10 years ago (1994)"The Magnolia and Luverne school boards officially approved Cooperation and Combination between the two districts in a joint meeting Monday.The 25 people attending the meeting gave the two boards a round of applause after they had, in separate action, unanimously endorsed a formal agreement."25 years ago (1979)"Luverne Planning and Zoning Commission will be studying a proposal to control traffic by the Luverne Elementary School.Edward Salzer, principal, and Nori Welch, school board member, attended the city council meeting Tuesday to discuss the proposal."50 years ago (1954)"Rock County was third among 87 counties in the state in the sales of U.S. Savings bonds for the period January to March, it was announced this week.A total of $151,455 in savings bonds was sold in Rock County during this three month period which represents 43.6 percent of the 1954 goal for the county."75 years ago (1929)"Special vaudeville programs, by home talent under the direction of Mrs. Maude Jochims, will be presented next Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Palace Theatre, under the auspices of Dell-Hogan Post 122, American Legion. In addition to the vaudeville a famous screen production, ‘The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City’ will also be presented each night.’Thirty Luverne people will take part in the vaudeville offering, which will consist of six big acts. These will include snappy songs, peppy dances, black-face skits and beautiful Broadway chorus girl numbers."100 years ago (1904)"John Connell, of the City Drug store, completed arrangements the first of the week to open a drug store at Hardwick and the work necessary to equip the store has begun. The store will be located in the old bank building and Mr. Connell will put in a complete line of drugs, paints, oils and in short, everything usually found in an up-to-date drug store."

Tax-Forfeited lands sale set for May 11NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF TAX-FORFEITED LANDSNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the parcels of land described in List of Tax-Forfeited Land that is contained herein shall be sold to the highest bidder at public sale. The sale will be governed by the provisions of M.S. 282.01 and by the resolution of the Rock County Board of Commissioners authorizing the sale. The resolution reads as follows:BE IT RESOLVED, That all parcels of tax-forfeited land on List of Tax-Forfeited Land be classified as nonconservation land; that the basic sale price of each parcel on List of Tax-Forfeited Land, that is on file with the Clerk of the County Board, be approved and authorization for a public sale of this land be granted, pursuant to M.S. 282.01; that the sale will be held at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday May 11, 2004, by the Rock County Auditor-Treasurer at the Rock County Courthouse, for not less than the basic sale price; and that all sales shall be full payment or on the terms set forth on List of Tax-Forfeited Land.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the conditions and terms of the public sale shall be as described in the list contained herein and approved by the Rock County Board of Commissioners.Information about the sale of tax-forfeited land in Rock County can be obtained at the office of the County Auditor-Treasurer, Rock County Courthouse, 204 East Brown Street, Luverne, Minnesota 56156. Telephone: (507) 283-5060.Given under my hand and official seal at Luverne Minnesota, this 19th day of April, 2004./s/ Gloria F. RolfsGloria F. RolfsRock County Auditor-TreasurerLIST OF TAX FORFEITED LAND FOR PUBLIC SALE ASSESSMENTSMUNICIPALITY/ BEFOREADDRESS PID VALUE FORFEITURETOWN OF CLINTONThe North 125 feet of Lot 1, 03-0221-000 $ 500.00 67160 $ 294.00Kitterman’s Addition to theUnincorporated Village ofAsh Creek, County of Rock,MinnesotaSpecials After Forfeiture .00Basic Sale Price $ 500.00CITY OF LUVERNE316 Pine DriveLot Nine (9) in Block One (1) 20-2033-000 $9,800.00 20213 $5,609.18to Sybesma Subdivision tothe City of Luverne, MinnesotaSpecials After Forfeiture .00Basic Sale Price $9,800.001111Cherry DriveLot Fourteen (14) in Block 20-2038-000 $9,800.00 20213 $5,609.18One (1) to Sybesma Sub-division to the City of Luverne, MinnesotaSpecials After Forfeiture .00Basic Sale Price $9,800.00(4-22, 4-29)

9:00 AMRock County Courthouse April 6, 2004Chair Jarchow called the meeting to order with all Commissioners present. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to approve the April 6, 2004 County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the March 23, 2004 County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the following consent agenda with an addition (#4), declared carried on a voice vote. 1. Foster Care Licensing – Richard and Cheryl Pavel2. FSA Contract # 102-211-04 with Southwestern Mental Health Center to provide Rule 79 Mental Health Case management services to adults with severe and persistent mental illness. Contract effective 5-1-04 to 4-30-05.3. Rock County Housing Preservation Grant Repayment Agreement and Lien for a parcel located in the Original Plat to the City of Hills, Lots 8 & 9 in Blk 10.4. Additional deferred comp provider – Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. Troy Larsen, Representative of the Lewis & Clark Project and Dan Cook, Rock County Rural Water Manager presented a project update stating that they had received federal funding for 2004 of $17 million, roughly half of what they had requested. They also stated that $17.5 million is budgeted in the presidential budget for 2005, again, half of the amount being requested. Mr. Larsen and Mr. Cook briefly reviewed the commitment agreement that was originally signed in 1993 and are looking to present a new commitment agreement. Currently, there is no deadline in obtaining this agreement but they anticipate it to be in the late summer or fall of 2004. Mr. Cook requested to pay the Lewis & Clark third quarter dues payment of $8,488.95; motion by Boyenga, seconded Hoime, to authorize the payment, declared carried on a voice vote. Mike Winkels, Sheriff, presented Greg Lingen as the newly promoted Sergeant in the Rock County Sheriff’s Office. The County Board congratulated Mr. Lingen on his promotion.Gloria Rolfs, Auditor/Treasurer, requested approval of the Commissioner’s per diems of $525.00 and payment of claims; motion by Bakken, seconded by Boyenga, to pay the claims and per diems, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of the claims is available by request at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office. General $20,008.47LEC 1,539.33Road & Bridge 19,911.15Welfare 22,717.75Landfill 12,532.12TOTAL $76,708.82Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to approve the fund balance report, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Bakken, to change the following County Board meeting dates, declared carried on a voice vote. oApril 20th moves to April 19thoAugust 17th moves to August 24thoNovember 2nd moves to November 9thoNovember 16th moves to November 23rdRandy Ehlers, Family Services Agency Director and Ona Reker, FSA Fiscal Supervisor I presented a federal participation for Human Services review, which indicated the federal reimbursements that Rock County receives on different activities/programs. They also discussed medical assistance for Mental Retardation Funding. The potential cost overruns on current commitments would be $270,000 in the year 2004. Mr. Ehlers stated that he would be meeting with state representatives on April 14th to resolve this issue. The County Board reviewed the Children’s Justice Initiative video and Mr. Ehlers explained that all parents with children in the court process would view the video. Mark Sehr, Engineer and Allen Hartz, Shop Foreman and Mechanic presented the following bid for a new snowplow truck and a heavy duty truck with snow blower; (only one bid was received for each item)o4 x 4 All Wheel Drive Plow Chassis MacQueen Equipment, Inc. $254,211.00 o4 x 4 Heavy Duty Truck with Snow BlowerMacQueen Equipment, Inc $291,752.00Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Hoime, to approve the bids from MacQueen Equipment with internal financing to be taken care of out of the Road and Bridge reserve fund, declared carried on a voice vote. Also authorized as part of the motion, to authorize the supplemental equipment for the 4 x 4 All Wheel Drive Plow Chassis of $19,354.25 to be taken from the 2004 Maintenance account. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Wildung, to re-assign the duties of (1) LMO Technician to Engineering Technician effective 04/06/04, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Boyenga, to negotiate the recycling contract and MSW hauling with Ketterling Sanitation Services, Inc. through December 31, 2005, declared carried on a voice vote.The County Board discussed land use fees for Wind Turbines. The fees schedule will be based on the plate production of each tower for $750.00 per mega watt. Motion by Boyenga, seconded Bakken, to approve and amend the fees schedule to $750.00 per mega watt of name plate capacity on wind turbines, declared carried on a voice vote. Eric Hartman Land Management Office Director informed the County Board that he would be attending a research plot meeting on April 12th. Motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to direct the Planning & Zoning Committee as the board responsible to conduct public input hearings on behalf of the County Board for feedlot permitting, declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board was informed of a Waste to Energy meeting on April 16th. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to enter into a contract with Minnesota West for HazMat training, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Hoime, seconded by Wildung, to authorize shift differential compensation for the Sergeant position in the Sheriff’s Office, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to appoint Tim Anderson to the Planning & Zoning Committee and to send a thank-you letter to Randy Creeger for his services on that committee, declared carried on a voice vote.The County Board conduced a joint meeting with the Luverne Public School Board and City of Luverne Representatives Dan Statema and Ben Vander Kooi. The City of Luverne requested authorization from the School Board and County Board of a resolution authorizing tax exempt land (9 acres) currently located in the Gold’n Plump site to be moved over to properties identified as the Tri-State properties in the City of Luverne. Motion by Boyenga, seconded Wildung, to approve a sub-zone resolution to authorize tax exemptions as corrected (Rock County Resolution No. 13-04), declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, to congratulate the Economic Director Dan Statema and his staff on the successful work they did in bringing the new business to Luverne and would welcome the opportunity to collaborate on future opportunities as they are presented, declared carried on a voice vote. Commissioner Boyenga informed the board that he had attended the Solid Waste meeting and will be attending the Annual Southwestern Mental Health meeting on April 14th. Commissioner Bakken stated that he had met with Midwest Wireless regarding cell phone coverage on the western portion of Rock County and that he felt the meeting had been very productive. Commissioner Hoime informed the board that he had attended the Planning & Zoning meeting and that they had tabled a conditional use permit until additional information could be obtained. Commissioner Hoime attended a meeting regarding building issues at the Law Enforcement Center and that issue would be coming to the County Board for further discussion and the Energy Task Force meeting. With no further business to come before the board, the meeting was declared adjourned. Bob Jarchow, Chairman of the BoardATTEST:Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board(4-22)

MARCH 25, 2004MINUTES 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 Middle/High School Library on Thursday, March 25, 2004, at 7:30 p.m.The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Dan Kopp, Cary Radisewitz, Steve Tofteland and Becky Walgrave. Bill Stegemann was absent. Also present: Superintendent Vince Schaefer, Marlene Mann, Gary Fisher, Melody Tenhoff, Stacy Gillette, Dan Amborn, Jerry Jensen, Delaine Jensen, Diana Erickson, and Lori Ehde, Rock County Star Herald.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Becky Walgrave. Mr. Schaefer gave announcements. Motion by Kopp, second by Radisewitz, to approve the agenda. Motion unanimously carried. Diana Erickson, Business Education teacher, presented information regarding Business Education in the High School.Administrative reports were given.Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to approve the consent agenda to include the school board minutes of March 12, 2004. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Bryan, to receive the Student Activity Report showing the balances as of February 29, 2004. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Tofteland, to approve payment of the district bills as presented in the amount of $954,432.92. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Radisewitz, to approve Policy 514 – Bullying Prohibition Policy as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Bryan, to approve Policy 532 – Use of Peace Officers and Crisis Teams to Remove Students with IEPs from School Grounds as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Tofteland, second by Bryan, to table action on Policy 606.03 – Internet Acceptable Use Policy. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to approve the Business Education Guide for Direct Instruction (Curriculum Guide) as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Bryan, to approve a contract with Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative for Internet access service at a cost of $26,351.45 each year beginning June 1, 2004, through June 30, 2007. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Kopp, to approve the Adult Basic Education Consortium Agreement. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Tofteland, second by Deutsch, to table action on the Technology Plan. Motion unanimously carried. Superintendent Schaefer informed the School Board that we have received unofficial notice of no new funding for education another two years; and, there are several added No Child Left Behind Act and new State standards requirements that do not have any additional funding provided for them. Business Manager Marlene Mann presented information regarding the revised budget for the 2003-2004 school year and a finance report. It was also noted that the Title I funding the district receives will be less next year. Discussion was held regarding how to approach budget cuts in the amount of $300,000 to $350,000. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve the revised budget showing total revenues in the amount of $11,654,894.00 and total expenditures in the amount of $11,985,085.00. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Tofteland, second by Kopp, to approve Chris Nowatzki as Head Boys and Girls Golf Coach at $3906.00 and John Oksness as Assistant Boys and Girls Golf Coach at $2580.00. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Deutsch, to approve Isaac Schmidt as volunteer Baseball coach. Motion unanimously carried. Committee reports were given.The upcoming meeting dates were reviewed. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Kopp, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: March 25, 2004Colleen Deutsch, Clerk(4-22)

APRIL 6, 2004MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.A special meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the Law Library of the Rock County Courthouse on Tuesday, April 6, 2004, at 12:00 p.m. The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Dan Kopp, Bill Stegemann, Steve Tofteland and Becky Walgrave. Cary Radisewitz was absent. Also present: Superintendent Vince Schaefer and Dan Statema.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Becky Walgrave. Dan Statema, Luverne Community Economic Development Director, presented information regarding the JOBZ zones and the former Tri-State Insurance building. Motion by Dan Kopp, second by Bill Stegemann, to approve the following resolution:SUB-ZONE RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE TAX EXEMPTIONSWHEREAS job creation, business development, and individual wealth growth in Luverne, Minnesota, have been less than the national and state averages; and, WHEREAS the resulting affects of such lagging job creation, business development, and individual wealth growth have harmed and are forecasted to continue to harm the economy of Luverne; and,WHEREAS the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) Program created in Minnesota Session Laws 2003, 1st Special Session, Chapter 21, Article 1, allows for the formation of tax free zones; and WHEREAS an application for tax free zone designation in Luverne, Minnesota is being prepared for submission to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development via the Southwest Regional Development Commission. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY LUVERNE BOARD OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184 OF LUVERNE, MINNESOTA, that the Luverne Board of ISD #2184 at its meeting held on the 6th day of April 2004, upon careful consideration and review, approves the specific areas designated in the application for tax free zones, approves of the use of tax exemptions and tax credits within the designated zones (subject to proper review and approval by the other appropriate taxing authorities within the zones), and encourages the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to approve the Tax Free Zone Application being submitted by the Southwest Regional Development Commission. Specifically the School District No. 2184 approves the transfer of 9 acres to Lot 1, Block 1, Tri-State Addition to the City of Luverne from the Southwest corner of parcel #20-2134-000 (south 9 acres) to further promote job growth. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Luverne IDS Board #2184 agrees to provide all of the local tax exemptions and credits required and provided for under the Job Opportunity Building Zones (JOBZ) Legislation and agrees to forego the tax benefits resulting from the local and state tax exemptions and credits provided under the Job Opportunity Building Zones (JOBZ) Legislation.ADOPTED BY THE LUVERNE BOARD OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, this 6th day of April, 2004.Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Kopp, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: April 6, 2004Colleen Deutsch, Clerk(4-22)

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALETHE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:DATE OF MORTGAGE: December 27, 2001ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $40,800.00MORTGAGOR(S): Sharon J. Kinsinger and Michael J. Kinsinger, Wife and husband MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: recorded January 2, 2002, Rock County Recorder, Document No. 151857LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: The South 75 feet of Lot 4 in Block 9, in Barck, Adams and Howe’s Addition to the City of LuverneCOUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: RockAMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $39,504.99THAT all pre-foreclosure requirements have been complied with; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: June 10, 2004, 10:00 A.M.PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Main Office, West Side Sheriff Dept., Front Step, Luverne, MNto pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys fees allowed by law, subject to redemption within six months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s) their personal representatives or assigns. "THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 582.032 DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN 5 UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED. Dated: April 9, 2004Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.MortgageeSHAPIRO & NORDMEYER, L.L.P.BY /s/ Nancy A. NordmeyerNancy A. NordmeyerLawrence P. ZielkeCraig M. BarbeeAttorneys for Mortgagee7300 Metro Blvd. Suite 390Edina, MN 55439-2306(952) 831-4060THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.(4-22, 4-29, 5-6, 5-13, 5-20, 5-27)

By Tammy Moeller, RN, Parish Nurse, United Methodist Church, Luverne"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." I Corinthians 12:12"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." I Corinthians 12: 17Romans 12:5 "so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."Have you ever had to do the laundry? I have done countless loads in my life, and there are countless loads of laundry to go. There is a certain flow to laundry. If you don’t do the laundry, I’ll give you the specifics right here:First, you have to gather up the laundry. You have to make sure that there is a system in place in your household so that everyone is aware of "where to put the laundry when you need it cleaned." If you don’t have that system in place, you will need to gather up the laundry on your own, making more work for yourself.The next task is to sort the laundry into different colors, or different textures (depending on if there is a certain shirt/pants that needs to be laundered in a special care load). When you presort the laundry, you also have to pre-treat those items that have a stain on them so that it will actually get cleaned in the cycle.Continuing on, you need to bring the laundry to your washing machine, and select the appropriate cycle for it to be on. For example, if you are washing whites, you may select either a hot or warm wash with a warm or cold rinse. Then comes the step where you need to add the detergent and the fabric softener — or the bleach if you are a real perfectionist. You need to follow your washing machine’s instructions on how much to add, and where to add it. If you complete these steps appropriately, you will find that your clothes came out of the washing machine clean. Once that occurs, you will have to dry your laundry. There may be certain items that cannot go into the dryer, and you will have to dry these either on a rack, or some sort of system that you have developed for the purpose of air-drying. In a large nutshell, you have completed a portion of the laundry. But it doesn’t end here. Those tasks are relatively easy if you do it for any length of time. The toughest part of "doing the laundry" is folding those clothes and putting them in the correct places within your household. This action may take longer than any of the other steps.What if one of those steps did not occur? What if you forgot the fabric softener? What if you just forgot about the clothes in the washing machine for one or two days? Yeah, I know that you have all done it. It isn’t a pretty smell, is it? There are steps that must be followed, and if they aren’t, disaster may be the end result.So it is with the body of Christ. We, who are called by Christ to serve Him, are a part of His plan. We are His body. We are his hands, his feet, his arms, his ears, his eyes, his mouth, and his heart. We are called to help each other, whether "others" may know Christ or not. We are called to bring others to Christ. We are called to go out there and bring them in our church doors — to teach them about the good news of Jesus Christ, and to show them that Christ is alive in our every day lives. How does laundry tie into all of this? If one of the steps in laundry is missing, there is potential for disaster, right? So it is with the body of Christ. If one part of Christ’s body decides not to function — the task of bringing others to Christ and helping others daily, does not get completed. And because these tasks are not completed, we are not showing others that we are living our everyday lives for Christ.The things in which Christ calls you to do may seem unimportant right now. Do you see now how untrue this really is? Whether you volunteer to help out in a Sunday service nursery, volunteer to be a Sunday School teacher, lead a Bible study, work for the local food shelf, help out with a potluck in your church, donate to an organization that helps those in need, visit those who live alone, donate to your local church, visit those in a nursing home, and more — YOU are important, as you — yes, little you — are an integral part of the body of Christ.

Minnesota may soon be the first state with multi-purpose land. Think about a combination golf course, landfill and power plant. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Burnsville has plans to solve some garbage, energy, odor and environmental concerns all in one project. Its landfill will be expanded by 2007 and it will feature an electricity-producing methane plant (to power 3,000 homes) beneath a beautiful 18-hole golf course. The combination methane plant-golf course will be built on a manmade, 100-foot-high plateau with majestic views of the Mississippi River basin. Although those are the only details available at the present, we can only imagine what might happen when power golfers and a power plant are thrown together. Wherever there’s a golf course, we can expect to see a community of expensive homes built along its picturesque fairways. Possible names for the Burnsville development might include Methane Meadows, Gassy Gap or Vapor Ridge. Exclamations from golfers will reflect the methane-producing plant beneath their spiked shoes — "That shot stinks!", "This game is such a gas!", "Golf takes my breath away" and "I tell ya, I’m overcome by this game!" When a golf ball lands where it shouldn’t, a term usually reserved for the game of baseball might be introduced to the game of golf — foul ball. Hazards, slopes and rises on the course may vary from one round of golf to another, depending upon the possibility of escaped gas activity beneath the surface. The good news is that the ground-heaving activity might help with those near-perfect chip shots to the green that result in golf balls teetering over the edge of a hole without actually falling in. With gas shifting around beneath your feet and electrical equipment rumbling down there, vibrations might cause the balls to drop. Not every golfer will have to experience the anguish and heartache of a "cliff hanger." Holes on the greens will be able to do double duty as excess methane gas vents. In that case the time spent bending over and retrieving a golf ball should be kept to a minimum. Players on the course might be advised to carry gas masks in their golf bags for emergencies, such as sudden cracks in the earth’s surface and escaping gases. It’s difficult to predict what might seem worse, whiffing the ball or getting a whiff of what lies beneath the golf course. The combination golf course-power plant might be a perfect deterrent for smoking. Because of the highly flammable nature of methane, a golfer might want to think twice before lighting up a victory cigar at the clubhouse’s "19th hole." In all probability the golf course will be safe. There may be no escaping gas fumes to overcome players and flash fires may not occur with every newly-lit cigar or cigarette. It may be possible to play a round of golf without burning off one’s eyebrows. The air may be safe to breathe. On the other hand, accidents do happen and when they’re asked what their golf handicaps are, the players at Methane Meadows will honestly be able to answer, "The course itself."

(In part two, the author is about to climb Japan's Mt. Fuji looking for spiritual insight in 1995. He also finds a connection to that year's commuter train poisonings.)Most tourists visit Mt. Fuji in summer or early fall, so my late October arrival assures a less hectic experience. Ms. Ishikawa and I begin our hike in the parking lot where already the clean, crisp air is evident and the view breathtaking of the distant "Japanese Alps" and verdant Japanese landscape.My friend gestures toward our destination, the 2,500-meter point on the mountain, the highest site available to climbers during hiking's low season. There are some heavy clouds moving in, but the mountain above us is relatively clear. A "lens cloud" (in the shape of a lens) floats just above the summit of 3,776 meters. The number of lenses determines for area residents the next day’s weather. One lens today: rain!Up we go, Ms. Ishikawa playing the polite hostess and getting her daily exercise and me attentive to all my senses, hoping that at any moment a spiritual awakening will occur. I hear Spanish spoken — with a Japanese accent. I'll stop a dozen times to catch my breath, both literally and figuratively as I realize I am living my dream. It is colder and colder as we ascend and the footing is tricky on the ash and lava. We are 30 minutes into our hike when I casually remark that I am looking forward to some fluid when we return to base. The altitude and energy spent will dry me out. To my complete surprise, Ms. Ishikawa says she will "run" back down and get some drinks. "No, no. Too far. I can wait," I tell her. But I couldn’t stop her. Off she went (running!), and I found myself alone with my thoughts for the next 45 minutes. Almost everything happens for a reason, and I decided that these unexpected, solitary moments were a God-send, a gift of time for my own thoughts, a gift of calm during my spiritual climb to understanding.My reverie was soon interrupted by Ms. Ishikawa's return with several cans of fruit drink. "You didn't have to do that," I told her. "No," she said. "My job. I am healthy." The politeness of the Japanese never ceased to amaze me. We eventually made it to the food and rest shelter at 2,500 meters. So we ate and we rested and we absorbed the beauty surrounding us little specks on the mountain. The descent was more difficult on the loose lava and step angle. I fell twice. Nothing new, I told my companion. Back in her car, Ms. Ishikawa unwraps a special pad for me to rest my feet. She feeds me white rice and soup and giggles when I combine the two. "Only Japanese children do that," she says. Down the road, I am asked if I want to see some buildings on the horizon. I don't understand what they are from Ms. Ishikawa’s broken English. But I’m game for an adventure. Soon we are stopped at a roadblock. While my driver is speaking with one of the military policemen, another guard is circling our vehicle and scrutinizing it thoroughly. He is taking notes. Ms. Ishikawa shows them her ID. I surreptitiously slip my camera under my coat. We are finally given permission to advance and find a compound of about 10 buildings guarded by another dozen soldiers. I still don't know what I am seeing. Then somewhere in Ms. Ishikawa’s Japanese, I detect the word "sarin" and realize we are driving though the property of the cult that murdered a dozen Tokyo commuters earlier that year and brought great shame and embarrassment to the polite and peace-loving Japanese. "Bad people. Japan, very sad."And I consider that it's all a part of the whole as my search continues from mountaintops to the bottom of my soul.