MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HILLS CITY COUNCILAPRIL 14, 2004Mayor Jim Jellema called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. with the following Council present: Jim Jellema, Linus Svoboda and Keith Elbers. Council absent: Dana Dahlquist and Arlen Leenderts. Employees present: Connie Wiertzema, City Clerk; Joanne Goehle, City Treasurer and Wayne Ward, City Maintenance. Guests present: Mike Spath and Jolene Farley-Hills Crescent.Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Elbers to approve of the minutes of March 22nd. Motion carried. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Svoboda to approve payment of the March expenditures: General $4,863.91; Park $795.74; Fire $3,941.76; Street $3,037.59; Legion $385.75; Sewer $1,105.59; Garbage $1,727.03; Recycling $477.30; Water $3,370.54; Baseball $10.85. Motion carried. TREASURER’S REPORT:General Checking 108,266.03General Fund CD#18197, 2.5%, 12/4/04 237,314.41General Fund CD#17760, 2.5%, 3/15/05 20,735.68Sewer Fund CD#18255, 1.5%, 7/19/04 40,646.36Fire Truck Replacement Fund CD#18237, 1.5%, 1/11/05 23,228.20Hills EDA Security Deposit Account 2,971.78Hills EDA Checking 4,826.85Southern Hills Apts. Account 8,189.14Southern Hills CD#17759, 2.5%, 3/15/05 5,183.92EDA CD#17850, 2.5%, 5/7/05 27,963.43EDA CD#17268, 1.75%, 1/26/04 10,631.54EDA CD#18160, 1.5%, 10/17/04 20,000.00TOTAL $509,957.34Motion by Elbers, to have Svoboda attend an auction to bid on a 1983 Pelican street sweeper, with a maximum bid of $5,200. Seconded by Svoboda. Motion carried.Ward was instructed to purchase a dog kennel for the purpose of holding stray dogs. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Svoboda to purchase a mosquito sprayer from Adapco-London Fog for approximately $3,000. Motion carried. The Council discussed whether there is a need for a culvert between Kuntze and Bundesen’s properties located in Park View Fourth Addition. Ward was instructed to outline a parking area along the north side of Lot 6 in Park View Fourth Addition for Southern Hills Apartment tenants, until such time a need or proposal is made for Lot 6. The 4-H club will be contacted to inquire whether they would volunteer their labor to plant three trees within Lot 6. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Svoboda to increase the fire relief payment by $135, per the State Auditor’s recommendation, pending Martin Township agrees to the same. Motion carried. The City’s Board of Equalization and Appeal meeting is scheduled for May 11th from 6:30 to 7:00 P.M.The Council discussed constructing a basketball court in the southeast corner of the softball field property. Contact Verhey Construction for an estimate on concrete work. Contact the Hills Lions with regard to whether they could help with funding or labor. Elbers was asked to purchase a sound system for the Hills American Legion building, maximum price of $500.The Council was informed of a resident’s junk vehicle that has not been removed following notification. The resident will be notified and given two additional weeks prior to taking further action. The Council discussed the problem of junk collecting outside the County’s recycling buildings, and suggested that the County publish notice in the paper that oil, vehicle batteries and paint cans are not allowed to be dumped at the County’s recycling buildings. The recycling buildings belong to the County, and therefore the Council felt it was the County’s decision on how to handle this problem. No further business, meeting adjourned at 7:05 P.M. Mike Spath arrived shortly after the adjournment, and the Council reopened the City Council meeting. Spath inquired about the empty lot on Main Avenue, and whether the Council would consider selling the property. Spath is proposing to construct a building for his lawn service and storage. Spath inquired whether the building would be assessed as commercial, the Council suggested that this inquiry could be discussed at the Board of Equalization meeting on May 11th. Spath also inquired about a building permit for a concrete pad in front of his garage, but that it may interfere with utility easements (water mains to the City’s tower). The Council suggested that Spath talk to city maintenance prior to making a building permit proposal. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Svoboda to adjourn at 7:25 P.M.Connie J. WiertzemaCity Clerk(4-22)

Einar "Shorty" Oluf Thorin, 91, Hills, died Tuesday, April 13, 2004, at Luverne Community Hospital in Luverne. Services were Friday, April 16, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. The Rev. Lowell Berg officiated. Burial was in Flowerfield Cemetery, rural Hills. Einar Thorin was born to Joseph and Matilda (Dahl) Thorin on Sept. 14, 1913, in Hills. He was a lifelong resident of the Hills area and lived and farmed with his family south of Hills. He farmed until his retirement in 1971 and he and three of his siblings moved to Hills to live. He enjoyed his trip out to Washington, D.C. and throughout the southern states. He assisted with worship services at Tuff Memorial Home for many years. He moved to Tuff Village in Hills in 2001.Mr. Thorin was a past member of Rock Lutheran Church and was also a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, both in Hills. He enjoyed going to northern Minnesota on fishing trips. He also loved to hunt pheasants.Survivors include many nieces and nephews. Mr. Thorin was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, Lennart, Carl, Arthur, Joseph and Emil, four sisters, Alice Smith, Mabel Thorin, Louise Thorin and Emma Qualley, and two sisters-in-law, Mabel Thorin and Rachael Thorin.Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.

10 years ago (1994)"Quality Builders of Ellsworth and Chapman Refrigeration and Electric were awarded the bids for the new maintenance building for the city of Hills."25 years ago (1979)"Bids on 35 road and bridge projects, estimated at $18.6 million, will be received by the Minnesota Department of Transportation at the State Transportation Building in St. Paul until 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 27. Included in the list of projects is the grading and surfacing of County Road 6 between Hills and Beaver Creek." 50 years ago (1954)"Vermayne Sundem, who won the county essay contest, sponsored by the VFW Auxiliary at Luverne recently, continued to win with his masterpiece by taking the district contest, judged recently. As the result of this decision, his essay will be entered in the state contest."75 years ago (1929)"Teams of four to eight horses will be hitched on farm implements and driven under perfect control with only two lines, in demonstrations to be given next week Tuesday and Wednesday on two Rock County farms, Wm. Perkins farm, north of Kenneth and J.F. Searle’s farm, east of Beaver Creek. This is a hitching system worth driving miles to see." 100 years ago (1904)"The Beaver Creek Banner will this week round out its first volume and will henceforth be a legal paper, so far as statute requirements are concerned. Brother Misener has reason to congratulate himself on the success he has achieved. He is a thorough printer and newspaper man and his publication, the Banner, would do credit to a town many times the size of Beaver Creek, being well edited, neatly printed, and by all odds the best paper that town has had since the days of the Beaver Creek Graphic in 1886, which was then in charge of Editor Knapp, that being about the time this candidate for county seat honors struck the toboggan. Beaver Creek has made great improvements the past five years. Town property, that was formerly a drug on the market, has greatly enhanced in value and almost got back to the boom day prices, and with considerable new business life and the loyal support of every businessman, we see no reason why the Banner should not prove a profitable venture."

Ray and Lois Nelson and Vicki, Mankato, spent the weekend with Lois’ brother, Bob and Bonnie Oleson, in Waconia. They all took in the Passion Play 2004 at North Heights Lutheran Church Saturday afternoon. Ron and Betty Arp’s daughter, Jamie, who is in the U.S. Air Force with the Air Traffic Control Unit, will be deployed with her group in May for Iraq. Her title is Senior Airman. Erma Schubbe returned home last Monday after spending several days over Easter with her children, Tom and Maggie Schubbe, at Afton, and Carolyn and Paul Randall and boys at Stillwater. Harriet Skattum returned home last Monday after spending the Easter holidays in the home of her daughter, Margo and Dewayne Edwards at Forestburg, S.D.Ty Edward, infant son of Derek and Stacey Bundesen, was baptized at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Sunday. Their guests for the occasion were the sponsors: Jesse Hoffman, Justin Hoffman, Andrew Allena and Lisa Giacomini. Others present were Ed and Vicki Hoffman, Slayton, Andrew Allena, Petaluma, Calif., Ray and Mary Allena, his great-grandparents, Pete and Annie Allena, Jack and Ronnie, and Ty’s grandparents, Dolores and Gerald Bundesen, Petaluma.Cliff and Vi VanWyhe returned home Sunday after spending three weeks in the Branson, Mo., area. En route there they visited their granddaughter, Amber and Travis Arends, at Warrenton, Mo. The Arends also spent some time with them in Branson.Among those attending the Hospice charity dinner in Luverne Friday were Wilmer and Betty Elbers and also Wendell and Kathryn Erickson. Sheldon and Ellie Sandager attended the Long Prairie Country School reunion at Lennox, S.D., Saturday evening. Some 30 people were in attendance. Sunday evening Wilmer and Betty Elbers attended the quartet concert at American Reformed Church in Worthington and later joined other relatives at the Vern Verbrugge home for supper. Friday evening, Chuck and Rheta De Boer joined the Wielenga cousins at a get-together in Sioux Center, Iowa.Mark and Karen Sandager and Tommy were Sunday dinner guests of Vic and Fran Sandager at the Village. Madison Elbers, Valley Springs, spent Tuesday evening and Wednesday with Wilmer Elbers. Hans and Susan Erickson and children, Siri and Max, Eagan, came Saturday to spend until Monday with his parents, Wendell and Kathryn Erickson. Patrick and Kirsten Anderson came from Sioux Falls to join them for a noon meal on Sunday. Chuck and Rheta De Boer attended the Festival of Praise by the Kings Men of Song from Lynden, Wash., as they performed Sunday afternoon in Edgerton. Al and Joan Berdahl traveled to the Cities to attend the Alumni Brass Chorus in which Al played his horn. Vic and Fran Sandager and Sheldon and Ellie Sandager attended the 60th birthday party for Cheryl Wirth of Hurley, S.D., which was hosted by her children, Cheryl Adams and Philip Wirth, Centerville, S.D. The Wirths formerly lived on the Jacobson farm in rural Hills. Saturday Dick and Audrey Heidensen motored to Centerville, S.D., to attend the Tri-Valley Barbershop show and dinner following. The confirmands of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, accompanied by Pastor Lowell and Sonja Berg along with other passengers, traveled by bus to the "Passion" at Northern Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills on Saturday. Barry Helgeson, former resident of Hills, was one of the characters in the play. Several folks in the area attended the Al Opland spring concert in Pipestone Friday night. Joanne Goehle, Bonnie Sundem, Leanne Carmany and Brenda Hadler were among those attending the Hospice dinner and auction in Luverne Friday night. Bonnie and Brian Olson, St. Paul, came Friday night to spend the weekend with her mother, Luella Schlueter. Jim and Sharrol Webb, Waconia, Jill Webb, Chicago, Ill., Maxine and Charles Hanson, Austin, Keith and Kathy Hanson and Miriam, Rochester, Jerry and Diann Thorin, Todd and Joseph Thorin, Sioux Falls, came for Shorty’s funeral.

Our late Sunday afternoon peace and quiet was suddenly interrupted with a sudden storm warning with possible hail and even a tornado. There was so much static on the radio that you could barely distinguish what the weather report was. So, I thought I would dash out and feed and water my chickens before it got here. I just got out the door and the wind was blowing so hard it was a regular dust storm so I returned to the safety of my entry way. It didn’t take long before it started to rain and even that didn’t last long. It could have lasted a little longer as we could use a nice rain. I haven’t heard if there was a severe storm relatively close but I will say it did not look very good. It was a fast moving storm and soon the sun was shining here again. As I am writing this it is looking very dark and heavy and there are storm warnings in effect until 10 p.m. Friday evening 48 passengers from Hills, Steen and Luverne boarded a bus driven by Melvin Paulsen with his wife, JoAnn, as tour guide. They left for Pipestone where they attended the Al Opland spring show "Cruisin’ and Croonin’." They enjoyed dinner together prior to attending the concert. Sunday evening supper guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Vern Verbrugge at Worthington were Wilmer and Betty Elbers, Hills, Ed and Iva Elbers, Luverne, Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra, Steen, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kroese, Hull, Iowa.Mildred Keunen and Jo Aykens attended the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center volunteer luncheon in Luverne on Tuesday.Dries and Laura May Bosch were Easter Sunday dinner guests at the home of their son, Paul and Diane Bosch, in Brandon. Other guests were members of Diane’s family living in the surrounding area. Sunday morning coffee guests in the Henrietta Huenink home were her daughter and husband, Paul and Judy Boeve, from Sioux Falls.Bill and Bertha Bosch, Mildred Keunen, Jo Aykens and Milton Bonnema attended the Psalm and Hymn Sing at Tuff Home in Hills on Tuesday. Rita Beyenhof underwent same day surgery at Sioux Valley Hospital on Wednesday.Mildred Paulsen attended the Local Adviser Council for Southwestern Mental Health Center board meeting Monday evening in Windom.Steen Reformed Church had their roller skating party at the Carousel in Sioux Falls on Monday evening. Mark Raymon underwent knee surgery on Tuesday at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls. We wish him a speedy recovery.Mildred Paulsen attended the Southwestern Mental Health Center annual meeting and dinner at the Glass House in Ihlen Wednesday evening. Bill and Bertha Bosch, Mildred Keunen, Jo Aykens, Henrietta Huenink and Cena Mae Tilstra attended the Hills Christian School volunteer luncheon on Thursday. Did you all get your income taxes done on time? The New Year arrived and I thought April 1 would be a long time before I had to think of doing my income tax again. But no, it caught up on all of us, I think, but it is a good feeling when it is completed and you don’t have to think about getting it done anymore. However, some of us leave with our report that gives us a heavy heart and not much in our bank account However, no matter how dark the day there is always a little patch of blue somewhere. "Sometimes when the rain keeps fallin’ and the road seems mighty rough and you just can’t help a-thinkin’ that this life is mighty tough, just smile and keep looking — what I’m telling you is true — somewhere peekin’ through the clouds there’s a little patch of blue. Someone has to keep a-smilin’ don’t you see. For if everyone looked gloomy, what a place this world would be! Sure you’ve had a heap of trouble, and I’ve had some troubles, too, but, we’ll find, if we keep smilin’, that "Little Patch of Blue."I just had to share these few words of wisdom with you. You are an old timer if your income tax is higher than your salary used to be! Those are not very cheerful words but remember there is always a little patch of blue so don’t worry, be happy!Special music in Steen Reformed Church Sunday evening was provided by Keith Elbers and Debbie Tilstra accompanied by Loraine Sandbulte.

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."

By Sara StrongDowntown Luverne got a shot in the arm as it signed up to receive grants and funding worth $1.27 million.Luverne Economic Development Director Dan Statema said, "It puts a lot of money in our downtown area."The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development approved the package for the city of Luverne last week.Luverne will use $882,300, which came as Small Cities Development Program grant, to rehabilitate 25 affordable owner-occupied homes and 16 affordable rental units, as well as 18 commercial buildings. A portion of the rehab money comes from loans and equity from property owners. The Luverne project is one of 31 to receive DEED funding this year.Luverne applied for the same grant last year, and was on a waiting list to be accepted this year. Property owners who have applied for the grant that was approved need to wait for city direction before starting rehab work.

By Sara StrongThe Rock County Pool Commission Tuesday gave its blessing to an offer already extended to Total Card Inc., which gives employees lower membership rates.City Administrator Greg LaFond said the reduced rates still bring in more members than before, so it’s a positive for the facility."We think that generally it will hold true that if we gain members, even at a reduced price, we’ll be better off," LaFond said.The rates will be 10 percent lower than the current corporate rate.It costs $55 per hour to keep the doors open now, and most of those costs are fixed.In other business Tuesday, the Pool Commission:
Considered remodeling the front area of the Pool and Fitness Center to move the check-in desk closer to the front doors so people see a bigger customer-service presence. Also, the vending machines that are on the north wall of the entryway bring in only $100 a month in profits. The Commission is considering removing those, and selling healthier food and beverage products from behind the counter.
Received a membership report, saying there are 913 members, compared with 840 last year.
Received results from people who didn’t renew their paid-in-full memberships this year. Most said they had reasons other than dissatisfaction with the facility for not renewing — injuries, financial or getting their own home equipment for example.Three of the respondents said they cancelled their memberships simply because they moved.Some suggested day care and more swim times would have helped them decide to join again.
Learned that staff would not close the facility for three weeks in September for cleaning as had been done in the past. The cleaning and maintenance routine will be spread over the facility so that only portions won’t be accessible to the public at a time.

By Lori EhdeResults are in from the Minnesota Department of Education’s 2004 Basic Skills Tests in reading, writing and math.Reading and math tests were given to eighth-graders in February.In Luverne, 80 percent of its eighth-graders passed the math test and 88 percent passed the reading test.Statewide, 70.7 percent of students passed the math test, and 81.1 passed the reading test. These results are consistent with results from recent years.Writing tests were administered to 10th-graders, and in Luverne, 96 percent of its sophomores passed the test while statewide, 91.4 percent passed.Luverne Curriculum Coordinator Jan Olson helps to track local students in the testing process."Our reading numbers went up, but our math numbers went down," she said. "But then, the whole state went down in math."While the results are generally encouraging, Olson said the tests aren’t a good way to track student progress from year to year."The tests change every year, but I think we’re staying pretty well at pace with other districts in this area of the state."