By John RittenhouseHe may be handicapped, but Hills’ resident Roy Francis isn’t afraid to try new things.Francis has been using a wheelchair since being injured in a truck accident nearly 12 years ago, but that didn’t stop the 62-year-old from bowling in Eden Prairie June 25-26.The Brunswick Center, located in the Twin Cities suburb, was the site of the 2005 Minnesota Paralized Veterans of America Ramp Bowling Tournament.Francis, who started competing in the sport 18 months earlier, turned in his second consecutive solid performance at the event."I placed sixth out of 14 bowlers," Francis said from his home in Hills. "We all played 12 games, and our places were based on total pins. I was in the neighborhood of being less than 100 pins short of the winner."All things considered, Francis was satisfied with his performance.With the help of his wife, Nonie, who collected balls from the return and placed them on his ramp, Francis rolled 203- and 201-pin games during his appearance in Eden Prairie.Those efforts fell short of his career-high 226 rolled during the same event last year, but the big games helped Francis place sixth in the tournament field for the second straight year.For a man who was fortunate to survive a near-fatal accident, placing sixth at a bowling tournament feels just about as good as winning one.It was early August in 1993 when Roy and Nonie were returning to their home in the Black Hills of South Dakota after dropping off their daughter at a Bible Camp in Montana.The Francises were inside their Ford Ranger in Butte County, S.D., when a bump on a gravel road sent the vehicle out of control. The Ranger, driven by Roy, spun around on the gravel road a couple of times before hitting the shoulder of the road and rolling over.Nonie received a bruised hand during the accident. Roy’s life was changed forever."I broke my neck. It was a complete dissection of my spinal cord (at the Cervical 6 Vertebrate). I’m quadriplegic, and I’ll always be this way," he said.Being close to his family and finding a new challenge in bowling have helped Francis cope with his physical limitations.Ron and Nonie moved to Hills three years ago, a place where one of their daughters (Vicki Virkus) calls home. Another daughter (Jessica Pigott) lives in Sioux Falls, and son Scott lives in Pipestone, where he owns and operates a bowling alley. Ron’s mother, Mary Francis, is a resident at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.Bowling will continue to be a part of Francis’ life, too.Ron plans to compete in a PVA Mixed League for a second time this fall. The league matches are staged on Saturdays at Empire Bowl in Sioux Falls.League play starts in October and continues through April, and it presents Francis with a challenge he has grown to love."I really like bowling. The difficulty of mastering it presents a challenge. It looks pretty straightforward, but a whole lot can go wrong between releasing the ball from your hand and hitting the pins," he said.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team reeled off three straight wins during a seven-day span to up its season record to 20-4.The Cardinals edged Sioux Falls by one run in Luverne Wednesday, June 29, before posting a nine-run victory over Marshall Orange Thursday. Luverne returned home to topple Adrian by 10 runs Tuesday.Luverne plays in Slayton tonight and hosts Pipestone Monday. The Cards will play four games at the Sioux Falls Tournament over the weekend.Luverne 11, Adrian 1Micah Boomgaarden and Andrew DeBoer tossed a combined no-hitter to lead the Cardinals to a 10-run home win over Adrian Tuesday.Boomgaarden started the game on the mound, leaving the game after allowing one run and issuing five walks. DeBoer picked up the win after pitching two innings of scoreless, four-strikeout, two-hit ball.Adrian scored the game’s first run in the top of the first, but Luverne countered with five runs in the bottom of the first before adding two runs in the second, third and fifth frames.Derek Elbers, Tyler Reisch and DeBoer slapped RBI singles and Chris Den Hoed added a two-run single to the first inning rally.Zach Olson tripled home a run before scoring on an error to make it a 7-1 game in the second. Olson and Boomgaarden delivered RBI singles in the third inning, and Luverne won the game when Boomgaarden drew a bases-loaded walk and DeBoer picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice in the fifth.Box score AB R H BIClark 3 2 2 0Graphenteen 1 0 0 0Elbers 2 2 1 1Hoff 1 1 1 0Fitzer 3 2 0 0Reisch 1 2 1 1Richters 1 0 0 0Olson 4 1 2 2Boomgaarden 2 1 2 2Ossefoort 0 0 0 0DeBoer 4 0 2 2Bruynes 3 0 0 0Den Hoed 2 0 1 2Arndt 0 0 0 0Luverne 11, MO 2The Cardinals avenged an early-season loss when they bested Marshall Orange by nine runs in Marshall Thursday.A two-out rally in the top of the second inning turned into a six-run outburst, and a five-run spurt in the top of the seventh iced the win for Luverne.Orange drew first blood in the game by scoring once in the bottom of the first inning before Luverne countered with its two-out rally in the top of the second.Reisch delivered a two-run single to highlight the surge. Jacob Arndt, Jake Clark and Chris Fitzer drew bases-loaded walks, and Elbers was hit by a pitch with the bases full.The score remained 6-1 until the seventh inning, when Luverne scored five times before Orange countered with a single run.Elbers and Reisch, who led Luverne with three RBIs each, contributed two- and one-run singles to the seventh-inning rally. Caleb Bruynes singled home a run, and Clark was hit by a pitch with the sacks full.Bruynes pitched all seven innings to earn the win. He fanned six batters, allowed five hits and three walks.Box score AB R H BIClark 3 2 2 2Elbers 4 2 1 3Fitzer 3 0 1 1Reisch 5 0 2 3Olson 2 0 0 0Den Hoed 2 1 1 0DeBoer 4 1 2 0Ossefoort 1 1 0 0Boomgaarden 1 1 1 0Bruynes 3 2 1 1Arndt 3 1 0 1Hoff 1 0 0 0Luverne 4, SF 3Clark delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Luverne to a one-run home win over Sioux Falls Wednesday, June 29.Trailing 2-0 after three and one-half innings of play and facing a 3-2 deficit after heading into the bottom of the sixth, the situation didn’t look good for the Cards.Luverne, however, tied the game at three when Elbers reached base on an error before scoring when Anthony Graphenteen drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.Ardnt led the seventh inning off with a single and advanced to second when Elbers laid down a sacrifice bunt. With two outs in the inning, Clark stepped to the plate and delivered the game-winning single.After surrendering single runs to Sioux Falls in the first and fourth innings, Luverne tied the game at two in the bottom of the fourth when Andrew DeBoer singled home a run and Den Hoed picked up an RBI for a sacrifice fly.Jeremy Hoff pitched three innings of one-run relief to pick up the win. Adam Ossefoort started the game on the mound, surrendering two runs in four innings.Box score AB R H BIHoff 4 0 0 0Ossefoort 1 1 0 0Olson 2 1 2 0Clark 2 1 2 1DeBoer 2 0 1 1Fitzer 0 0 0 0Skattum 3 0 0 0Den Hoed 1 0 0 1Reisch 0 0 0 0Graphenteen 2 0 0 1Arndt 3 1 0 0Richters 2 0 0 0Elbers 4 0 0 0Box score AB R H BIClark 3 2 2 0Graphenteen 1 0 0 0Elbers 2 2 1 1Hoff 1 1 1 0Fitzer 3 2 0 0Reisch 1 2 1 1Richters 1 0 0 0Olson 4 1 2 2Boomgaarden 2 1 2 2Ossefoort 0 0 0 0DeBoer 4 0 2 2Bruynes 3 0 0 0Den Hoed 2 0 1 2Arndt 0 0 0 0

REQUEST FOR BIDSLUVERNE PUBLIC SCHOOLSNotice is hereby given that bids will be received until 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, 2005, at the Office of the Superintendent, Luverne High School, Luverne, Minnesota, for the furnishing of the following products: A. Gasoline and Fuel ProductsB. Fuel OilC. Bakery ProductsD. Milk ProductsDetailed specifications and information are available at the office of the Superintendent of Schools.The School Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any technicalities.Colleen DeutschClerk(7-7, 7-14)

All-Hazard Mitigation Planning continues in Rock CountyRock County is developing a "multi-jurisdictional" plan, which means that all cities and townships in the county will be covered by the county’s plan. However, for a city or township to be included, it must be included and identified in plan development. The county’s plan will also be much better with local citizen involvement. A public review of the mitigation goals and projects along with the hazard mitigation plan will be held on July 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the Rock County Family Services Building located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne. The county is hopeful that you will attend the meeting and provide feedback on the mitigation goals and the Rock County Hazard Mitigation Plan. If you cannot attend this meeting but would like to be involved or if you have any questions, please contact Kym Christiansen at the Southwest Regional Development Commission in Slayton – 507-836-8547, ext. 107 or kym@swrdc.org. (7-7, 7-14)

JUNE 10, 2005MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.A regular meeting of the Board of Education ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Friday, June 10, 2005, at 12:00 p.m. The following members were present: Colleen Deutsch, Laura Herman, Dan Kopp, Cary Radisewitz, and Becky Walgrave. Absent: Vicki Baartman and Bill Stegemann. Also present: Superintendent Vince Schaefer, Marlene Mann, and Lori Ehde, Rock County Star Herald.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Becky Walgrave. Superintendent Schaefer gave announcements.Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve the agenda with addendum. Motion unanimously carried.Administrative reports were given. Motion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to approve the school board minutes of May 26, 2005. Motion unanimously carried.Business Manager Marlene Mann reviewed the Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance coverage options. Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to approve Alternate Plan #1 which will have a 6.6% increase in premium for the $500 deductible plan and 5.8% increase in premium for the $1000 deductible plan. There will be an increase in the prescription drug co-pay amount. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Herman, to approve the seasonal layoff resolution as presented. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Deutsch, second by Radisewitz, to approve the following resolution: The local Board of Education of Luverne Public Schools has authorized Vincent Schaefer, at a monthly meeting on June 10, 2005, to act as the LEA (Local Education Agency) Representative in filing an application for funds provided under Public Law 103-382 for the school year 2005-2006. The LEA Representative will ensure that the school district maintains compliance with the appropriate Federal statutes, regulations, and State procedures currently in effect and will act as the responsible authority in all matters relating to the administration of this application.Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to approve the 2005-2006 Resolution for Membership in the Minnesota State High School League. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve membership in the Minnesota rural Education Association at a cost of $2,400.00. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve the school board meeting schedule as presented. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Deutsch, second by Kopp, to appoint Gary Fisher as the School District’s representative to the Rock-Pipestone Family Services Collaborative Governing Board and Executive Committee. Motion unanimously carried. The following re-roofing bids were received for the Ag Shop, Wood Shop and Library:BIDDER: SECTION A SECTION B TOTALGUARANTEE ROOFING & SHEET METAL $35,973.00 $12,809.00 $48,782.00SIOUX FALLS SDNIEMAN ROOFING CO. INC. $51,000.00 $28,000.00 $67,000.00NEW PRAGUE MNMotion by Herman, second by Radisewitz, to accept the bid from Guarantee Roofing and Sheet Metal. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Deutsch, second by Kopp to increase the special education contracts for services from SW/WC Service Cooperative. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Herman, second by Deutsch, to accept the resignation of Lori Gladis as Assistant Softball coach. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Kopp, to approve hiring Jeremy Childress as Middle School math teacher, 10th grade football coach, and assistant softball coach for a total salary of $34,001.00. Motion unanimously carried.Committee reports were given.The upcoming meeting dates were reviewed. It was noted that an MSBA School Board workshop is scheduled for June 16.Motion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried.Dated: June 10, 2005Colleen Deutsch, Clerk(7-7)

Enduro cars to run this SaturdayA pre-fair Enduro race is in the planning stages.The race is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at the Rock County Fairgrounds. The race will run for two hours or 200 laps, whichever comes first.The field is limited to the first 60 cars to enter, with a $500 first-place prize based on a 40-car field.Do you have a talent?The 4th annual talent contest is planned for this year’s Rock County Fair, which runs from August 3-6.The talent show will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 4, at the grandstand. Local and regional residents are encouraged to participate in the event, but the show is for amateurs only.The contest is divided into three categories: preteen for children under the age of 12, a teen division for kids ages 12 to 18, and an open class for participants of all ages.Each category will offer cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50 for first, second, and third place, respectively.The first-place winners will be invited to participate in the Minnesota State Fair talent contest, which is scheduled for various dates during the State Fair from August 25 to September 3.The stage, sound system and lighting are provided for the county fair participants. A $10 entry fee is also required.Each act can last no longer than four minutes to comply with the state contest rules.Last year 23 acts performed for a crowd of more that 400 people.Registration deadline is Thursday, July 28.For more information or to get registration materials, contact Jane Wildung at 507-283-4691.Community Ed plans another Twins outingCommunity Ed is organizing another charter trip to a Minnesota Twins game.This time you will see the Twins take on the Boston Red Sox.The game is at 1:10 p.m. Sunday, August 7.Participants will join the tour guides, Jim Harner and John Rath, in the Community Ed parking lot at 7:30 a.m.The bus will make a quick stop for breakfast on the way up and stop at Old Country Buffet in Mankato on the way back.The ticket and bus fee are $40, with meals on your own.Deadline to reserve your space is July 18.For more information contact Community Education at 283-4724.When the state shuts down, do we save money?No. In fact, according to a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, shutting down the state government costs the state $4.68 million per day.A little more than half that number is employee compensation and benefits to the 14,700 workers who are deemed unessential and who are not working.About 1.8 million is from lost revenue from license charges and other fees not processed.If special legislation had not been passed to keep the state parks open, an additional $60,000 per day would have been lost.State officials told the Star Tribune the state would have to be shut down for over six months before the state could realize any cost savings.State workers who are currently affected by the shutdown have agreed to a 14-day period in which they will use accrued vacation and sick time.According to Cal Ludeman, commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations, the average state worker has accumulated 151 hours of unused vacation.Total unused vacation time owed to state workers is worth about $60 million.The average pay for workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is about $35,000.Preparing for the shutdown also had a price.Approximately $2 million was spent for things like shutting down computer systems and putting up barriers at the 88 rest stops.When a settlement is figured out and state government opens, restarting the various computer systems is estimated at $300,000.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Reader remembers candy store, Connell’s conesThis letter appeared in the Rock County Herald but am uninformed as to the date it appeared.To the Editor:I, for one, remember Ben Woodrow and his shop very well, and I am sure that there are many others in Luverne who do. He had a candy, ice cream, and tobacco complex next to Gimm and Burn’s saloon on the Main street side of that corner. It was long and narrow with the candy and tobacco at the front, and poorly illuminated, especially at the soda fountain counter at the rear. That counter was of wood with a few stools fastened to the floor. Sitting there we looked across to an unpainted wooden sink and the heavy and plain (but BIG) glassware and the jars of flavorings. A quick swab and rinse prepared the soiled glassware very nicely for the next customer but that was before the day of sterilizers, licenses and inspections and was perfectly all right with us kids.He was a very friendly fellow and very patient with us when we had to dally over the spending of a penny.In my youngest years his shop was on the "wrong" side of Main street and we were not allowed there. However, as time went on we kids got bigger and were allowed more freedom. The reputation of the south side of Main street improved — at least in the opinion of us kids although parental substantiation was studiously avoided — and we learned that a penny would buy more at Woodrow’s than anywhere else.I recall vividly that in his shop was an old mantle type clock on the counter over the candy. It had no hands but it had a slot in it for pennies. A penny put in the slot would make the clock strike at least once, and it meant one piece of candy, but if it struck twice (or more) we got another piece of candy for each strike. It was distressing how seldom it struck more than once. One day my grandfather, E.H. Canfield, took me in there, gave me a penny and told me to put it in the clock. That clock struck twelve times! I thought it never would stop and I’m sure my eyes stuck out a foot! I am also sure that grandpa had made a deal with Ben.Ben’s ice cream sodas were the biggest and the coldest and had the most ice cream in them. It was there that I used to buy (for 5 cents) what I have never found anyplace else, a maple-nut ice cream soda. The nuts were not chopped fine and they would be at the bottom of the glass to be fished out at the glorious end, just as we saved the peanuts out of the Cracker-jacks for the last.Speaking of soda fountains, it was at John Connell’s drug store that we could buy 1 cent ice cream cones, small versions of the nickel ones. And it was here that my grandpa took me one time, sat me down at one of the ornate and cold wrought iron tables with the marble tops and in an equally cold and uncomfortable iron chair, and ordered for us "apple pie all in mud." I knew he was up to another of his tricks but I was still suspicious about mud in my pie, but when it came, a la mode, with plenty of ice cream I was quite happy.Sometimes I think of other things — like Parr’s Vienna Bakery where a large loaf of bread was 6 cents, small ones 3 cents. And how the sidewalks on Main street were wooden and a penny dropped into a crack was a tragedy! And how Main street was usually a sea of mud or a dust storm and some places it was a big drop from the sidewalk to the street. Oh, well, this is supposed to be about Woodrow’s!Sincerely yours, Norvell A. CanfieldOne Arlene CourtPetaluma, Calif. 94952Donations 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 to mannmade@iw.net.

My powers of persuasion aren’t as effective as I hoped.Even though I advocated keeping the Rock County Law Enforcement Center where it is, commissioners will probably vote Friday to build new instead. They have talked to many constituents and even thought about putting it to a vote. That probably won’t matter, because whatever happens, the commissioners will have about half their constituents angry. Richard Bakken took a couple of polls during his social rounds this weekend: he figured it was an even split among the about 45 or so people he talked to.I don’t blame commissioners for their intentions in a way. It will probably be cheaper to build new, and the people who have to spend their working hours in the LEC will have a better environment.… But they would have had a better environment with a remodeled place, too. I still think there was a way or a different plan that could have kept the existing building an LEC — and as modern and efficient an LEC as possible in the old building.It’s probably too late to do that, but it’s not too late to try to help fill it.If people have great ideas to fill it, let commissioners know because they have already given many ideas a chance.The building is so beautiful, such a perfect little castle that someone will find a way to preserve it.The county doesn’t want a bed and breakfast next to its courthouse, and it will cost about $250,000 to remodel just the first floor. Maybe someone can find a huge grant for the Rock County Historical Society to move its museum there and make it handicap accessible. Maybe Commissioner Ron Boyenga’s idea of storage is all that it will ever amount to.If you’re unhappy about the board’s plans — whatever you do, don’t call Jane Wildung to complain. She appears to be the last hold-out in favor of keeping the LEC where it is.

Where’s the incentive for meeting deadline?There are few professionals that have a better understanding of deadlines than we in the news business.The Star Herald hits the stands every Thursday morning no matter what calamity may befall the newspaper staff.If we decided it’s OK for the paper to come out whenever we got our work done, we’d lose subscribers, we’d lose advertisers and, of course, we’d go out of business.We understand this, as do countless other professionals in other businesses.If the Star Herald didn’t come out on Thursday because the news department couldn’t agree on the front page contents, there would be immediate consequences for the responsible parties.So why is it, then, that our legislators are granted extended deadlines — paid — when they can’t get their work done?They are elected (hired) by us and paid by us to get a job done in order for the state to continue doing business.When they fail us, there should be consequences. At the very least, they should be forced to keep working — without pay — until the job is done.This is just a wild guess, but it’s probably fair to assume the squabbling lawmakers would quickly come to agreement if missing deadline imposed personal consequences.As the system now stands, the only ones paying consequences are the citizens of Minnesota. We’re deprived of services, it’s costing us untold thousands in lost revenue, plus, we’re still paying the ones responsible.Shame on them and shame on our entire legislative system for allowing it to happen.Unfortunately, the only way to impose consequences for such behavior is to make it a law that they get the work done or they don’t get paid.Which lawmaker will be responsible enough to introduce such a bill, and which ones will be responsible enough to support it?It’s an important question to ask when election season comes around again.