By Lexi MooreAt Tuesday’s council meeting, Hills resident Pete Hoff accepted the appointment to fill the open seat left vacant when Councilman Dana Dahlquist resigned in June.During the June meeting Keith Elbers made a motion to ask Hoff to fill the seat for the remainder of Dahlquist’s term. Ross Metzger seconded the motion and the council approved it.Hoff will remain on the council until the next regular city election in November of 2006. At that time, he can decide to run for office in the regular election or step down.After the council passed a resolution accepting his appointment, Hoff was sworn in and welcomed to join the remainder of the meeting.Mayor Jim Jellema welcomed Hoff on behalf of the council, "Thank you for stepping up. We sure appreciate your expertise and knowledge."2004 audit report shows city is in the black:Matt Taubert, a representative from the accounting firm of Meulebroeck, Taubert & Co., presented the council with copies of the city’s audit for the 2004 fiscal year.At the end of the year, Dec. 31, 2004, the city’s fund balance had a $4,987 loss ending at $546,528.Overall Taubert said he feels the city budgeted well in 2004."Your city, for a small city, is in good shape. Keep up the good work," he said.The general fund accounts for all city expenditures and revenues. The loss in the general fund was a product of the street fund. The remaining funds, park and recreation, fire equipment, economic development authority and utilities, did not see any decrease during the year.Taubert said the street fund is set up to be flexible because some years there will be bigger expenditures than other years. This was one of those years.The water, sewer, garbage, apartment and condominium funds, grouped as proprietary funds, produced the bulk of the city’s revenue in 2004. Overall, the sewer fund brought in the biggest gain with a net income of $42,839, followed by the apartment fund with a net income of $38,585.According to the report, proprietary net assets increased by $98,060 or 39 percent during the 2004 fiscal year.Again, Taubert said he was pleased with the performance of the proprietary funds, although he cautioned council members to keep rates competitive."Very good, all three utility funds are going in the right direction, but keep on top of the rates so that things don’t get out of control."Rural water billDan Cook, Rock County Rural Water, appeared before the council regarding a credit the city took on their April and May water bills. The city took the credit to recover the cost of water used when the city was forced to flush their water lines in the fall and spring.Residents in Hills had problems with brownish red particles in the water during part of 2004. RCRW found the problem and instructed the city to flush their water system on several occasions. The flushing would help push the buildup from chemicals used by RCRW out of the pipes.The city sought a credit of $4,826.75, which includes city employee time used and the water charged at the same rate the city charges its residents.RCRW board did not feel the credit was fair and asked Cook to pass along a letter detailing services they have provided free or at discounted rates. The board felt the water credit should be given at the rate they charge the city, not the rate the city charges residents. They felt an amount of $1,115 was sufficient compensation.Following discussion, the city decided to ask the RCRW board for a $2,400 credit.Street assessmentsThe council passed a motion to assess property owners on Elizabeth Ave. to cover the costs of asphalting the street. Property owners assessed are Bevy Massena, Rod Schulte, United Enterprises and Mark Raymond.The council decided to charge the owners by the square footage owned along the road. The cost of the job, based on a quote from Asco Asphalt Co., is $2,890. The quote, divided by the 2,980 square feet involved, is roughly 97 cents per square foot. The motion approved by the council will assess property owners over 10 years at 8 percent based on the amount of footage they own, determined by county records, multiplied by 97 cents per square foot.

By Lori EhdeA group of Australian diplomats gathered on the farmyard of Eugene (Pucky) Sandager Friday night to talk about renewable fuels."Australian farmers are looking at Minnesota’s model for developing ethanol, biofuels and other renewable fuels," Sandager said."They specifically wanted to come to Rock County."He said Rock County farmers have been leaders in the renewable fuels effort and have been influential in Minnesota’s legislative efforts to support ethanol and biofuels initiatives.The Australian delegation Friday included heads of each area of renewable fuels in their country, plus lawmakers who would be in positions to implement public policies there.Their purpose in traveling to Hills and to St. Paul last weekend was to gather information to use in developing their own renewable fuels industry."Queensland is supportive and can start the initiative," Sandager said."But they want to get something introduced right now for the whole country, instead of doing it state by state."

By Lexi MooreBill De Yager sold his Antique John Deere tractor collection at auction in Steen Wednesday.The collection, which began as a hobby for the farmer, consisted of 105 mostly-restored tractors.Wednesday’s auctioneer, Dennis Polk, welcomed a large crowd of national tractor collectors and local on-lookers to the sale on Wednesday morning."Top to bottom, this is probably the nicest group I’ve ever sold," Polk’s auctioneer’s note said.The tractor auction has attracted national attention because of its size and the large number of rare items on the auction block ,including a high crop, a styled BWH, a 430 T – single and a JD 730 LP.In addition to the tractors, Polk auctioned off miscellaneous John Deere parts and equipment.De Yager would purchase tractors through magazines, tractor shows and word of mouth. Many needed engine and bodywork.Refinishing the green and yellow tractors kept De Yager busy during the winter. At his peak, he was able to refinish six John Deeres."I do pretty much all of my own work," he said in a Star Herald article from 1991.Not long after beginning his collection, he started restoring tractors; De Yager realized his hobby was also an investment in his future.He said one tractor that he purchased for $100 had the potential to sell for over $3,000. He believes the value of all of his tractors has gone up since he started collecting. In November of 1987, De Yager opened his collection to the public. He welcomed visitors to his farm south of Steen to see inside the large buildings that hold his collection.A running guest book boasts comments from Germany, Holland and New Zealand.

The world’s worst golf swing will be on display at the Luverne Country Club some time in the next 10 days.The Million Dollar Hole in One Shootout will be staged at the LCC July 16-23, and this hacker, armed with my trusty 7-wood (real golfers use irons from the distances they will be asked to hit from) plans to be involved in the competition.Although the event is designed to raise funds for the Good Samaritan Communities of Luverne, the purpose of my presence will not be charity-oriented. Greed is an overwhelming motivator, and I feel I could be one good swing away from claiming one of three prizes worth $50,000 or more that will be up for grabs during the event.Granted, my odds probably are better to win the lottery compared with registering a hole in one. But I’ll take my chances, and I do have a plan that I hope will improve the odds that are stacked against me.The first hurdle I’ll need to clear is qualifying for the semifinals, which can be done at the LCC’s driving range from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 16-22, and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 23.A 10-foot circle on the driving range will serve as the target, and all a player has to do is place one ball inside the circle from 130 yards away to advance to the semifinals.This is a fund-raiser, so it will be necessary to bring your checkbook to the qualifying sessions. A player can attempt to qualify for as little as $5 (four chances), and for as much as $100 (115 chances). Attempts also can be purchased for $10, $15, $25, $50 and $75.My plan, which involves surrounding myself with players with similar no-talent swings, will cost me $25. The fee will give me 25 attempts to put a ball into the qualifying circle. All I need to do is get one ball to stop in the target area to qualify for the semifinals. But, the more balls players put into the circle during the qualifying sessions, the more attempts they get to clear the second hurdle of the competition.The semifinals are set for July 23, running from 10 a.m. to noon. The second round will be staged on the driving range, only this time, a player aims at a pin, which will be positioned on the range. Each player gets to fire as many shots at the pin as they placed in the circle during the qualifying rounds. The five players who place the ball closest to the pin will advance to the finals, where one lucky shot could yield fame and fortune.The Shootout finals will take place on the LCC’s third hole on the same day, starting at 6 p.m. The finalists will receive one shot each to record aces from distances of 150, 160 and 170 yards. A 150-yard ace would yield a $250,000 prize, a 160-yard ace gives the player a new $50,000, and a 170-yard ace is good for $50,000.Now that I’ve explained what it will take to be successful at this event, it’s time to reveal my plan of attack. As a player of limited ability, I know how intimidating the game of golf can be. At the same time, I realize that misery loves company. That’s why I’ve invited Don Bryan, Todd Oye and Rick Peterson, our new general manager at Tollefson Publishing, to compete with me as a team. I handpicked my teammates for different reasons, and, if an agreement can be reached, we could share the prize if fate shines on one of us.I know our lineup wouldn’t strike fear into the souls of the LCC’s top players if we had to challenge them, but this is not a golf match. This is about stringing together enough lucky shots to send one of our team members to the finals, where anything can happen.Every team needs a captain, and that honor will go to Rick Peterson.I bestow that honor on him not because he and I teamed up to place third in the bottom feeder’s bracket (also known as the third flight) of the Luverne Chamber of Commerce Scrambler in early June. He’ll be the leader of our team because he’s lucky. On a recent trip to Flandreau, Peterson turned a $1 pull of a crank on the arm of a slot machine into a substantial cash prize. If the man’s streak of good fortune continues, the rest of us could find ourselves with a pocket full of money.Mr. Bryan will be on our team because of experience. A long-time member of the course, the Hardwick banker has achieved what we all will be shooting for—an actual ace at the LCC. Having someone in the lineup who can say, "Been there, done that," will be a psychological advantage for all of his teammates.The only reason I can come up with for inviting Mr. Oye to join the team is because of envy.I recently learned that Luverne High School’s football coach and activites director has an 11-wood in his golf bag. I do have a 9-wood in my arsenal, but I’ve always wanted an 11-wood. By inviting Todd to the team, I might get the chance to add his 11 to my wood selection when he’s not looking.Now that my plan has been revealed, I’ll let the chips fall as they may.The worst thing that can happen to this Dream Team is to have 100 attempts to qualify for the semifinals elude the 10-foot circle. Even if that happens, the Good Samaritan Communities of Luverne will receive $100 in our names. Either way, someone wins.Teammates, keep this in mind. We can take our qualifying shots around 7:30 p.m. on any of the first seven nights of the competition. If we can’t put at least one ball in the circle, fear not. The sun will be setting not long after we’re done. Then we can sneak off the driving range under the cover of darkness.

By John RittenhouseSteve Esselink is playing professional basketball in North America.The 1999 Hills-Beaver Creek High School standout didn’t earn a roster spot for a team involved with any of the major basketball associations in this country, but he is getting paid to play hoops in our continent.And, according to his father, Gary Esselink, the leading scorer in H-BC school history is loving his new job."Steve’s playing in a professional basketball league in Mexico," his father said Monday."He’s a member of the Mexicali Soles, an expansion team in the country’s LNBP league. Mexicali is a city about 100 miles east of San Diego (Calif.), and Steve is living and playing there."According to the elder Esselink, the Soles (a Spanish word that means Suns) are the newest entry in the 20-team league.The new squad held tryouts in May, and Esselink earned one of three roster spots that are available to American-born players.The Soles, who currently sport a 2-2 record, will play 40-plus games from now through late October. The playoffs for the league will run through November.Esselink has made an instant impact for his new team.He scored 32 points during his league debut, which turned into an overtime loss for the team. The home game was played in front of a sellout crowd (4,500 fans) in Mexicali, as well as being televised and viewed by an estimated 75,000 more basketball fans throughout the country.Gary said his son is playing between 30 and 35 minutes through the first four games of the season, and he’s scoring points at a clip of 24 for each game."Steve said the players are treated like celebrities, and the team takes good care of them," Gary Esselink said."They fly to all of their games. The team puts them up in a house in Mexicali. There are three players in each house, and they all get their own rooms. Each house has a maid that does the cooking and cleaning for the players."Gary said his son seems to be adjusting to life in a new country well.He’s learning to speak the Spanish language, and he’s grown comfortable with his new life in Mexicali.Best of all, he’s getting paid to play basketball in a country that is devoted to the sport."He said the crowds seem to be more emotionally involved with the game in Mexico. That can be good or bad, depending if you are playing at home or on the road," Gary said."Steve doesn’t know what he’ll be doing after this season, but this will be an eye-opening, life-learning experience for him. He’ll get to see the whole country of Mexico, and he’ll get to see it for free."

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne American Legion baseball team capped a 10-7 regular season by dropping a 9-8 home decision to New Ulm Tuesday.Luverne fell behind 9-0 after four and one-half innings of play before rallying to score eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings.The Cardinals couldn’t push the tying run across the plate when they batted in the seventh.New Ulm put together three-run first and fourth innings, a two-run fifth and a one-run third to open a 9-0 cushion.Luverne scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth and three in the sixth to trim the difference to one run at 9-8.Jared Pick and Zach Wysong delivered two-run doubles and Seth Goembel added an RBI single to make it a 9-5 game in the fifth.J.T. Bruynes doubled home a pair of runs and Steve Schepel slapped an RBI triple when the Cards capped the scoring in the sixth.Nate Boler tossed the first three innings and took the loss after surrendering four runs, three hits and one walk. Brett Lundgren pitched one inning of five-run, four-hit relief. Marc Boelman pitched three innings of scoreless relief.Luverne, which hosts the Sub-District Tournament, opens postseason play at 7 p.m. Friday at Redbird Field.Box score AB R H BIPick 4 2 1 2Bruynes 4 0 1 2Boelman 3 0 0 0Wysong 4 0 2 2Nath 4 0 1 0Oeding 4 1 1 0Boler 1 0 0 0Lundgren 3 2 2 0Goembel 3 1 1 1Petersen 1 0 0 0Schepel 1 2 1 1

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds ended a four-game slide by stringing together three road victories.Luverne bested Heron Lake by nine runs in Heron Lake Wednesday, July 6. The Redbirds nipped Spencer, Iowa, by one run Saturday before edging Windom by two runs Sunday.The Luverne amateurs sport a 9-9 record. The Redbirds end the regular season by playing road games in Hadley Friday (6:30 p.m.) and in Wilmont Sunday (2 p.m.).Luverne 5, Windom 3Pitchers Jesse Kuhlman and Mike Miller combined efforts to lead the Redbirds to a two-run win in Windom Sunday.Kuhlman tossed five innings of three-run, four-strikeout ball to notch the win. Miller fanned four batters in a two-inning stint as a relief pitcher. Miller, who didn’t surrender one hit, earned a save.Luverne led 2-0 when Rob Fodness doubled home a run and Adam Reisch added an RBI single in the second inning, and the score was 3-0 when Mike Boen recorded a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.Windom scored twice in the bottom of the third to make it a 3-2 game, and the teams exchanged runs in the fifth. Miller picked up an RBI with a double to account for Luverne’s fifth-inning run.With the score 4-3, Luverne earned an insurance run when Boen singled and scored on an error in the seventh.Box score AB R H BIStuder 2 1 0 0Shelton 1 0 0 0Jo.Pick 4 1 1 0M.Boen 3 1 1 1Miller 3 0 1 1Kurtz 4 0 1 0Jr.Pick 4 1 0 0Fodness 3 1 2 1Reisch 3 0 1 1T.Boen 3 0 2 0Luverne 10, Spencer 9A big sixth inning set the stage for Luverne’s one-run win in Spencer, Iowa, Saturday.Trailing 7-1 entering the sixth, the Redbirds scored seven runs to gain their first lead (8-7) of the contest.Barry Shelton and Jared Pick contributed two-run singles to the sixth inning rally. Kuhlman, Scott Pick and Joey Pick chipped in one RBI single each.Spencer regained the lead at 9-8 in the bottom of the sixth, but Luverne countered with a two-run single by Joey Pick in the top of the seventh to settle the issue.Jared Pick pitched two innings of relief to get the win. Adam Kurtz worked the first three and one-third innings on the mound. Fodness, who singled home Luverne’s first run of the game in the fourth inning, tossed one and one-third innings of relief.Box score AB R H BIJr.Pick 4 1 1 2Jo.Pick 5 1 3 3Wysong 3 0 0 0Kurtz 3 0 0 0Shelton 3 1 1 2Fodness 4 1 2 1Kuhlman 3 1 1 1Kreun 2 1 1 1S.Pick 2 2 1 1Luverne 11, HL 2The Redbirds rolled to a nine-run victory when they entertained Heron Lake Wednesday, July 6.Adam Kurtz drove in three runs, and Rob Fodness and Mike Miller combined efforts to throw four innings of shutout relief to lead the Redbirds during the game.HL led 1-0 before Luverne tied the game with an RBI double from Tony Sandbulte in the bottom of the second inning.The Lakers regained the lead at 2-1 in the top of the third, but the Redbirds outscored HL 10-0 the rest of the game by plating four runs in the third and fifth innings and adding two more counters in the eighth.Mike Boen delivered a two-run double, Mike Wenninger singled home a run and Kurtz picked up his first RBI of the game with a fielder’s choice in the fourth, when Luverne gained a 5-2 advantage with a four-run rally.Sandbulte, Boen and Jared Pick slapped RBI singles and James Fisher chipped in a sacrifice fly when Luverne extended its lead to 9-2 in the fifth inning.Kurtz capped the scoring with a two-run single in the eighth.Kyle Kreun tossed the first five innings to pick up the win. He allowed one earned run. Fodness pitched three innings of scoreless relief, and Miller blanked the Lakers in the ninth inning.Box score AB R H BIStuder 3 0 1 0Kuhlman 0 0 0 0Wysong 4 1 1 0Miller 4 2 1 0Wenninger 3 2 2 1Remme 1 0 1 0M.Boen 4 4 2 2Fisher 3 1 0 1Kurtz 4 0 1 3Sandbulte 3 1 2 2Reisch 1 0 0 0Jr.Pick 3 0 1 1Fodness 2 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team won three of four games during the Sioux Falls Tournament over the weekend.Luverne posted victories over Sioux Falls West, Sturgis and Sioux Falls Empire Baseball Association Riders during the event. Pipestone kept the Cardinals from going undefeated.The Cards ended the tournament with a 23-6 record. Luverne hosts Fulda for a double-header tonight before opening the Sub-District Playoffs (site and times are yet to be determined) on Monday.Luverne 11, SFEBAR 2The Cardinals capped their tournament appearance by besting the Sioux Falls Empire Baseball Association Riders by nine runs Sunday.Micah Boomgaarden tossed a five-inning complete game and Jake Clark and Jeremy Hoff drove in two runs each to lead the Cards to victory.Luverne gained control of the game in the top of the first, when Hoff doubled home two runs, Tyler Reisch singled home another, Caleb Bruynes recorded a sacrifice fly and Zach Olson received an RBI for a squeeze bunt to give Luverne a 5-0 lead.The Riders countered with one run in the bottom of the first, but Luverne plated single runs in the second and fourth innings and added four more in the third to settle the issue.Boomgaarden helped his own cause by recording an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the second to make it 6-1.Clark doubled home two runs, Chris Fitzer singled home another and Devin Richters laid down a safety squeeze when the Cards scored four times in the third to gain a 10-1 lead.Olson reached base on an error and scored on an error in the fourth.Box score AB R H BIClark 2 3 2 2Arndt 1 0 0 0Boomgaarden 4 1 2 1Fitzer 1 1 1 1Ossefoort 1 0 0 0Reisch 3 1 1 1Den Hoed 1 0 0 0Olson 2 1 0 1Hoff 3 2 2 2Skattum 2 1 0 0Bruynes 1 1 0 1Richters 2 0 1 1Pipestone 14, Luverne 6Luverne fell from the tournament’s unbeaten ranks after dropping an eight-run decision to Pipestone Saturday.The Cards erased a 6-0 deficit by scoring six runs in the top of the third, but Pipestone scored eight runs in the third and fourth innings to ice the win.Hoff doubled home two runs in the third. Reisch added an RBI double to the rally, while Clark and Olson slapped run-scoring singles.Olson pitched the first three and two-thirds innings and was saddled with the loss. Bruynes and Adam Ossefoort pitched in relief.Box score AB R H BIClark 3 1 2 1Olson 4 0 1 1Fitzer 3 1 1 1Reisch 3 1 2 1Den Hoed 3 0 0 0Bruynes 1 0 0 0Ossefoort 3 1 0 0Arndt 3 1 1 0Hoff 3 1 2 2Luverne 14, Sturgis 4The Cards scored at least one run in all five innings of Saturday’s 10-run victory over Sturgis.Clark and Reisch led the charge for the Cards by driving in three runs each for a Luverne team that scored five runs in the first two innings of the game and never trailed in the contest.Run-scoring singles by Fitzer, Reisch and Bruynes made it 3-0 in the top of the first, and Reisch and Clark slapped RBI singles in the second for a 5-0 lead.Sturgis trimmed the difference to two runs (5-3) in the bottom of the second. Luverne, however, plated single runs in the third and fourth innings before exploding for seven runs in the fifth to win handily.Jacob Arndt doubled home a run in the third before Ossefoort received an RBI for a safety squeeze bunt in the fifth for Luverne.Luverne’s seven-run fifth inning featured a two-run double by Clark, a two-run single by Olson and a run-scoring single by Richters.Hoff pitched all five innings to earn the win.Box score AB R H BIClark 4 3 2 3Olson 4 1 1 2Fitzer 3 1 1 1Reisch 4 3 3 3Bruynes 3 0 1 1Den Hoed 3 1 1 0Ossefoort 3 1 1 1Arndt 2 2 1 1Richters 2 0 1 1Skattum 1 1 1 0Luverne 16, SFW 6The Cardinals opened the tournament by rolling to a 10-run win over Sioux Falls West Friday.After falling behind 3-0 after two innings of play, Luverne rallied to score 16 runs in the third fourth and fifth frames to settle the issue.With Bruynes delivering a three-run double to lead the way, Luverne scored four runs in the top of the third before adding three more in the fourth to gain a 7-3 advantage.Bruynes, who led the Cards with four RBIs, and Arndt slapped run-scoring singles in the fourth.After West scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to make the difference 7-5, Luverne iced the game with a nine-run rally in the fifth.Fitzer and Chris Den Hoed spurred the rally by slapping a three-run double and a three-run triple respectively. Reisch, Boomgaarden and Arndt added one RBI single each to the surge.Fitzer pitched three and two-thirds innings of relief to earn the win. Clark tossed the first one and one-third innings without gaining a decision.Box score AB R H BIClark 4 0 0 0Elbers 4 3 3 1Fitzer 1 3 1 3Reisch 4 2 2 1Olson 4 0 0 0Boomgaarden 3 2 2 1Bruynes 4 3 2 4Arndt 4 2 2 2Hoff 1 0 1 0Ossefoort 2 0 0 0Den Hoed 3 1 2 3

By John RittenhouseWhat was geared to be a brief family get-together turned into a championship weekend for Dave and Todd Iverson.Playing in the Luverne Country Club’s annual Member-Guest Tournament for the 10th year as a team, the father-son squad won the two-day Quota Tournament for the first time.Member Dave Iverson and his son, Todd, of Northfield, opened a big lead during Friday’s opening round of the tournament. They survived the second day of play to post a one-point win over member Steve Top and his Luverne guest, Tom Klein."We had a really good day (Friday), and we were able to hold on to that," said Todd Iverson, who loves to play in the tournament for a couple of reasons."It’s always a fun time, and it gives me a chance to come home," he added.During a first round that was bogged down due to a rain delay that lasted nearly four hours, the Iversons thrived as a team.The eventual champions recorded 17 points during the first day of play, opening a four-point advantage over their nearest challengers.A total of 21 of the field’s 36 teams finished the first day in plus side of the points standings, but it was the 17-point effort turned in by the Iversons that produced a commanding lead that eventually led them to their first tournament championship.Top and Klein, playing together in the event for the first time, compiled 13 points on Friday. They trailed the leaders by four points.Member Dan Kindt and guest Dave Kindt (Bruce, S.D.), and member Don Cashin and guest Tom Cashin (San Francisco, Calif.) shared third place after Friday’s rounds with 12 points. Member Jeremy Sudenda and guest Jason Sudenga (Sioux Falls), the defending champions from 2004, were seven points off the pace with 10 counters.The Iversons were unable to maintain their frantic scoring pace during Saturday’s second round of the tournament, but that seemed to be the theme of the day. Only ten of the field’s 36 teams were able to turn in plus-point performances during the final 18 holes of play.After losing four and one-half quota points on Saturday, the Iversons finished the event with plus 12 1/2 points. They ended up edging out Top and Klein, who finished in second place with 11 1/2 after dropping 1 1/2 points from their total on the first day.In the end, it was the consistent play of Dave Iverson that led the team to victory. While Todd carded 76- and 88-stroke rounds during the event, Dave was consistent with 81- and 80-stroke efforts."I normally don’t shoot that well," Dave Iverson admitted. "I’d like to think I can, but I usually don’t."While the Kindt, Cashin and Sudenga teams slipped back in the field Saturday, other teams climbed up in the standings.Member Wayne Zewiske and guest Curt Heydt (Sargeant) moved into third place in the final standings with 11 points, member Mike Haakenson and guest Jim Walker (Rogers) finished fourth with 9 1/2 points, and member Steve Smedsrud and guest Troy Veld (Lismore) placed fifth with 8 1/2 points.The Kindts placed sixth in the final standings with 8 points. Rounding out the Top 10 are member Tim Connell and guest Pat Connell (St. Paul) with 7 1/2 points, member Nate Skattum and guest Dallas Bullerman (Luverne) with 6 1/2 points, member Keith Boeve and guest Ed Boeve (Stillwater) with 5 points, and member Nate Golla and guest John Kvaame (Brainerd) with 4 points.Tim Connell and Dave Kindt captured individual titles during the Quota Tournament.Connell, who has won the LCC’s Men’s Club Championship three times, emerged as the tournament’s low gross champion. He shot a one-under-par 71 Friday and turned in a four-over-par 76 on Saturday to finish the event with 147 strokes.Jason Sudenga placed second with a 151 (74-77), and Kvaame finished third with his 155 (74-81).Dave Kindt, Todd Iverson and member Craig Nekali all finished the tournament with net 138s. Kindt was awarded the low net title based on his performance on the tournament’s handicap hole (the par-4 fourth hole).Friday’s rain delay set up a rain-shortened version of The Derby, an M-G event that annually is played after the first 18 holes of the Quota Tournament.The 10 members and 10 guests who recorded the lowest gross rounds during the first round of the tournament are asked to form two-player teams for a nine-hole, alternate-shot event.The Derby normally is a nine-hole event, with one team being eliminated at each hole. Friday’s delay shortened the 2005 version of the event to five holes, with three teams being eliminated on each of the first two holes of play, and one team bowing out of the field on the final three holes.Member Gary Golla and Adrian’s Dean Elias, the guest of Dennis Holtrop, captured The Derby title.A par on the final hole was good enough for Golla and Elias to best Tim Connell and Al Connell (Morris), the guest of Tim Knoll, who survived four holes of elimination play before registering a bogey during the final hole.