By Lexi MooreHills resident Margaret Bakker recently was congratulated by the president of Avon for 45 years of excellent service to the company.Bakker, who began selling Avon on Feb. 11, 1960, will begin her 46th year with the company on Friday.In addition to receiving a glowing congratulatory letter from the Avon president, Bakker was given a diamond ring for her years of dedication to the brand and her clients.During her years of service many things have changed for her both personally and professionally.Her two daughters have grown up and her husband, Jake, has passed away. The product Avon has sold has changed as well.When Bakker started in 1960 she sold hair care products and cosmetics to clients in the southwestern area of the state. Now Avon carries jewelry, clothing, shoes, items for the home, vitamins and caters their magazines for a new generation of make-up wearers.Throughout her years Bakker earned many awards and honors, including making the elite Presidents Club on several occassions.Looking back on her first 45 years in the business, Bakker realizes that most of all she enjoyed the friendships she made with her clients. She said she is often a friend and confidant, and she has found that her clients help her through tough times as well.

By Lexi MooreHills City Council members met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.Representatives from the Martin Township and the Hills Fire Department were in attendance to discuss budget concerns and the Hills Fire Department truck replacement fund.Hills Fire Chief Jeff Bass stressed the importance of replacing the 1976 International tank truck that is currently used to haul 1,800 gallons of water to rural fires. The fire department has concerns for the safety of those driving the truck and would like to have the option of carrying more water in a bigger tank.The Hills Council, Martin Township and Clinton Township have been adding money to a truck replacement fund for several years to offset the cost of a new tank truck.Council members asked Bass questions regarding specifications of a new truck and what kind of time frame the fire department is looking at.Bass suggested finding a used truck that would carry at least 2,200 gallons of water from a fire station supplier. "I’m not talking new, but it needs to be replaced." He stressed the importance of doing this within the next year or two.The council requested that Bass research the cost of replacing the truck and how much the department could get on a trade-in or sale of the current vehicle.Copies of the figures need to be turned in to Martin Township prior to their annual meeting the second Tuesday in March. This will allow the township to budget the additional cost into their 2006 levy.In other city news:oWayne Ward was appointed city weed inspector instead of Dave Leenderts. Because the city licenses Wayne for commercial general grounds and mosquito control, it made since to give him the appointment.oThe council approved the bid from Jerry Hoff Floor Covering to replace carpet in the Legion Building office, following the removal of walls.oConcerns over stray cats within the Hills city limits were discussed. It was concluded that Ward would set live traps in an effort to catch and remove the animals from within the city limits. "These cats are wild. They hiss and bite when approached. They are not pets. People that have pet cats keep them inside," Ward said.

10 years ago (1995)"This past weekend Steen native Rick Scholten was named 1995 Minnesota Beef Cook-Off champion. His award-winning dish, Grilled Top Sirloin with Peppers: A Beefeater’s Delight, earned him the state title. Scholten is now eligible for the National Beef Cook-Off in Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 22-23."25 years ago (1980)"Representing Rock County this past year as district award winners of the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District were: Jim Hoiland, Luverne, Alvin Leuthold, Hills, and Perry Williamson, Garretson, S.D. LeRoy Kellenberger, Hills, won the progress award for 1979. These conservation farms combined to win the Minnesota area competition and bring the coveted Marc Cox Conservation Award back to Rock County. The last time Rock County won prior to the year, was back in 1970."50 years ago (1955)"Friday night’s game inspired Joan Swanson to write this poem:EchoesThe crowd was in an uproar,Can’t those players see that score?There was one quarter left to play, Will they make it through OK?The crowd is in suspense.The players all are tense.Now they start to score. The crowd shouts we want more!Soon the score was tied!Edgerton’s coach nearly cried.They got the ball, Whizzed down the floor!A free throw thenAnother score!Come on Hills! They’re three points ahead.If you don’t make it, I’ll drop dead!The coach hitches up his britches, The referees call a tech,They now have two free shots to shootAnd miss each one, by heck!Somewhere the sun is shining, But Hills High fans are blue, Because we have just lost the game.Sixty-one to sixty-two."75 years ago (1930)"Sigrid Sather left Saturday night for the Twin Cities, where she has accepted a position as nurse."100 years ago (1905)"K.K. Hellie sold to John Qualley last week a bill of lumber for a large dwelling to be erected on his fine farm."

I would like to say hats off and three cheers to the NFL and executives at ABC. After last year’s major half-time blunder with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, they got it right this year.Instead of parading young lip-syncing pop stars onto a stage to do poorly choreographed dance moves, they opted to give the microphone to a man who not only sang with a backup tape but actually played two different instruments. That man was ex-Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.I attended a Super Bowl party at my parents’ house in Madison, SD. The ages of those in attendance ranged from 2 to 54. Although the first half of the game was close and both teams played well, many at the party opted to eat, chat or play other games while the Patriots worked on their victory. Moments after Sir McCartney began singing "Baby you can Drive my Car," the entire room fell silent and all eyes were on the television.There were goose bumps, a few tears and many claps throughout the performance especially when he started the first verse of "Hey Jude." Those songs, so familiar to every generation for the past forty years, saved the half-time show.Last year I hosted a Super Bowl party. I admit that second at the end of the halftime show did bring the room of men to silence, but it was for the wrong reason. It was disbelief. We wanted to know if what happened had been done on purpose or had it really been a wardrobe malfunction?How could these entertainers have needed publicity so badly that they would resort to flashing during a live public event?Wouldn’t it be better if their publicity could be about their talents, instead of their stunts?A visit to halftimes pastThe NFL Web site has compiled a list of all entertainers who have performed during the Super Bowl Pregame, the National Anthem and during halftime starting with Super Bowl I in 1966.I consulted this list to see if there had ever been an NFL halftime event planner smart enough to just hire talented musicians and let them entertain.Apparently they hadn’t figured that out until this year. I found that wardrobe malfunctions were not the only thing plaguing this event.In the first years, sports fans were entertained by collegiate marching bands at halftime. During Super Bowl IV they let Carol Channing take over as the first celebrity guest.Over the next 20-plus years, event planners decided themes would entertain the millions watching the game at home.Examples include, "200 Years and Just a Baby" a tribute to America’s Bicentennial and several salutes, "A World of Children’s Dreams" and "Super Bowl XVIII’s salute to the superstars of the Silver Screen."These tributes and salutes were performed by an assortment of celebrities, big bands and the old football standard, the college marching band.For the 25th half-time show, planners clearly targeted a new younger market by bringing pop boy band of the moment New Kids on the Block.This trend continued throughout the 1990s. Usually a list of three to five pop stars with albums to promote would uneasily bounce around the stage together. It was during this time that other television networks and pay-per-view television began competing for half-time viewers.The only exception was in 2002 at Super Bowl XXXVI when U2 performed in front of a screen scrolling the names of the victims from the tragedies on Sept. 11.Hopefully the ratings and feedback from Sunday’s show will be good enough for NFL executives to realize the importance of hiring quality entertainers. Not only does it keep them from dealing with embarrassing wardrobe malfunction lawsuits but also it keeps fans happy.A list of performers can be found at www.superbowl.com/features/entertainment/entertainment-honorroll.Commen… or story ideas can be emailed to lexim@star-herald.com or called in to 283-2333 or 962-3561.

We have a new family who have moved into Hills Saturday. They are Tom and Elizabeth Ranfranz, who moved here from Rochester. They have four children. Anthony is a second grader, Alana is in the first grade, Maria is two years old and Olivia is one year old. Elizabeth’s parents live in Rochester and Tom’s parents are residents of Flandreau, S.D. Elizabeth has a position as Health Unit Coordinator at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls and Tom works out of his home. They are making their home in the former Bud and Ione Bush residence.Harold Farnsworth and friend have rented the Mark DeBoer residence on the corner of 2nd St. and Central Ave. He works for Pipe and Products in Sioux Falls and he comes to Hills from Canton, S.D.Carter Ray, infant son of Eric and Melisa Abels, was baptized Sunday morning at services at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Sponsors were Melisa’s sister, Jackie Kuchta, Yankton, S.D., and Eric’s brother, Scott Abels, Rushmore, S.D. Other guests in their home were the grandparents and great-grandfather Abel from Rushmore. The Abels also have a daughter, Michaela. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson returned home Tuesday after spending a busy weekend in the Cities. Friday they went to Eden Prairie and with Anna and Mike Gilman attended Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, where they enjoyed Cole Porter’s "Anything Goes." They also got to see their grandson, Jens Gilman, play basketball. Sunday they went to church, where Krista Gilman served as an acolyte. In the afternoon they visited Hans and Susan and family. In the evening they had a visit with Wendell’s brother, Charles and wife, Mary. Then from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday they attended the retirement party for Ed Burdick, former Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives when Wendell served in the Legislature. There were many former members present. Mr. Burdick has ties with Hills, as his brother, Ed Burdick, was the husband of Sally Thompson. Sally was the daughter of the Merle Thompson’s of Hills. Chas and Naomi Erickson also attended the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.Cliff and Vi VanWyhe visited Saturday afternoon at the home of her brother and wife, Merven and Donna Warner, in Larchwood, Iowa.Beth Sandager came from Herrick, S.D., and is spending some time in the home of her parents, Sheldon and Ellie Sandager. Joan Velasquez. Mendota Heights, spent from Tuesday until Sunday morning visiting her father, Arnold Swanson, who had been hospitalized in Sioux Falls. Arnold was transferred from the hospital and is now recuperating at Tuff Memorial Home. Mark and Karen Sandager had Mark’s mother, Fran Sandager, as their dinner guest Sunday. They then went to Sioux Falls to see the showing of "The Coral Reef Adventure," which was at Washington Pavilion Cine Dome.Ella Juffer, fell at her apartment, breaking a hipbone. She underwent surgery in Sioux Falls.Chuck and Rheta DeBoer visited Saturday in the home of Henry P. and Maryann Van Bemmel in Rock Valley, Iowa. Don Schouwenburg was admitted to the Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls where he is undergoing tests. Don and Phyllis are living in Luverne but were former residents of Hills.

Groundhog Day was last week and, yes, he saw his shadow, which tells us that we will have six more weeks of winter. Now that isn’t too bad, as we have already had one week, leaving us five weeks until spring! If all the weeks are as nice as this past week, I don’t think we will care what they call it as we will be thinking spring!As much as I hate to admit it, I am ready to start cleaning house. I also love getting out-of-doors without my coat, watching the birds, smelling the early flowers and watching the green grass make its first appearance. I feel like I have been let out of my cage and am now free!Orrin and Bernice Aukes were Friday night guests in the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Christy Aukes, Larchwood, Iowa, in honor of Christy’s and their son, Logan’s, birthdays.Sunday afternoon guests in the Orrin and Bernice Aukes home were Dan Aukes, Hills, and Amy Fopma, Sioux Falls.Steen Senior Citizens had their February meeting in the Steen Community Building. Cards and games were played. Lunch was served by Otto and Bernice Bouma. Sunday afternoon visitor in the Henrietta Huenink home was her daughter, Norma VanWyhe, from Lester, Iowa.Sunday dinner guests in the Ron and Cheryl Hup home were their granddaughter, Leah Hup, Ron’s parents, Dick and Gert Hup, and Melba Boeve. Noon luncheon guests in the Jo Aykens home on Monday were Laurie Kurtz and Mackenzie, Orange City, Iowa, and Joyce Aykens, Worthington. February 22-26 is National FFA week. The creed speaker this year for H-BC is Brittany Boeve, daughter of Larry and Lois Boeve of Beaver Creek. She participated in the Region 6 creed contest in Worthington on Jan. 6 and placed 9th in the region. Congratulations to her. Melba Boeve and her son, Brian, enjoyed supper together Friday evening in Sioux Falls in observance of his birthday. Gym night with Dads will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. There will be games, food and fun. It is open to all faculty and families and H-BC students and families.The Hills Christian School will have their annual soup and pie supper from 5 until 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at the school. There will be a freewill offering. Gert Hup was admitted to Luverne Community Hospital last Sunday afternoon. She was able to return home on Tuesday. Congratulations to Sue Baker and Howard Vis who were united in marriage on Saturday, Feb. 5, at First Reformed Church in Sioux Falls. Many of us listened to the president’s inaugural address this past week. I know there has been criticism and comments about his stand on the Social Security issue, and I know it will not be acceptable to the younger generation especially. However, those of us who grew up in the "Dirty ’30s" and Depression era learned early in life that money was hard to come by. If one needed or wanted something that needed to be purchased, you were on your own when it came to paying for it.I remember I saved pennies and put them in a round candy box. I am sure my dad had to give them to me, as I was too young to work. When I did work in a grocery store, I went to work at 8 a.m. and worked until closing. I received $5 for the day. Consequently, I was pretty careful how I spent it. Money was very had to come by, even for working men. My father, who farmed, applied for a job maintaining the road. When asked how much he wanted to be paid, he said $1 an hour. The man who was interviewing him answered, "No man is worth $1 an hour!" That was the end of that.I could go on and on about how precious money was to everyone during those years. However, I found an article titled, "Pungent Points," which has a good message for us."We cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.We cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.We cannot help small men by tearing down big men.We cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.We cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than our income.We cannot further the brotherhood of man by including class hatred.We cannot have sound security on borrowed money. We cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.We cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they should and could do for themselves."

If you’re looking for an unusual vacation, why not try Sing Sing prison? It might be a perfect destination for tourists who feel guilty about taking time off from their everyday lives and have an inexplicable need to be punished for having a good time. The dark, imposing prison, according to Reuters, is located on the Hudson River about 30 miles north of New York City and is still active. Many of its 1,745 inmates are held in maximum security, which leads us to believe they’re not in there for insider trading or other white-collar crimes. Local officials in Westchester County hope to receive start-up costs of about $5 million from the state to convert the prison’s old powerhouse into a museum and build a tunnel to the original cellblock, no longer in use. At least 150,000 tourists a year are expected to take the trip "up the river". Jerry Mulligan, a planning commissioner and a spokesman for the project, recently noted, "It could be the Alcatraz of the east. This could trigger a whole wave of tourism." Actually, the prison renovation plan could either "trigger a whole wave of tourism" or a crime wave, depending on whether you’re talking to Westchester County’s director of tourism or potential victims in nearby Ossining, N.Y. Inmates will undoubtedly relish the idea of the new underground tunnel. It could serve as a convenient exit for prisoners unwilling to dig one of their own with only a spoon over a span of several, painstaking years. It would be a perfect answer for prisoners longing for the bright lights, big city. In much the same way that inmates were recruited to build the original cellblock in 1825, it is hoped that present inmates might work in the prison museum. However, the planners should be reminded that prisoners in 1825 were there before the days of grand theft auto and drug cartels. They were a comparatively easy-going group of felons, guilty of horse stealing, stagecoach holdups, bank robberies, claim jumpings or piracy on the high seas. They were the stuff of today’s adventure movies. Many of the hardened criminals are there now because of domestic terrorism, serial murders and drug dealing. They tend to be not very nice people and you certainly wouldn’t want them to be chit-chatting with your daughters in the prison gift shop. You would be understandably leery about them handling your credit card numbers at the shop’s cash register or serving as tour guides through the prison’s new tunnel. On the other hand, a prison-based vacation spot might unlock other possibilities. The old cellblock could be turned into a bed and breakfast with chain-suspended cots for beds. We might expect to see an indoor amusement park, complete with exciting rides. After all, what could be more thrilling or chilling than a roller coaster ride operated by convicted killers who like to hear people scream? A prison-themed restaurant for tourists might offer barberry pies, Big House Bagels and Slammer Sirloins. A special dining attraction could feature hamburgers and steaks grilled to perfection on "Old Sparky", the prison’s infamous electric chair. But let’s not stop there. If the prison tourism project becomes highly profitable, why not release all of the convicts to the streets and make room for more attractions?

By Lori EhdeLuverne School Board members accepted an offer by the elementary booster club, Parents: Partners in Education, to fund swimming lessons for the next two years."I want to thank PPIE for all the work they’ve done on this," said board member Vicki Baartman, who made the motion to accept the offer."From what I’m hearing there’s a real focus in education on wellness, and what better way to get exercise than swimming? It would be prudent for us to take advantage of this."Board member Colleen Deutsch seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.For about 25 years, Luverne elementary students have had the opportunity to take swimming lessons as part of the elementary school health curriculum.The district bused students to the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center and paid $12.50 for each student's two-weeks of swimming instruction.Luverne School Board members cut the program starting with the 2004-05 school year as part of its overall effort to trim the budget.The measure represented roughly $3,000 in savings to the district per year.Recognizing the value of the program, PPIE offered last fall to pay for the 2004-05 swimming program through its fund-raising budget.School administration and board members, however, declined the offer, because a one-time funding of the program wouldn’t help for future years.So, PPIE turned to other sources to fund the program for two years.PPIE member Katie Baustian presented board members with the information at their meeting Thursday, Jan. 27.To fund the program for the next two years at a total of $6,800, she said PPIE has agreed to give $4,100, with the rest coming from interested donors.For example, the city of Luverne approved $750 and Sioux Valley Physicians and Luverne Optimist Club offered $500 apiece.Elementary physical education teacher Dan Amborn encouraged the board to accept the money."It’s an incredible program that’s wonderful for the kids," he said. "It’s giving them an opportunity to do something that some of them wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to do."He said future funding of the program won’t likely be an issue, since most parents pay up to $25 for two weeks of lessons in the summer, and this program requires $12.50 per student, plus busing to the pool."From what I’m hearing, there’s a multitude of parents willing to pay the $12.50 plus $12.50 to adopt another kid," Amborn said."There’s no doubt that if you use the money available now, this program will flourish on donations alone."The board’s decision to accept funding for the program will ensure swimming lessons will continue for the next two years.If the public is interested in supporting the swimming program or other PPIE projects, they can contact PPIE president Kayla Jarchow, 449-4745.

By Sara QuamA Luverne man accused of theft and possession of stolen property is out on bond. Terry Hoffman, 37, has pleaded not guilty to the seven charges of grand theft against him in South Dakota. He hasn’t entered a plea in Rock County, but charges are pending here for 12 counts of possession of stolen property.He is in Luverne now, but signed a waiver of extradition to return to South Dakota for upcoming court dates in Minnehaha County.Hoffman was arrested Dec. 8 when three search warrants uncovered allegedly stolen items such as snowmobiles, a boat, a pickup, a sport utility vehicle, a camper, an all- terrain vehicle, a trailer and vehicle parts.When questioned, he allegedly admitted to investigators that he possessed the items and knew they were stolen.Hoffman owns a vehicle restoration business and was publisher of Vintage Snowmobile magazine.The initial tip came Oct. 22 from Brandon, S.D., where a suspicious Chevy Tahoe of Hoffman’s was being stored at the home of his brother and sister-in-law, Randy and Joni Hoffman.The ongoing investigation and initial search warrants included personnel from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Brandon Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and National Insurance Crime Bureau.