“For assessing, we can basically compute values in a fraction of the time it used to take,” he said. “And that allows us to spend more time knocking on doors in the public to make sure the information we used in the calculation is accurate.”
 
Recording and assessing
Houselog assisted with consolidating the county recorder’s office and assessor’s office, and he steered the combined workforce through employee shortages when assessors became hard to find.
The Land Records Office records real estate transactions and handles birth certificates, marriage records and other vital records.
But assessing work — placing value on a home, barn and other structures for property tax purposes —requires the most manpower, especially since the county assesses thousands of parcels.
In 2017 the state mandated that anyone who appraises or physically inspects real estate for property tax purposes must have an Accredited Minnesota Assessor license by July 1, 2022.
The four-year accreditation involves completing about 400 hours of continuing education plus successful completion of each of the tests, submitting a qualified residential narrative form report and passing a comprehensive appraisal exam.
This prompted many part-timers to give up their assessing work, and townships and small cities were unable to attract and pay accredited assessors.
Small governments turned to the county for assessing services, which counties by law must provide.
With the additional townships and cities, the county increased its assessing load from roughly 3,400 parcels to more than double that number.
 
‘Incredibly professional’
Despite these accomplishments Houselog was most concerned about his office’s relationship with the people it served.
“My goal from Day 1 has been to restore integrity and openness to this office, and hope that I have done so,” he said in his resignation letter.
Oldre said Houselog has been a credit to his profession, carrying out the often unpopular task of assessing property values for the purpose of taxation.
“It’s a difficult job,” Oldre said. “Every year somebody’s mad, correlating valuation with taxes. And yet he’s handled it, I think, in an incredibly professional way.”
He said part of Houselog’s success in the field can be attributed to his humble demeanor and patient explanation of processes.
“He tries to educate people on how he came to the number he came to and he’s had great success with that,” OIdre said.
“I think that’s reflected by the few people who come to the board of reviews and board of equalization meetings.”
Houselog returned the compliment.
“It makes the job easier when you have good support from your administrator and commissioners,” he said. “They have been fantastic to work with.”
Meanwhile he’s found satisfaction in the improvements over the years.
“I wanted to leave the office better than when I got there — not that things were in total disarray, but I think we all want that in our careers,” he said.
“I wanted to leave it better for the staff and better for the public.”
 
Replacing experience
The County Commissioners accepted Houselog’s resignation at their July 6 meeting, when they also discussed plans to replace him.
Oldre said in order to do Houselog’s job, a person needs to be a “Senior Accredited Minnesota Assessor.”
The three people who work with Houselog in the Land Records Office are Jeff Sehr, Scott Adams and Rachel Jacobs.
Sehr has his certification as a senior accredited Minnesota assessor, and the other two are certified Minnesota assessors, but Oldre said they could all three qualify for the director’s position with proper training.
Houselog pledged to do what he can to help with the transition as he leaves.
He and his wife of 45 years, Cindy, live in Pipestone. They have three children and seven grandchildren (six of them boys, and the youngest a girl).
Cindy retired June 1 from her 27-year career with the Pipestone Family Clinic where she worked as Patient Services Manager.
At 68, Houselog’s last day in the Rock County Courthouse will be at the end of July.
“It’s hard to leave a job you love,” he said. “I loved meeting the taxpayers and the people coming in the Land Record Office.”

Reconstruction of North East Park Street on the east side of the Luverne Middle-High School began last week by Duininck Inc. that included install a storm water system under the city street that runs in front of the school. In the joint street program with the city of Luverne and the school district, more than a half million dollars in street and parking lot improvements will be completed by September.
 

Thousands of people are expected to descend on the streets of Luverne Thursday, July 15, for the town’s annual Hot Dog Night celebration.
For 59 years families have been coming to Luverne on the second Thursday in July for free hot dogs and beverages offered by local businesses as a gesture of customer appreciation.
As the tradition gained popularity, so did the attractions that cropped up along with hot dogs.
For example, the Luverne Tae Kwon Do program has offered free demonstrations for more than 20 years and inflatables have added to the fun for children.
In more recent years, the Spotlight Dance students have performed recitals on Main Street, which has also attracted ice cream, snow cones and other vendors near the action.
Another big draw has been Wiener Dog Races, which started 17 years ago and added the Wiener Dog Beauty Pageant 13 years ago.
For the past 10 years, the Wienerman Triathlon has drawn athletes of all ages from all over the tri-state area to race in four-person teams who compete in relay events that all feature hot-dog-eating stations.
All these attractions — in addition to dozens more — have a way of drawing from a wide variety of people to one location in one night for a mixed crowd of thousands of residents and visitors.
This year, the 59th annual Hot Dog Night will be ever more popular after a year of pandemic social distancing as thousands are expected to participate.
The event this year is sponsored by Premium Minnesota Pork and Luverne area businesses and organizations.
See the back-page advertisement for details and visit www.luvernechamber.com

Hills-Beaver Creek School Board agreed to a pairing that provides a school resource officer to the district at least one day a week.
The board made the decision Monday night after a presentation about the new position by Rock County Sheriff Evan Verbrugge.
H-BC will pair with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Luverne Public Schools and the city of Luverne for the new position.
Total estimated costs for the new peace officer, equipment and vehicle is $100,000.
H-BC’s cost is estimated at $5,900 per year.
“I am supportive of this,” said board member Renee Knobloch. “I love this idea.”
The board voted 6-0 to participate in the school resource officer program. Member Tim Bosch was not at the meeting.
Verbrugge said job duties for the officer are still being determined.
With the H-BC board agreeing to participate, a representative will help determine how the new officer would be used in the district.
During the summer, Verbrugge said the officer will be a deputy on the force and complete regular patrol duties in the county.
“I think this is a great positive for everyone involved at an affordable cost,” he said.
However, the hiring and training of a new officer would delay the work of the school resource officer until early next year.
County commissioners approved posting the SRO internally first at the July 6 meeting.
“We can always go to the outside,” said Commissioner Greg Burger.
 
In other business, the H-BC school board:
•hired Courtney Kruger as assistant volleyball coach at $3,460 and Nicole Moray as special needs paraprofessional at $18.25 per hour.
•approved a $1,000 salary increase to building and grounds director Dalton Bass for the 2021-2022 school year. His salary is $51,000.

Meetings
Battle Plain Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 19, at the home of Eric Sas.
 
Free food for seniors July 15
A.C.E. of SWMN will offer its Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors 60 and older from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 15, in the parking lot at  319 E. Lincoln, Luverne, as a drive-through distribution. Call Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 to pre-register and for more information.
 
Free food offered July 15
New Life Celebration Church will offer free food at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at the Generations Building on East Lincoln Street in Luverne. Vehicles should enter the west parking lot from Lincoln Street and drive to the double glass doors on the west side of the building where volunteers will load groceries into cars. Walkers should receive their pre-packaged groceries on the east side of the building. Call 507-283-4366. 
 
Field Day for carbon credits, cover crops and pasture management July 22
The Rock County Land Management Office is partnering with local organizations to host a field day from 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 22, in the Blac-X Farms pasture 7 3/4 miles west of Hardwick on County Road 7 (201st Street). Coming from the west, it’s 1 3/4 miles east of Highway 23.
The event will address the basics of carbon credits, cover crops and pasture management with local farmers sharing their experiences and demonstrating how to use temporary fencing in pastures. It will also provide information on financial and technical assistance for the practices.
The Rock Nobles Cattlemen’s Association will serve a free noon meal for those who RSVP. Call 507-283-8862 or email doug.bos@co.rock.mn.us.
 
School office open for registration
Families interested in registering their students for the 2021-22 school year are encouraged to call Luverne School District to set up an appointment. The Luverne Middle School-High School office is open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the phone number is 507-283-4491. The Luverne Elementary School office will open Aug. 2 and the phone number is 507-283-4497.
 
Community Education announcements
Luverne Community Education will offer the following activities and classes in coming weeks. Call 507-283-4724 to sign up. See comed.isd2184.net to view the brochure and list of offerings.
Friday morning Adventure Day Camps End of Summer Fun will be Aug. 13 at the Rock County Fairgrounds. Fee is $15 per day. Limited to 15 students in grades 1-4 as attended during the 2020-21 school year.
Have fun cooking at Kids in the Kitchen this summer for grades K-8. New added classes include Snack Attack July 15, and Bakery Fun Aug. 19. Fee is $16/child.
Crazy About Science on July 19, 20 and 21 will be filled with exciting experiments. Open to students who attended grades 1-4 during the past school year. New classes added. Fee is $30.
Kids in grades 1-3 (completed) can attend Paint and Snack Classes on July 22. Fee is $33.
Students ages 8-13 may attend Boot Camp the week of Aug. 2-6. Learn how to muster, march and drill, about military history and the American flag, complete service projects, hear guest speakers who were in the military and more. Cost is $60.
Art Camp is three days of creativity for students who added grades K-5 during the past school year. Dates are Aug. 10, 11 and 12. Cost is $100.
Grades K through adult will Learn to Play Chess on Aug. 10, 17, 24 and 26. Use grade attended through the 2020-21 school year. Last class is a tournament. Great adult/child activity. Fee is $15.
Taking Defensive Driving Classes allow adults aged 55 or older to save on insurance premiums. After the beginning eight-hour class, a four-hour fresher class must be taken every three years to receive the reduced premium benefit. Beginning class is Nov. 11 and 18. Four-hour refresher is Sept. 16
 
Library Happenings
The Rock County Library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For additional questions, contact library personnel at 507-449-5040 or rocklibrarystaff@gmail.com.
Summer Reading Program, “Reading Colors Your World,” registration is now along with the adult summer reading program. Pick up a reading log at the library.
Monthly trivia nights with locally written questions are the first Thursdays of the month at Take 16 on East Main Street in Luverne for teams of one or more individuals. No pre-registration is necessary. Library personnel conduct the event.
Story Time at the Park will feature songs and stories with children’s library Bronwyn Wenzel each Tuesday through June and July at a different park in Luverne. The events begin at 10:30 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. The schedule will be:
•July 20, Veterans Park, 1211 N. Elm St.
•July 27, Hawkinson Park, East Adams Avenue.
Zoom Man @ the Park takes place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 22, at Hawkinson Park.
Toby Kid presents “Color Your World” with interactive comedy, magic, puppetry and silliness at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at library.
 
Explore Prairie Ally
Free guided tours at Prairie Ally Outdoor Center (308 N. Blue Mound Avenue in Luverne) are Thursdays at 6, 6:30, and 7 p.m. through August or by appointment. Volunteers are needed Tuesdays from 10a.m. to noon and Thursdays at 5:30 June through September. A workshop on edible perennials will be Aug. 19. Contact: prairieallymn@gmail.com, 605-951-0227. Also, visit projectfoodforest.org/events.
 
Take and Make bird treat kits
Stop by the Luverne Area Chamber at 213 East Luverne Street to pick up one or more Take and Make bird treat kits. Kits are free, but a $5 to $10 donation is welcome to benefit Project Food Forest in Rock County. (Or donate online at https://donorbox.org/support-pff)

Electricians and carpet layers descended on the new performing arts center at the Luverne Middle-High School Monday to add lighting around the 779 newly installed seats and install carpet in the 9,400-square-foot facility. Three weeks ago construction workers placed the final pre-cast panel to fully enclose the facility. The performing arts center is part of a $30 million project at Luverne Public Schools that added six classrooms to the original 1956 structure. The middle and high school kitchen and lunchroom were moved from the basement to ground level and a new commons now joins with the new performing arts center. The entire structure now joins with the elementary school. The project is expected to be finished by August.

Jadon Johnson (blue), Jesse Wright (orange), and Jacob Hamm with Midwest Sealants, Sioux Falls, suspend from the roof of the building on scaffolding to complete exterior maintenance on the Blue Mound Towers apartment building Monday morning. The crew is caulking around all the apartment windows and in control joints of the bricks. The “long overdue” work on the building’s exterior is part of an overall extensive building renovation that included the recent replacement of the Blue Mound Towers iconic skylight windows that illuminate the interior floors in the open center shaft from the ground floor to the ceiling.

Favorable interest rates are prompting the Rock County Commissioners to consider financing upcoming capital improvement projects through a general obligation bond.
If approved, the county would borrow $3.485 million at a potential interest rate of less than 2 percent.
A public hearing will take place Aug. 3 during the commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting.
Details included in the five-year CIP plan will be presented along with bond finance specifics.
Commissioners received a preliminary look at their July 7 meeting.
“I think we have a very solid plan for the bonding portion and the financing over the next five years,” said County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
“We are not raising property taxes — we are continuing property taxes.”
Department heads identified $21.8 million in capital improvements, many of which can be completed through different revenue sources.
However, $2.5 million worth was identified as best afforded through a new 20-year bond.
“It ($21.8 million) is a huge number but if you think about it, $14 million is road and bridges, which comes from a different pot of money,” Oldre said.
Among the projects the bond could finance is the replacement of the HVAC (heating, air conditioning and ventilation) systems in the county-owned facilities.
The HVAC replacements are expected to cost $2.3 million and include the courthouse, veterans memorial, law enforcement center, library, highway department and human services building.
Five county departments have identified various equipment needs including Rock County Rural Water’s request for a $1.9 million water tower in Springwater Township.
The new bond includes refunding $910,000 from two previous bonds obtained in 2015. Both bonds are due to be paid in full in 2036.
When the 2015 bond amount is combined with the new general obligation bond, a $90,000 in savings is expected.
The new bond will have the same payment completion date as the previous bonds.
“We are reissuing for the same length of time to get that (the new bond) to be paid off in 2036,” Oldre said.
Rock County currently has $6.3 million in debt obligations.