Here we are in the middle of the holiday season and would you believe the weatherman has been very good to us. We have had some very cool temperatures and with a strong wind blowing, making it very uncomfortable to stay out-of-doors for any length of time. The roads have remained in very good driving condition making it possible for everyone to be with their friends and family for Christmas. I think we have been one of the very few places in the United States where the weather has been goodHere’s hoping we can remain on the good side of the weatherman at least until our New Year has been properly welcomed.How many of you remember Otto and Mamie Paulsen and their family? Last Saturday evening I received a telephone call from Mary Clair (Moser) Paulsen whose name now is Mary Klienjon who lives in Arizona for the winters. I haven’t heard from her for many years. Consequently we had about an hour visit to catch up on many and various things. She also wanted to tell me she always reads my column on the Internet. Christmas Day dinner guests in the Melvin Paulsen home were Mark Paulsen and family from Marshall, Glen Paulsen and family from Sioux Falls and Laura Paulsen from Hills. Wednesday evening, Dec. 29, an all-church Christmas party for Steen Reformed Church was at the Luverne Pizza Ranch. There was a gift exchange for adults only. Bernice and Orrin Aukes spent Christmas at the home of their daughter Mary and husband Steve Willers in Albert Lea. Darrell Bosch, Blacksburg, Va., spent Christmas at the home of his parents, Bill and Bertha Bosch in Steen. Guests in the Jo Aykens home Christmas Day were Susan Veldkamp and Paul and Carole Aykens, Orange City, Iowa. Christmas Day guests in the Henrietta Huenink home were her children and their families. Delwyn Huenink, who makes his home in Worthington, underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago but has infection in his knee now. We wish him a speedy recovery. Winnie Scholten spent Christmas at the home of Harm and Lola Loverink in Albert Lee. Jane Bonnema was admitted to Luverne Community Hospital on Tuesday. We wish her a speedy recovery. Word has been received here of a death in Yvonne Rozeboom’s family. Howard Hockel, her brother-in-law, died Friday, Dec. 17. Our deepest sympathy goes out to their family.Mildred Paulsen left on Thursday for Ogden, Iowa, where she spent Christmas in the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Carlotte Paulsen and their family. She returned home on Monday. Christmas vacation is flying by rapidly. It will soon be time to think about going back to school. School resumes on Monday, Jan. 3, 2005. It won’t be long now!However, it isn’t only the children that have to go back to their old routine, but all of us have changes to make if nothing more than the change when we write the new year down. I got to thinking about all the changes and when I saw this article by Wilma Dye, I thought it might be fun for all of us to read."As the month of January begins a new year, it begins with a sense of hope, as resolutions are made for the future, plans for improving ourselves, our lives and our world. But as we work toward making changes to reach those goals of personal self-improvement, a happier family, new friendships and a better community and world, let us not forget to include a very important part of the future, our past!When looking toward a better new year, not only do we want to put the mistakes and disappointments of the past year behind us, but remember, as we move forward, to also include our successes of the past year, as well as the joys we shared with family and friends, the accomplishments we made, both personally and professionally, and the experiences, both good and bad, that helped us grow and learn to become better people.January, a new beginning, is a month for celebrating the past as well as the future."Happy New Year!

Here we are in the middle of the holiday season and would you believe the weatherman has been very good to us. We have had some very cool temperatures and with a strong wind blowing, making it very uncomfortable to stay out-of-doors for any length of time. The roads have remained in very good driving condition making it possible for everyone to be with their friends and family for Christmas. I think we have been one of the very few places in the United States where the weather has been goodHere’s hoping we can remain on the good side of the weatherman at least until our New Year has been properly welcomed.How many of you remember Otto and Mamie Paulsen and their family? Last Saturday evening I received a telephone call from Mary Clair (Moser) Paulsen whose name now is Mary Klienjon who lives in Arizona for the winters. I haven’t heard from her for many years. Consequently we had about an hour visit to catch up on many and various things. She also wanted to tell me she always reads my column on the Internet. Christmas Day dinner guests in the Melvin Paulsen home were Mark Paulsen and family from Marshall, Glen Paulsen and family from Sioux Falls and Laura Paulsen from Hills. Wednesday evening, Dec. 29, an all-church Christmas party for Steen Reformed Church was at the Luverne Pizza Ranch. There was a gift exchange for adults only. Bernice and Orrin Aukes spent Christmas at the home of their daughter Mary and husband Steve Willers in Albert Lea. Darrell Bosch, Blacksburg, Va., spent Christmas at the home of his parents, Bill and Bertha Bosch in Steen. Guests in the Jo Aykens home Christmas Day were Susan Veldkamp and Paul and Carole Aykens, Orange City, Iowa. Christmas Day guests in the Henrietta Huenink home were her children and their families. Delwyn Huenink, who makes his home in Worthington, underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago but has infection in his knee now. We wish him a speedy recovery. Winnie Scholten spent Christmas at the home of Harm and Lola Loverink in Albert Lee. Jane Bonnema was admitted to Luverne Community Hospital on Tuesday. We wish her a speedy recovery. Word has been received here of a death in Yvonne Rozeboom’s family. Howard Hockel, her brother-in-law, died Friday, Dec. 17. Our deepest sympathy goes out to their family.Mildred Paulsen left on Thursday for Ogden, Iowa, where she spent Christmas in the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Carlotte Paulsen and their family. She returned home on Monday. Christmas vacation is flying by rapidly. It will soon be time to think about going back to school. School resumes on Monday, Jan. 3, 2005. It won’t be long now!However, it isn’t only the children that have to go back to their old routine, but all of us have changes to make if nothing more than the change when we write the new year down. I got to thinking about all the changes and when I saw this article by Wilma Dye, I thought it might be fun for all of us to read."As the month of January begins a new year, it begins with a sense of hope, as resolutions are made for the future, plans for improving ourselves, our lives and our world. But as we work toward making changes to reach those goals of personal self-improvement, a happier family, new friendships and a better community and world, let us not forget to include a very important part of the future, our past!When looking toward a better new year, not only do we want to put the mistakes and disappointments of the past year behind us, but remember, as we move forward, to also include our successes of the past year, as well as the joys we shared with family and friends, the accomplishments we made, both personally and professionally, and the experiences, both good and bad, that helped us grow and learn to become better people.January, a new beginning, is a month for celebrating the past as well as the future."Happy New Year!

Cypriot housewives came within a soup can from resembling their American counterparts last month. Just in case you’re wondering, that can would have been filled with cream of mushroom soup. Huge swarms of desert locusts reached Cyprus and other eastern Mediterranean countries in early November after the worst infestation recorded in Africa in recent history. The locusts became such a serious problem that the United Nations set up a special Web site with locust-based recipes from around the world. Essentially, the attitude of the site, which pleaded, "Send us your recipes!" was, "If you can’t beat them, eat them." As it turns out, locusts are commonly stir-fried, boiled or roasted. One Cambodian recipe suggested, "Take several dozen locust adults, preferably females, slit the abdomen lengthwise and stuff a peanut inside. Then lightly cook the locusts in a wok, adding a little oil and salt to taste." The obvious question here is not how much oil or salt is enough, but rather how to determine which locusts are female. Without identifying skirts or makeup, aren’t all locusts pretty much the same? Quite surprisingly, none of the recipes mentioned cream of mushroom soup as a perfect taste cover-up. This might be an ideal time for Cypriot homemakers to be introduced to the marvelous soup which, like glue, has been holding American hot dishes together for several generations. Whether the cream of mushroom soups are labeled as salt-free, low-fat, or chunky variety, they all look the same. When you open a can, there’s a sudden musky smell in the air and the grayish-tan condensed soup with a few unidentifiable chunks floating on the top is ready to perform a miracle or two. It’s true. Cream of mushroom soup is a miracle maker. Smothered with cream of mushroom soup and simmered long enough, any undesirable species of animal can work itself at least two links up the food chain. Lawn snails can taste like frogs, snakes can taste like chicken and venison can taste like beef. It’s why most homemakers don’t complain when their family members tramp through forests, swamps and prairies during hunting season, in quest of food for the family fires. Regardless of what game they bring back — a deer, a rabbit, a pheasant or even a raccoon that looked like a deer from a distance –— we trust in the true taste-masking magic of cream of mushroom soup. Of course, as with any wonderful idea, cream of mushroom soup is not without its critics. They will be quick to tell us that the soup is tasteless, boring, unimaginative or even unhealthy. If you’re in doubt, consider these two facts about those bad-mouthing critics. For one thing, any person who would speak derogatorily about something as pure and sweet as cream of mushroom soup will speak the same way about other taste sensations, such as hydrogenated fats or deep-fried doughnuts, dripping with buttery frosting. Secondly, you can be sure those critics have never been handed an abundance of game meats during hunting season. They have never been asked, "Honey, can you make this taste like chicken?"

By Lori EhdeThree fire departments, 10 trucks and nearly 50 fire and rescue personnel responded to a barn and granary fire Monday night in northern Rock County.Craig and Christine Lovett returned home from the Luverne Middle School-High School concert around 8:30 p.m. Monday to find their barn completely engulfed in flames.By the time fire crews arrived, the granary was also on fire.According to Dan Kindt, Hardwick fire chief, gusty winds fanned the flames, making it difficult to control the blaze."The wind didn’t help," he said. "That really fueled it."Fire departments from Hardwick, Jasper and Luverne worked on the blaze.Fire crews remained on the scene four miles north of Hardwick until about 1 a.m., Kindt said, and they went back this morning to check burning embers. "It’s still burning today," he said Tuesday afternoon. "The wind was from the right direction (blowing away from the house), so that helped."Kindt said both buildings were full of hay, and the barn housed some goats, which he speculated were destroyed in the fire.A heat lamp in the barn is the suspected cause of the fire. "When it’s all in the pile like that, it’s hard to say," Kindt said. "But we’re guessing it was electrical."

By Lori EhdeTwo are dead and five others are injured following a single-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 90 Monday.According to the Minnesota State Patrol, seven Worthington residents were traveling westbound on I-90 in a 1996 Chevy Blazer when it left the road at about 12:30 p.m. three miles east of Adrian. Killed in the accident were 43-year-old Amado Garcia Santizo and his wife, Alma Araiza Galineo, 40. He was wearing a seatbelt, and it’s unknown whether she was wearing hers. Both were dead at the scene.Their 21-month-old daughter, Susan Garcia Mazariegos, was taken to Sioux Valley with non-life-threatening injuries.The driver, 21-year-old Felipe Ramos Toledo, was taken to Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls, with head injuries. He had been wearing a seatbelt.His wife, 20-year-old Marilyn Ortiz Rodriguez, was taken to Sioux Valley Hospital with a broken leg. It’s unknown whether she was wearing a seatbelt.Passenger Yarisvett Mendez Borrero, 20, also had a broken leg and was taken to Sioux Valley Hospital. It’s also unknown whether she was wearing a seatbelt.Her daughter, Yasmin Adali Lopez Mendez, unknown age, was taken to Sioux Valley with non-life-threatening injuries.Roads were frost-covered that morning, but State Patrol information didn’t indicate whether those conditions contributed to the accident.

By Sara QuamNewcomers to the city of Luverne will have a warm welcome if the originators of a new program have their way.Beth Bartels and Becky Feikema approached the Economic Development Director with the idea of a new sort of "welcome wagon" for Luverne.They plan to call it Hometown Greetings and will start it in January.The idea came from a friend of the two women who works with a similar program in Tea, S.D.Bartels looked back at her moving experience to town and thought it was something she would have appreciated.Bartels said the welcome packet is a wonderful way for businesses to reach new customers. She said, "There are over 300 businesses in Luverne, and I almost can’t believe it. People don’t know the kinds of services or businesses that are right here."Feikema actually lives outside the city but said she is happy to be a part of making Luverne a more welcoming place."I’ve lived here for four years and I’m still learning new things about Luverne," Feikema said.The city of Luverne is sponsoring the program with EDA director Jill Wolf coordinating much of it. The city will share lists of newcomers through new utility hookups. Before now, people new to town had to pick up their own packet at the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce. Many people didn’t even know there was a packet or that they had to pick one up.Also, some people, even non-Luverne residents, would repeatedly pick up the packets to take advantage of coupons or discounts inside.Hometown Greetings is a welcome service to Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce Director Dave Smith, who didn’t have the time to personally deliver welcome packets to new residents."We think it’s a good thing to personally call on newcomers and it’s one thing the Chamber has been lacking," Smith said.Businesses will receive letters from the Chamber and the city of Luverne about participation in the new program. As a side note to Hometown Greetings, the same people may start a newcomers club. It would meet quarterly and introduce new residents to each other and to certain highlights of the community.

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council will vote next week on forming a new Law Enforcement Study Committee. The city has a list of interested members including Keith Aanenson, Ron McClure, Ed Elbers, Mike Reker, Lila Bauer, Mike Jarchow, Steve Perkins, Julie Hamann, Loren Forrest, Marlene DeSplinter, Mike Cox and Gregg Gropel.The committee will probably start meeting after the holidays and make a recommendation to the Council in February. The committee will help review the current law enforcement contract and surrounding issues of services and costs. It will also look at options for the city to form its own police department if the county and city can’t agree on a new contract.The city’s contract for law enforcement through the county ends at the end of 2005.Animal poundThe Luverne City Council is still considering closing its animal pound. It costs the city about $6,000 or $7,000 a year to enforce animal ordinances in the city.The problem is that many dogs aren’t licensed as they are required to be. Many of the dogs (and unlicensed cats) that are brought to the pound aren’t even from the city.The Council may try to get more people to license their dogs and may consider licensing cats. In order to save money, the city may also accept only licensed dogs at the pound. Then the city would have a way to find owners.City Administrator Greg LaFond said, "It’s difficult, given the lack of licensing compliance, to know where the owners live." Sheriff Mike Winkels said that his officers can’t enforce ordinances if they don’t have a place to take animals.He said, "If the city wouldn’t accept cats, we would inform the public that we won’t pick them up."Councilman Pat Baustian said he was leaning toward the option of allowing only licensed animals in the pound. He said that would be a good incentive for people to get licensing up to date. It would offset the cost of maintaining a pound by gaining revenue from licenses, and fewer dogs would be put to sleep because owners couldn’t be found.Many people don’t realize dogs have to be licensed every two years.Last year, about 17 cats and dogs were impounded. In 2003, 26 dogs were impounded.There are roughly 60 dogs licensed in the city, but an estimated 400 are not.

By Sara QuamLuverne City Council members told Rock County Board members last week they hope to work out an agreement for the costs of county contract law enforcement. In a message to the County Board, City Administrator Greg LaFond said, "We want to come to some agreement on law enforcement."The Luverne City Council passed a resolution last week to pay one-quarter of the city’s contract law enforcement costs, $124,975. The remainder will be set aside in a special law enforcement account.Going by the contract that the city is still under, the county said it should be paid in full — as it had in years past.In total, the county asked for $669,000 for both dispatching and law enforcement. The city is out of its joint powers agreement for dispatching as of Dec. 31.Even so, it passed a resolution to contribute $20,000 to dispatching.The county rolled dispatching costs into law enforcement for 2005 in order to try to recoup money from the city’s cancelled dispatching agreement. David Hauge said, "On one hand it’s not quite what they requested, but on the other hand it shows we’ll pay something."LaFond said, "The city still has the position that dispatch was terminated and we’re not paying for it. … But $20,000 isn’t insignificant and it reflects a commitment on the part of the city."

By Sara QuamTerry Hoffman was transferred to Minnehaha County Jail Tuesday and is still held there on $100,000 bond.He’s already been charged in Rock County for 12 counts of thefts, and he’s about to be charged with three counts of theft in South Dakota.Rock County Investigator Jeff Weineke said evidence is still being gathered on the 36-year-old Luverne man who is accused of stealing and using or selling various vehicles.One more charge is likely, he said, and possibly more because evidence is still being sorted.Personnel from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Brandon (S.D.) Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and National Insurance Crime Bureau were involved in three search warrants Dec. 8.The searches uncovered stolen items starting as early as 2001, including: oa 32-foot flatbed gooseneck trailer from Dressen Custom Trailers in Brandon; oa 2005 Arctic Cat all-terrain vehicle from Sioux International in Sioux Falls; oa 1987 backhoe tractor from Barney’s Auto Salvage in Sioux Falls; oa 2002 Chevrolet Silverado taken from Papik Motors in Luverne; otwo 2002 Arctic Cat Mountain Cat snowmobiles from Worthington Sports Center; oa 2002 Arctic Cat ZR120 snowmobile from Leo’s Snow Sports in Fairmont; oa 5.3 liter Chevy engine from a Silverado pickup from Lithia Motors in Sioux Falls; oa Larson Boat from Action Sports in Marshall; oa 2003 Chevy Avalanche from Lithia in Sioux Falls and a 2002 Chevy Tahoe from Lithia.A combined maximum of 90 years in prison is possible, but it’s unusual for judges to sentence a maximum penalty.