As I come to the end of my summer reading program and the end of my career at the public library, my mind is flooded with the memories of the last eight years. Memories of books, computers, reference questions and reports, but the memories that cause my eyes to sting with tears are the ones with my kids. I have gotten to know hundreds of little library goers with unbelievable spirits and unique personalities. There is nothing more touching than watching a child’s eyes light up when being read to. Some have told me secrets, some have made me laugh hysterically and some have made me cry. I’ll miss that the most.I’ll miss little Gretchen who lets me call her Gert. I wish I could go back to the day Ethan didn’t want me to show anyone his artwork. I will long for Theresa’s kids coming in to drink from the water fountain and all calling my name as they leave. The giggles when I call them Charlie or Pete. Kendra who loves Junie B. Jones and Landon who helps me carry all the big stuff. All the stories. All the fun. All the memories. I’ll miss those the most.I will miss the big kids, too. The adult patrons who frequent the library week after week. I’ve gotten to know their families, watched some lose their spouses, or marry their loves. Day after day we’ve become friends, sharing in each other’s lives. I’ll miss those chats. I remember Donna Dahlberg’s coffee visits and her stories. Marian Boom coming in to tell us all good-bye when she got sick. Mary and Shirley and Del swapping books. The grown-ups who love to read. I’ll miss you the most.I will miss co-workers. Glenda and Barb, we’ve shared our lives for the last eight years. I will miss the disgust and raving in the break room on the day Sports Illustrated releases its swimsuit edition. I will miss Glenda’s witty humor and Barb’s supporting advice. I will miss coffee breaks to discuss the latest fashions or what the Hilton girls are up to. I will miss Lona, Judy and Connie, always willing to assist in any way. The good friends we’ve become. I will miss you the most. Tears aside. Thanks for all the memories. I’ve had a great time working with all of you as a community. All the committees, Green Earth Players, city employees and all the friends. I will miss you the most.

Public CurfewThe following appeared in the Rock County Star-Herald on March 2, 1945:Police Chief Reports Public Observes CurfewThe "midnight curfew," in effect here for the past three weeks, is being observed "to the letter," according to Chief of Police Paulsen. "I haven’t heard a single complaint," Paulsen stated this week. "I do know that all places in town affected by the order to close at midnight are asking their patrons to leave so that their places are empty and their doors locked by 12 o’clock."All meeting of organizations and other gatherings are observing the rule, too.He went on to say that when the midnight hour comes, the streets are usually pretty well crowded, especially on Saturday and Sunday nights, but most of these persons get into their cars and the streets are clear in a matter of minutes.Duba’s café, the only eating place in the city which remained open 24 hours a day before the curfew, is the only place in town where food can be served after midnight. Chief Paulsen said that "those who haven’t had anything to eat and are hungry usually flock to Duba’s, and for an hour or hour and a half, it’s pretty crowded around there. I assign one police officer for duty there during the rush, and as yet, we have not run into any trouble."The curfew was ordered by War Mobilization director Byrnes on a nation wide scale to conserve electrical energy and to get more men into essential industry. Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent o mannmade@iw.net.

One solution to the national health care crisis: ‘Don’t sit on your fanny’A bumper sticker currently circulating in traffic reads: "New National Health Care Plan: Don’t Get Sick."That certainly would solve our national health care crisis, if only more people understood the importance of good health before they lose it.Last week I interviewed two Luverne women (both almost 90 years young) who recognized early on the importance of active, healthy living.Grace Loose and Kay Franklin may not have fully understood the long-term benefits of exercise as young adults in the early 1940s, but they’re reaping the benefits today.Grace played basketball on her 1930s Luverne girls team, for example, and continued to play sports through her adult life. Up until last year, she golfed, bowled and climbed the stairs to her apartment.Kay, when asked what advice she’d give to retiring seniors today, said, "Don’t sit down on your fanny." At nearly 90, she’s proud to shovel her own driveway when necessary and maintain her Estey Street town home.They both admit they’re fortunate to have their health, but I’d bet fortune had less to do with it than their life-long commitment to taking care of themselves.The bumper sticker telling America not to get sick is obviously an oversimplification of a serious national crisis. But if more of us took our lifestyle cues from Grace and Kay, it’s likely that nearly half of our health care problems either wouldn’t exist or at least wouldn’t be as serious.Granted, health conditions are often diagnosed by no fault of the patient, but more and more ailments are now linked to poor lifestyle choices.Here’s how we can all contribute to the national health care solution: oPut more green food on our plates,oDon’t smoke or abuse alcohol, and,oin the words of Kay Franklin, "Don’t sit down on your fanny." … We can all get out and get some exercise.The inspiring stories of Kay Franklin and Grace Loose appear in the Mature Lifestyles special edition inserted in this week’s Star Herald.

The level of basketball played in the state of Minnesota has never been better.After talking with Luverne girls basketball coach Jason Phelps late last week, I have a better understanding why that is so.Back in the day, basketball was a sport confined to five months from November through March.When I was a kid, the end of the state tournaments in March marked the end of the season. After putting away my basketball shoes for the year, my thoughts quickly turned to baseball, my sport of choice through the spring and summer months.The way that the game is approached today, there’s little or no off-season. And summer has become one of the prime times to hone a player’s individual skills.For Phelps and the Luverne Cardinal players, the summer of 2005 has included a large dose of basketball.Phelps said rarely does a summer day pass without himself or LHS boys coach Tom Rops opening the gym for their players.And that’s just an appetizer.The LHS girls are playing weekly games in a summer league in Windom. Along with league play, there are summer camps, which basically are team tournaments offered by area colleges.So far this summer the Luverne girls have participated in camps at Minnesota State University-Mankato and Southwest State University in Marshall. The girls will attend another camp at Dakota State University (Madison, S.D.) before the month is complete.When all is said and done, the local girls will have played 20-plus games in a two-month span. Considering the fact that Luverne plays a 22-game regular season schedule during the winter, the summer season may be more demanding."It has become very competitive," Phelps said, when describing the summer basketball experience."There are not too many teams that don’t do anything in the summer anymore. We play full-length games, and every thing is much more organized than it has been in the past. The colleges really put on some good camps."Phelps says the key to keep the players interested in summer hoops is to keep stress out of the competition.When players receive the freedom to try new maneuvers on the court they might not want to try during a game in the winter, it builds athletes’ confidence as well as enhancing their games."It’s not a stressful situation because there’s a lot less on the line. The kids have the freedom to go out and try something different, and I think it helps more individuals develop their skills," Phelps said.Area basketball powers like Worthington and Marshall play a more demanding summer schedule than Luverne does. Having fielded successful teams in the past makes it easier for the power programs to sell benefits of summer basketball to the players.While Phelps thinks its important to keep his girls thinking about basketball in the summer, he doesn’t want his players to overexpose themselves to the sport."The key thing is to try and find a balance. We don’t want the kids to get burned out," he said."We basically have a group of six to eight girls we’re working with. With summer vacations and other things going on, we never have the same group of kids playing together. Having a different mix of kids playing together will only help us as a team."The best part of summer basketball is that it helps mold teams together.Just about every basketball program loses seniors to graduation, and summer ball offers experienced players an opportunity to bond with the up-and-coming talent."I think it pays the biggest dividends for the sophomores and juniors who haven’t played varsity ball yet. The main thing is we’re keeping the ball in the hands of these kids. Playing at least one game a week helps them maintaining some of the skills they developed over the course of the season," Phelps stated.The end result of all this summer work is to put a better product on the court next winter. And from the improved quality of play I’ve witnessed in recent years, the extra attention the athletes are giving to the sport already is paying off.Unfulfilled dream!The Dream Team’s bid to claim one of the big-money prizes during the Million Dollar Hole in One Shootout died with six poorly struck shots by myself during Saturday’s semifinals.As reported in last week’s column, Don Bryan and I qualified for the semifinals by placing three shots each inside a 10-foot circle during the qualifying competition.When Bryan forfeited his three shots to me (he’ll say it was because of a prior scheduled engagement, but I think he was tired of answering the question of how a hack like me could match his output during the qualifying round), the pressure was placed on my shoulders.I didn’t answer the challenge.I did put a scare into the event’s officials when one of my shots struck a ball outside the target area, sending what we thought was my ball into the 10-foot circle.At that point I jinxed myself by opening my mouth.As the officials searched the circle for my yellow ball, I tried to tell the small gallery watching me hit my shots that clean living was working in my favor.When the officials relayed the message that they didn’t find a yellow ball (the color I was hitting) in the circle, but they did find an orange ball in the target area, the Dream Team was eliminated from the competition.To my teammates (Rick Peterson, Todd Oye and Mr. Bryan), I apologize for letting you down. But, on second thought, there’s no way you should have sent someone who has to hit a 7-wood to cover 130 yards to the semifinals by himself.To event organizers Dawn Sandbulte and Tony Linn, I offer congratulations for putting together a fun and successful fund-raiser.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re coming into Luverne on I-90 from the west, the big green exit sign reads "Luverne/Rock Rapids," and if you’re coming into town from the east, the sign reads "Rock Rapids/Luverne"? No offense to our neighbors to the south, but Luverne should be listed first from both directions.Also, it’s interesting that Luverne Bumper is located in Brandon, S.D., and Hills Stainless Steel and the Magnolia Steak House are in Luverne.There are no McClures working at McClure Plumbing and Heating or McClure Electric. Myhre Studio is owned and operated by Jim Juhl. You have to wonder if there are any family members working at the new Family Dollar store.Having been here only six months, this is just a short-term observation, but does anyone ever use the skateboard park? I guess I notice this because while living in Redwood Falls the need for a skateboard park came before the city council on a number of occasions, yet one hasn’t been built. I can’t say that I have camped out at the local skate boarding park 24/7, but I am guessing now would be peak time for skate boarding, but from my drive-by observations, there is very little if any use of the park.I would imagine that many of you heard the tornado sirens Sunday night and wondered what was going on. If you tuned into the radio or television like we’re instructed to do during National Tornado Preparedness Week, you would have learned nothing. That’s because the siren was set off by an equipment malfunction. The cause of the malfunction has yet to be determined, but it may have been caused in part by the high humidity. Now, if high humidity is the cause, we have a problem, because high humidity is generally an ingredient in the recipe for a tornado. I would suggest letting the public know what’s happening as quickly as possible, whether we’re having a false alarm or the real deal.

With the Minnesota budget standstill now finally resolved, it would be good if the citizens took a good look at what brought on this situation and what we should learn from it. Not until they were forced to do so did the Minnesota State Senate attempt to come up with a budget, and that budget came only with the intention to include exceedingly high tax increases.In other words, the Minnesota State Senate leadership still cannot seem to abandon the age old and failed government policy of tax and spend.When the shutdown started, a retired judge recommended to a sitting judge which services were necessary and needed continuation. Are not all state services supposed to be necessary, though?While a judge's determination doesn’t necessarily reflect the real world, perhaps now is a good time to evaluate all of our state's services. Within a $30 billion budget, there could very well be enough to fund what is truly important and actually get a budget done on time. It is obvious though, that the State Senate will not be able to do this until there is a change of personnel and leadership.While the election for the State Senate is still 16 months away, we need to keep the recent shutdown in mind and make those necessary changes in the State Senate on Election Day of 2006.Joe SchomackerLuverne

The counties of Rock Nobles, Pipestone, Murray, Jackson and Cottonwood comprise two house districts in the Minnesota House of Representatives. We should be thankful that they are occupied by people like Doug Magnus and Rod Hamilton.These two individuals helped the House enormously in getting their budget passed by early April. The Minnesota Senate delayed and delayed trying to get a huge tax increase by the citizens of this state. Unfortunately, all the Senate accomplished was a state shutdown which produced a budget that cut more than 80 million dollars out of education which was included in the original House budget. It is obvious that the State Senate needs people of the character and leadership shown by Reps. Magnus and Hamilton. Be sure to thank them for representing us well. Susan LassHardwick

By John RittenhouseThe 24th annual Minnesota Border-to-Border Triathlon made its annual return to the streets of Luverne early this week.The event, which usually is scheduled to begin on the first Tuesday in August, started one week earlier this summer.With threatening skies and rain predicted to fall, the annual parade was abbreviated as many of the teams opted out of the opening event on Monday afternoon.Temperatures in the 50s with winds blowing in from the North greeted the contestants on race day Tuesday morning, which also featured a change.With road construction still underway on Highway 75, the race didn’t begin at its usual starting point in front of City Hall. The race began on Blue Mound Avenue, near Casey’s, where the competitors headed north before making a brief jog to the west, where the contingents reached Highway 75 and headed north again.Sixteen teams formed the 2005 field, with no local athletes entering the event.The field consisted of eight four-person teams, two three-person teams and six two-person squads.The race began Tuesday with a bike race to St. Cloud and continued on Wednesday (July 27) with a bike race from St. Cloud to Eveleth.Competing teams will run 50 miles from Eveleth to Cook today. A 50-mile canoe race on the Vermillion River to Cook serves as the final obstacle of the event on Friday.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds remain alive in the fight for a berth in the region tournament after going 2-1 in the first three rounds of the Gopher League Playoffs.Luverne posted an eight-run win over Worthington during the tournament opener Wednesday, July 20, in Luverne.After losing a five-run decision to Hadley in Windom Friday, the Redbirds posted a 10-run home win over Heron Lake in an elimination game in Luverne Sunday.The 12-12 Redbirds played an elimination game against Pipestone Wednesday night (July 7). A Luverne win would set up another elimination game at a site yet to be determined on Friday.Luverne 12, HL 2A four-RBI effort from Mike Miller and a strong pitching performance by Jared Pick carried the Redbirds to a 10-run win over Heron Lake during Sunday’s elimination game in Luverne.Pick tossed seven innings of nine-strikeout, two-run ball to get the win. Miller delivered a pair of two-run singles during the contest, including one during a seven-run rally in the fourth inning.The teams battled to a scoreless draw until the bottom of the fourth. Tony Sandbulte doubled home two runs, Jesse Kuhlman and Rob Fodness slapped run-scoring singles, James Fisher recorded a sacrifice fly and Miller added his two-run single to give the hosts a 7-0 cushion.Miller singled home two more runs and Zach Wysong added an RBI single to give the Redbirds a 10-0 lead in the fifth inning.HL scored twice in the top of the seventh, but Wysong chased home a run with a single in the bottom of the seventh before Fisher reached base on an error and scored on an error to end the game in the bottom of the eighth.Pick gave way to Wysong, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning.Box score AB R H BIM.Boen 6 2 1 0Sandbulte 3 2 2 2Kurtz 2 0 0 0Wysong 4 1 2 2Miller 4 1 3 4Fodness 4 1 2 1Kreun 1 0 0 0Jo.Pick 4 0 0 0Fisher 3 1 0 0Reisch 2 1 1 0Kuhlman 3 2 1 1Jr.Pick 3 1 1 0Wenninger 0 0 0 0Hadley 11, Luverne 6Hadley sent the Redbirds to the loser’s bracket of the tournament by handing them a five-run setback Friday in Windom.The Buttermakers scored seven runs in the first three innings of the game and never lost control of the contest.Luverne trimmed the difference to five runs (7-2) when Sandbulte and Wysong came up with run-scoring singles in the top of the fourth, but Hadley answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 11-2.Two-run sixth and ninth innings by Luverne ended the scoring in the game.Mike Wenninger doubled home a run and Fisher added an RBI single in the sixth. Miller singled home a pair of runs in the ninth.Adam Kurtz surrendered seven runs in the first two and two-thirds innings, taking the loss for Luverne. Kuhlman, Kyle Kreun, Wysong and Fisher pitched in relief.Box score AB R H BIM.Boen 4 2 1 0Sandbulte 5 2 1 1Miller 5 0 2 2Wenninger 4 1 2 1Reisch 1 0 0 0Wysong 5 0 1 1Jo.Pick 4 0 1 0Fisher 4 0 1 1Kurtz 1 0 0 0T.Boen 3 0 0 0Fodness 4 1 2 0Luverne 10, Worthington 2The Redbirds passed their first test of the playoffs by defeating the Cubs in Luverne Wednesday, July 20.Joey Pick and Jake Studer drove in a combined five runs for a Luverne team that outscored Worthington 9-1 after the first inning.Worthington led 1-0 after scoring a run in the top of the first, but Luverne’s Mike Boen singled and scored on a ground out by Miller in the bottom half of the frame to knot the score at one.Pick singled home the go-ahead run in the second inning and drew a bases-loaded walk during a two-run fourth frame that ended with Luverne leading 4-1. Boen contributed a sacrifice fly to the cause in the fourth.Worthington scored once in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2 before Luverne countered with one run in the bottom of the sixth, two in the seventh and three in the eighth to prevail by eight.Studer reached base on an error and scored on an error in the sixth, and delivered a two-run single to account for Luverne’s seventh inning runs.Pick received an RBI for a ground out, and Sandulte doubled home a run before scoring the final counter of the game on a passed ball in the eighth.Kreun pitched seven innings of two-run ball to pick up the win. Fodness tossed two innings of scoreless relief.Box score AB R H BIM.Boen 5 2 2 1Sandbulte 4 1 1 1Miller 5 1 1 0Wenninger 4 1 2 0Wysong 4 0 0 0Studer 4 3 2 2Fisher 3 1 1 0Kurtz 1 0 0 0Shelton 2 0 2 0Fodness 2 1 1 0Jo.Pick 2 0 1 3