I’ve always had a problem admitting I’m wrong.With that said, I must admit my reservations about letting my son, Nick, play with the Luverne Baseball Association’s 11-and-Under team this summer were way off base.The season officially came to an end with two tournament games in Brandon, S.D., July 24. Now that it’s over, my wife and I agree we made the right decision about letting our boy play ball.When we were approached by coach Don Dinger about putting our 11-year-old son’s name on the team roster, it wasn’t a decision we could make on the spot.Knowing that both of our jobs require weekend commitments, and pondering the fact that the traveling baseball teams play at weekend tournaments, this wasn’t a decision we could make in haste.But after Dinger assured us we would be covered if scheduling conflicts came up, we decided to give traveling baseball a try.We’re both very happy we did.What I didn’t realize heading into this endeavor was how much fun we would have as a family.I knew Nick would enjoy himself because he loves baseball. He had his glove, spikes and a new uniform, which was all he needed to be happy.What surprised me was how much fun my wife, Astrid, my daughter, Melanie, and I would have following the team.The best experience for me came during the Luverne Tournament in late May. As the hosts of more than 20 teams, parents were asked to work some of the many jobs of a successful tournament.For Astrid and me it meant spending two-plus hours at the concession stand.I can’t speak for her, but it may have been the most rewarding two hours of my life. I served a number of hot dogs, chicken breast sandwiches, sodas and candy, and I did it without dropping a single item on the ground.At the same time, I earned respect for every member of the food service industry. The concession stand was hopping in between games, leaving me with a better understanding of what it would be like to work at a restaurant during lunch and dinner rushes.At the risk of being reprimanded at home, I think Astrid’s best tournament experience came in Brookings in June.I describe her as being an avid shopper. When the games scheduled for the first day of the tournament were rained out, I didn’t have the luxury of skipping out of town without spending time at Wal-Mart.There also was a three-hour delay between games on the second day. We spent part of that time at — where else? — Wal-Mart.As everyone from the Luverne delegation came to know, young Melanie has an obsession with animals. Only one tournament passed without her presence. At the other four events, I’m sure every supporter of the team had at least one of her plastic or stuffed animals shoved in their faces for inspection.Melanie’s summer highlight came during the Pipestone tournament in late June.After seeing some horses in a pasture beyond a playing field at the complex, the 4-year-old and I decided to take a closer look at the animals. When we reached the fence, two curious horses came to see what we had to offer. After a 15-minute session of hand-feeding the animals some grass, our young daughter was prouder than a peacock.As for the season itself, I think our boys represented Luverne well and with class. The team displayed continued improvement throughout the summer, and it advanced to the championship games of the final two events.Now that the campaign is over, I’m experiencing something like an empty-nest feeling. And I’m not alone.As we were heading to our vehicles after the Brandon tournament, fellow parent Bert (Robert) Verhey offered a perplexing question."What are we going to do on the weekends now?" he asked.All I could do in response was shrug my shoulders.It’s true that our weekends will be less eventful now. But you can take some comfort in following, Bert. April 2006 is only nine months away. That’s when the 12-and-under team will start preparing for another season. It should be an equally satisfying experience.

When one drives down the road and marvels at the abundant crops we have been blessed with, one can also wonder how this can be shared with the poor and hungry in our world. The thought, we have been blessed to be a blessing to others should be followed by action. This is done in different ways by many people so God continues to bless His people.Elmer L. HovlandLuverne

During every job interview I have had in life I have been asked, "What do you feel your worst quality is?" To this, I usually respond in one of two ways.The first option involved being honest and blurting out, "I am a part of the spell check generation." I continue to explain that I did not learn how to spell when I was in grade school. I learned how to find the spell check option on the typewriter or computer that I was using.The second option was much more sly and was designed to make me look better in the eyes of the interviewer. In this option, I explain my "time paranoia."To me this means I have an overanxious obsession with time. I always leave early, yet think I will be late. I never feel I will have enough time to get things finished so I try and get projects done as fast as I can. I go on to explain that the paranoia is so intense it usually annoys people around me.Most potential employers respond to this by saying, "Well, now … That is not necessarily a bad quality."Inevitably, I break down at that point and admit the fact that I have no idea what order letters need to be in to make words.Until my job began at the paper, this flaw in my brain has not really been too much of a problem. I have always had the time and ability to use spell check to help my written correspondence make sense. Unfortunately, in the newspaper business I am having a difficult time figuring out how to use the spell checker to my advantage — and it shows.On Wednesday morning I got to Tollefson Publishing in Luverne to put the Hills Crescent together on the computer. This is a pretty easy task — a lot like putting together a puzzle. Most of the stories have already been written, edited and proofread. I just put them in the right order.As I am putting the pieces together, I have to add headlines, captions, drop quotes (those neat quotes that pop out of the page when you look at a story) and headers (such as engagements, obituaries, At Home in Hills). It is in the typing of these items that my spelling skills are put to the challenge.It is not that I cannot spell classifieds, it is just that my fingers try to type so fast that my eyes think all of the letters are there and in the correct order when they are not.Time paranoia meets my spelling issues.In the printing business, errors can haunt you.Typically, after I think I have finished laying out the paper, I send it to press in Worthington and do not see it again for 19 hours.Thursday morning when I arrive at work, the first thing I do is pick up the paper to see how that week’s creation looks. Now if I have misspelled something or made an error with a photo or caption, I see it at this moment and realize that everyone who looks at the paper this week will see it as well.I envision people walking to their mailboxes, bringing the paper back to their breakfast table and making a game out of finding my errors. In addition, at this time, after the papers have been printed and delivered, there is nothing I can do about it.Last week I misspelled "drian" in a quote on the front page. I read the quote several times and never noticed. The letters were all there, it looked like drain. Unfortunately, people with a talent for spelling, like my husband, looked at the paper for no more than 15 seconds before finding the error.At this point I am sure my readers are wondering why I don’t spell check the paper before I send it to print. That is a good question, but I have good reason not to.Spell check does not like 95 percent of the names used in this area and stops on every instance of Hills, Steen, Beaver Creek that I type. Therefore, spell check becomes an arduous task that wastes a lot of my time.On those mornings, I usually feel bad for a few minutes until I remember an e-mail I once received. I have copied it below for my readers to enjoy."I cnat blveiee taht I can aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I am rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."So, according to smart people at Cambridge University, I do not even need to worry about my spelling, because my readers are smart enough to figure out what I am trying to say, regardless of how badly I butcher the English language. Amzanig, huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!Story ideas or comments can be emailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

10 years ago (1995)"The Hills City Council tabled the sale of the Municipal Liquor Store and approved a building permit for the construction of a funeral home in Hills at their meeting Tuesday night. …John Spiess, Miller Architect and Builders, presented the Council with plans for a funeral home. Rich Roste, Rock Rapids, Iowa, is tentatively planning to construct the funeral home." 25 years ago (1980)"Construction began Monday on the new water tower in Beaver Creek. …The new tower will contain some 50,000 gallons of water and is expected to improve both water quality and pressure.It will also allow Beaver Creek to flush city water mains, one of the best ways of improving water quality."50 years ago (1955)"The Spitzer Well Co. of Tracy, Minnesota, began work drilling Hills a new ten-inch well last Saturday morning. They had moved in Friday afternoon and set up their rig, ready to go Saturday morning.The first half day they got to a depth of some 15 to 20 feet and expect to get down to the 240 feet within a couple of weeks, if everything goes well. After completion of drilling, Mr. Spitzer indicated another two weeks would be used in developing the well, that is, pumping to clear up the water and test it out to see how much water it will produce." 75 years ago (1930)"Although he owns a real modern home with all conveniences in Luverne, and able to take life easy if he chooses, George Nuffer gets the working fever every so often and drives out to the old home farm that his son Elmer is managing, and helps here and there about the place." 100 years ago (1905)"The township Board of Supervisors meet this afternoon to accept the new steel bridge across Mud Creek. This is without a doubt one of the best steel bridges in Rock County. It has all steel backing and is worth inspecting by all who are interested in good and substantial bridges."

This has been quite a week at my house. I think everyone in this community has had water in their basements after the more than five inches of rain we received a week ago. The Sunday evening we received the rain we also had some hail and strong winds leaving almost everyone in this area with water in their basements. I was one of the lucky ones. I had some water but not so much but I could sweep it out with the broom and of course, the sump-pump. That took care of any other planned activities such as weeding gardens and flowerbeds and any and all outdoor chores. It could have been much worse as some homes had two feet of water in their basements.Even though I was fortunate not to receive a lot of water in my basement, it was a sad week for me as my little white fluffy dog just couldn’t take the heat and on that very warm Friday afternoon it was too much for him and he died. I really miss him very much. If anyone knows where I can obtain a small, white fluffy dog, please let me know or inform him or her of the fact that I am looking for one. Thank you!Dan and Amy Aukes, Larchwood, Iowa, spent Sunday afternoon at the home of his parents, Orrin and Bernice Aukes. Tuesday, Aug. 9, the Steen softball team will play Beaver Creek at Beaver Creek.The Steen senior citizens had their August meeting on Monday afternoon at the Steen Community Building. Joan Hoogeveen was the hostess. A former Steen resident, Harold Wissink, who has been making his home in Luverne for some time, has decided to become a resident of Parkview Manor in Ellsworth. We are happy to hear that he will be closer to our community and closer for those of us who would like to visit him. Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday they were making plans for the last day of school. Now they are all counting the days until school begins for the coming year. It seems like the farmers just finished planting this year’s crops, and they are doing very well. It probably won’t be long until Jack Frost will be here and the farmers will be in their fields harvesting their crops. There are times when I wish I could push the "On Hold" button so I could catch up a bit.I got to thinking one hardly has time to enjoy the summer weather and the many outdoor activities, so I decided to share a few thoughts about harvest and summer with you and hopefully will prolong summertime so that we can enjoy the fall weather as well.Along the WayWe think of August as a time for rest and relaxation, but a glance at years past shows that many noteworthy things have been accomplished during this "lazy" month. It was in August 1492 that Columbus set sail on his voyage of discovery which brought him to our shores. It was on Aug. 1, 1873, that the first cable streetcar was put into service on Clay Street hill in San Francisco. It was August 1903 that the first coast-to-coast automobile trip, which began in San Francisco in May, ended in New York City. It was in August 1945 that World War II ended in the Pacific. What worthwhile thing will you accomplish this August?August means harvest, as far back as ancient Gaul. The first day of August marked the beginning of the "Gule of August," one of the great pagan festivals of ancient Britain, celebrating the first fruits of the earth. And August has lived up to its promise-laden name of fruitfulness. It was in August 1492 that Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to reach India — only to discover America instead. And it was on Aug. 16, 1896, that gold was discovered in the Klondike. And only a few years earlier, on Aug. 15, 1859, "black gold" flowed through the first oil well drilled in America, brought in by Col. Edwin L. Drake in Titusville, Pa.

Dorothy and Arnold Thorin of Hills helped celebrate the 80th birthday of their cousin, John Severson, on Saturday, July 23, at Sertoma Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.On Saturday, July 30, Pete Hoff, Hills, joined his sister and her husband, Gladys and Otto Van Wettering, their seven children, spouses and their families at the Adrian campground for a reunion of Gladys and Otto’s family. Pete’s nieces and nephews came from all over the Midwestern states for the reunion. Larry Albers, son of Marvin and June Albers of Hills, arrived Saturday, July 30, with his two daughters, Abby and Lucinda, for a weekend visit with Marvin and June, brother, Lonnie Albers, and sister, Cheryl Pavel and Cheyenne, all of Hills. Larry and Abby are from Ft. Pierre, S.D., and Lucinda is a journalism student at South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. On Sunday, July 31, everyone gathered at Marvin and June’s home for dinner. On Saturday, July 30, Loy and Sharon Schildhauer, Sioux Falls, paid a surprise visit to Marvin and June Albers. Marvin and Loy worked together at Morrell’s in Sioux Falls for many years. Don and Darrell Swan visited with Kathryn and Wendell Erickson of Hills on Sunday, July 24, at the Erickson’s home. Darrell lives in Balaton while brother Don now lives in Illinois. In 1959 Don was a student teacher at H-BC in the agriculture field. Tuesday, July 26, Wendell and Kathryn Erickson joined their daughter, Dr. Kirsten Erickson, and her husband, Patrick Anderson, of Sioux Falls for supper. Wendell and Kathryn’s granddaughter, Arika Anderson, was home from California visiting her parents, Kirsten and Patrick. Many Hills residents were able to visit with Pat and Erwin Klawitter on Saturday, July 30, while attending the Hills Volunteer Fire Department hog roast at Rez Park. They now reside in Tucson, Ariz.On Saturday, July 30, Wendell and Kathryn Erickson celebrated the birthday of their daughter, Margaret Erickson, of Worthington. Also, guests at Wendell and Kathryn’s home to help celebrate were daughter, Dr. Kirsten Erickson and husband Patrick Anderson of Sioux Falls. Coryn Iverson, Charlotte, N.C., is here in the Hills area visiting grandparents Betty and Wilmer Elbers and family and friends for a month.On Monday, July 25, Twila Kirsch accompanied Cindy Pohlman, Breann and Riley of Lakefield, on a trip to Minneapolis. They all returned on Tuesday, the 26th.Twila and Bob Kirsch attended a reunion of the children of George and Emmy Kraetsch at Heron Lake on Saturday, July 30. Those attending from a distance came from Washington, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Grandsons Josiah, 4, and Micah, 2, spent last week with grandma and grandpa, Rheta and Chuck DeBoer, while their father, the Rev. Jeff DeBoer, took a group of young people to a conference in Missouri. The Rev. Jeff and Karen DeBoer and kids are from Garner, Iowa. On Friday, July 29, Chuck and Rheta’s daughter and family, Susan and Seth Hoffman and children, David, 3, and Grace, 1, from Melvin, Iowa, spent the day visiting in Hills with Chuck and Rheta. I’m sure it was a lively group with grandchildren ages one, two, three and four!Audrey and Dick Heidenson spent the weekend at Battle Lake celebrating a family reunion. Their son and his family, Steve, wife Deb, and kids, own the Battle View Landing Resort. Also attending the reunion were son Ray and his wife Lyn, with their two sons, from Brandon, S.D., and daughter, Jan (Heidenson) and Mark Ausland and their three kids from Apple Valley. They all enjoyed boating, swimming and barbecuing. A great time was had by all. Some of the grandkids were even able to attend the Battle Lake street dance. On Sunday, July 31, Rheta and Chuck DeBoer traveled to Garner for the baptism of their granddaughter, Anna Marie. Also attending the baptism were their daughters, Susan (DeBoer) Hoffman and children from Melvin, and Rachel (DeBoer) and Jeremy Van Beek, Doon, Iowa. The baptism was at Peace Reformed Church in Garner with Anna Marie’s father, the Rev. Jeff DeBoer and grandfather, the Rev. Mark Zylstra, Allendale, Mich., performing the baptism and grandfather Chuck DeBoer reading the baptism vows. Anna Marie’s parents are the Rev. Jeff and Karen DeBoer.Mike Ziegahn from St. Paul came Saturday, July 30, to spend the weekend with his twin aunts, Mae Top, Hills, and Fae Aukes, Mesa, Ariz., at Mae’s home. Later that afternoon, Judy and Bill Top of Sibley, Iowa, came with supper to Mae’s home and to visit with Mae, Fae, and Mike. A very enjoyable day was had by all. On Sunday, July 31, there was a Ziegahn family reunion at Mae Top’s home in Hills. Family members who attended the reunion were Mike Ziegahn, St. Paul, Joe Ziegahn, New Cannon, Conn., Margaret Ziegahn, Kenneth and Francis Lutz, all of Sioux Falls, Charney (Ziegahn) Gonnerman, Montana, Carina Wilmont and son of W. Va., Judy and Allan Top, Hills, Gerry and Jim Sandstede, Luverne, and Mae’s twin sister, Fae Aukes of Mesa. The family all had a great time visiting and spending the day together.

By Sara QuamAlthough it still isn’t as much as was received in 2002, the city of Luverne will get more state aid than first expected.Luverne will receive $1,271,948 in 2006, meaning city property taxpayers carry less of the city budget burden.The city will receive more than expected because a legislative compromise added $48 million to Local Government Aid.In 2005 Luverne received $1,170,064 in state aid.Other cities of interest are receiving in 2006:
Worthington, $2,854,616
Adrian, $389,290
Edgerton, $285,381
Ellsworth, $155,059
Hills, $126,639
Jackson, $1,077,068
Jasper, $169,096
Pipestone, $1,456,502
Windom, $1,144,605
Beaver Creek, $48,737
Hardwick, $44,746
Magnolia, $28,385
Steen, $14,574The city of Luverne is into the budget process for next year, and even further into the future. Council members met to discuss capital projects and purchases.Some items are a sort of "wish list" and may be cut, but are budgeted for. Some of the capital items discussed were:
Carpet replacement in City Hall in 2007, $12,000
Two bays on the Fire Hall in 2006, $250,000. This may change with a possible new building project.
Various equipment replacements in Public Works through 2010, $287,800
Purchase of recreational property, $65,000oImprovements for the parks department, such as a $30,000 tractor in 2006; a $7,000 mower replacement in 2006, and a shelter added to Riverside Park in 2007
A new boiler for the library in 2006, $12,000
An annual set-aside of $20,000 through 2008 to go toward a new dehumidification system in the Pool and Fitness Center
A new well will cost the water department $132,000 in 2007
Phosphorous removal systems will cost the city about $250,000 in both 2007 and 2008
From 2006 through 2010, the city will pay $825,000 for electric distribution upgrades; $300,000 for a circuit replacement, and $600,000 for a power line feed from Magnolia
The refuse department needs a new garbage truck in 2006, $180,000

By Sara QuamRock County Sheriff Mike Winkels reported activities for the quarter to the Luverne City Council.He said the number of complaints typically increase in the summer, sometimes just for the reason that people are out more and noticing more things of concern in their neighborhoods.Winkels told the Council that the theories of community policing are still strong in the department. "I don’t think I’ve ever stopped at a coffee shop in the county where I haven’t been asked about something they think is going on or concerns they have," Winkels said.He said he’s given particular attention to loitering in the downtown Luverne area. Winkels said it’s sometimes as simple as residents of downtown buildings sitting in front of their apartments.Some citations were (from January to March of 2005) and April to June:DWI — (4) and 1Seat belt — (4) and 37Speeding — (10) and 14Some liquor violations were (from January to March of 2005) and April to June:Minor consumption — (7) and 0Minor possession — (1) and 0Under 21 consumption — (0) and 4Some criminal arrests were (January to March of 2005) and April to June:Drugs, narcotics — (2) and 10Shoplifting — (2) and 1Theft — (3) and 0Some initial complaint reports were (from January to March of 2005) and April to June:Assault — (8) and 6Burglary — (4) and 7Dog and animal complaints — (31) and 44Family child abuse — (13) and 19Theft/larceny — (21) and 22Vandalism — (13) and 13Vagrancy — (9) 4 So far in 2005 there have been 15 hit-and-run accidents in Luverne, three personal injury accidents, and 55 property damage motor vehicle accidents.

By Lori EhdeCorn is standing tall, soybeans are growing lush in their rows and, all in all, crops in Rock County are shaping up nicely, according to local agronomist Chris Hein."It seems to be so far so good," he said Tuesday. "Everything looks great."Area producers weren’t so confident this spring. They entered planting season under near-drought conditions, and then waited out a long, cold spring. Early sprouts, lacking warmth and sunshine, emerged a sickly, yellow color.But when the hazy summer heat finally set in, it didn’t take crops long to catch up.Hein, who works at SWMN Farmer’s Co-op Elevator, said there are some parts of the county that suffer from too much or not enough moisture, but generally speaking, he’s not hearing many complaints."As a whole, things look good," he said. "Anytime you can catch the kinds of timely rains like we’ve had in July ... that keeps us rolling in the right direction."Despite the slow, cool start, Hein said crops are now ahead of average in terms of growing degree unit days."Corn is actually progressing faster than we’d see in a normal year," he said.Some concerns lingering on the horizon may be soybean aphids and soybean rust."Don’t count aphids out yet," Hein said about the tiny insects that suck sap out of the plants. "Right now they’re not threatening, but we have some time yet to see on that."He said aphids were a big problem two years ago, but aggressive spraying in 2003 seems to have curbed the insect population.Soybean rust is plaguing fields in the southeast which were introduced to the fungus last year by Hurricane Ivan."It’s a fungus that can kill a field quickly if it’s infected," Hein said.The fungus is spread by air, so Hein said it’s unlikely the problem will spread to the upper Midwest."The majority of our weather patterns don’t come from that part of the country," he said. "Soybean rust this year is going to be a non-event for us."Hein said the outlook for local yields looks gook."For this point in the growing season, things look to be very promising," he said.