By Sara StrongLuverne voters will decide in November whether they want the option of ordering a drink with their Sunday dinner.The request to put the issue on the ballot was brought to the city by Howling Dog owners Mark Zimmer and Dan Wedin."For us it’s purely an economic issue," Zimmer said. "The overall hospitality business has gone to seven days a week, even with later hours, and this is a part of it."Councilman Bob Kaczrowski said he’d rather put it on the ballot for all voters to choose rather than have the council decide what’s best for residents.The Howling Dog owners said many people leave town to eat Sunday meals or watch sporting events in a bar or restaurant because of the alcohol issue.People can order alcoholic beverages on Sundays in Hardwick and at the Luverne Country Club, because Rock County and the city of Hardwick allow it.Zimmer said, "We know the city is big on economic development, and it would help keep people in Luverne."If the ordinance passes the ballot in November, bars and restaurants could opt to serve on Sundays. It isn’t just for the business that brought it to the council, and they wouldn’t be required to serve.Missouri River electric contractThe Luverne City Council signed a contract for Missouri River Energy Services to take over management of the city electric crew.The city will have to pay Missouri River a management fee of 8 percent of the labor costs. That will amount to about $35,000 to $40,000 annually.Three employees, Gary Mann, Mike Gangestad and Brian Remme, would no longer be with the city. They would report to Missouri River and still do their work, or most of it, in Luverne.Missouri River could have employees do some electric work for other Missouri River projects out of the city, if there wasn’t enough local work to keep them busy.The city can also get extra help from other Missouri River utilities for bigger projects.The city wouldn’t necessarily save money as the result of farming out current employees. The savings would come from not hiring a new Utility Director to replace Red Arndt.Benefits and pay for employees will be similar or better with MRES.Last year, lineman salaries, including overtime and on-call pay, averaged $43,635 each. The city wage range is from $14.87 to $19.32 per hour for linemen.In other business Tuesday, the council: oIntroduced an administrative citation ordinance that could be adopted next week. The civil fines cannot exceed the state maximum allowed.Violations subject to administrative citations are building codes, parking violations, garbage mishandling, burning violations and similar regulations. oApproved a zoning change for the parcel of land that will hold the new north city water tower. It is currently zoned residential-institutional, but was changed to a public district.There were no comments from citizens at the rezoning hearing.oApproved a recall process that will involve previously laid-off employees being offered seasonal work with the city.The city has a need for additional staff for the Oakley Street project, to operate the tree dump, to provide for sewer cleaning and to replace permanent employees during summer vacations and holidays.These positions will be first offered to David Van Batavia and Marv Gonnerman.oOffered congratulations again to city staff Dan Statema, Greg LaFond and Barb Berghorst for their efforts in getting Total Card Inc. to expand in Luverne.LaFond also publicly thanked the Rock County Board of Commissioners and Luverne School Board for giving their approval for the Job Opportunity Building Zone tax breaks.oReluctantly voted to fund up to $2,000 for a Water Utility Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan. The federal mandate isn’t funded.

By Sara StrongLuverne is the first city in southwest Minnesota to ban tobacco use in public parks and recreational areas.Tuesday night the council voted to approve the policy initiated by Partners in Prevention, lead by Public Health Educator Paula Anderson and Luverne teacher Kari Lais. Anderson said, "We’re happy they went with a stricter policy. It shows they not only care about kids, but about adolescents, adults and the community in general."The council was considering a policy that simply discouraged tobacco use, but wouldn’t put up signs where it was prohibited, except during youth events.That, Anderson said, would have sent a mixed message, and would have almost encouraged people to smoke.She said, "If Luverne wants to be a leader in southwest Minnesota by implementing a tobacco-free youth recreation policy, we need to send a clearer, stronger message if it is going to have any impact."Anderson said that adults smoking during sporting events would have been a negative influence on children watching, and this policy prevents that.Partners in Prevention said the outdoor air doesn’t carry away the Class A carcinogens in cigarette smoke, as people would assume. (Class A carcinogens also include arsenic, mustard gas and asbestos.)Anderson said only 7.5 percent of Rock County residents smoke, so the rest shouldn’t be subject to their habit.The city will receive free signs designating areas as smoke-free, and the policy will be self-enforced. Other cities in Minnesota that have banned recreation area tobacco use are: Aitkin, Aurora, Austin, Baxter, Biwabik, Bloomington, Brainerd, Breckenridge, Buhl, Cohasset, Duluth, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Eveleth, Fayal Township, Golden Valley, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Hoyt Lakes, Mahtomedi, Maple Grove, Mountain Iron, New Brighton, Norwood Young America, Owatonna, Plymouth, Richfield, Rochester, Roseville, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Sartell, Savage, Spicer, Virginia, Willmar and Zimmerman.

By Lori EhdeZachary Mandel Zwaan will turn 16 on Saturday, defying all medical predictions that he wouldn’t live past 5, or even 10 years old.While his birthday marks a triumphant state of survival, his life story to this point is a heart wrenching tale of high hopes and broken dreams.It’s a story about a 4-year-old boy who recovered from multiple heart surgeries … only to suffer brain damage on the operating table.It’s a story about a couple who lost the child they knew and loved and spent the next 12 years building an uncertain life around the one they took home.But Zach’s parents, Monte and Staci Zwaan, don’t tell their story that way.The rural Kanaranzi couple tells it in a matter-of-fact way that’s as remarkable as the story itself.For Staci, it’s simply about living out the inevitable. "I’ve always believed God had a plan for me before I was born," Staci said Monday. "I was to marry someone as wonderful as Monte, and I was to be blessed with Zach. … God knew that Monte and I could handle it together."Monte said, "I’ve come to the point where I’ll never know why this happened, but I think Zach touched a lot of people in his life."Long haulBut they weren’t always so strong."There’s nothing worse, in my opinion, than watching your child suffer," Staci said.The Zwaans will never forget the year they spent in the hospital for Zach’s heart transplant. "It was horrible," Staci said. Their lives since then have revolved around potentially fatal seizures, intermittent hospital stays and in-home nursing staff.Monte said people still ask how they did it, and his answer is simple. "We had to. What else could we do? Run away?"Zach’s organs were damaged by both the surgeries and the stresses of the transplant, so his lungs are deteriorated, his kidneys are failing and his stomach bleeds.To make matters worse, the medications — he’s now on 11 different kinds — often have painful side effects and some will eventually pose a risk for cancer.But for the time being, he’s getting by with only occasional oxygen support, and he’s managed to stay out of the hospital for almost a year, the longest ever in his life. "We hope this isn’t the calm before the storm," Staci said.New home for ZachFour years ago, Zach moved into the Jackson House, a group home run by Habilitative Services Inc. near the Baptist Church in Luverne."Initially it was hard having him out of our lives, but now, when we look back, it’s been the best thing for everyone," Staci said. "These guys are wonderful for Zach, and the times we have with him are a lot more enjoyable."With Zach in a group home, he learned new routines and skills, and the Zwaans at home got their first taste of normal family living — as bittersweet as it was."As a parent I felt like I was giving up a lot," Monte said. "Because before, we had total control. You don’t want to let go of that part."With Zach’s fragile condition, they know his health could change in an instant, and they’re careful not to plan too far into the future."We’ve always known there’s going to be a time when he won’t be with us, but if he’s going to die, I hope he goes quickly," Monte said. "As a parent, I don’t want to be in the position of deciding whether he should stay on life support."But the Zwaans don’t dwell on what’s to come. "You tend to block that out," Monte said about Zach’s prognosis. "We’ve been told too many times by doctors there’s nothing more we can do, and every time Zach comes through."The Zach they knewThis week, they’re thinking about what life might be like if there were a normal 16-year-old boy in the house"He’d be getting his driver’s license, dating, participating in school events …" Staci said.But neither of them spend much time wondering how life would be with a "normal" Zach."We’ve had Zach for 12 years the way he is now," he said. "You don’t forget, but you put it in your mind that this is the way it is."Staci said she and the girls recently watched a home video of Zach that was recorded when he was 3 years old."The three of us sat there and cried and cried," Staci said. "The girls never knew him like that. He was singing and talking."Zach hasn’t spoken since his heart transplant in 1992. Staci remembers him being rolled toward the operating room saying, "Mommy, no. Mommy, no." After the surgery, he mouthed the words, "Hold me," and they couldn’t because of the mass of tubes running into his little body.Those are some of the hardest memories.Life in perspectiveHaving endured so much, the Zwaans say they approach life differently than most."It helps put your life in perspective," Staci said. "We could tell ourselves nothing will ever be worse than this."They say Zach’s life has a divine purpose."I think Zach has made us better people," Monte said. "It makes your worldly problems seem kind of minute. … You’re reminded of that when you see Zach."Ten-year-old MacKenzi already sees herself as a deeper person for knowing her brother."When I go to the dentist, and it hurts real bad, I think about what Zach went through and then it doesn’t hurt so bad," she said. "I’ve thought about what we’d be like without Zach, and I’d be a different person. … He’s teaching me to be strong."In a second-grade story she wrote about her brother, MacKenzi said, "Zach is like a miracle to me … When he was a baby he got very sick and almost died then, but God knows we need him here. Zach is a huge blessing to me."

By Lori EhdeZachary Mandel Zwaan will turn 16 on Saturday, defying all medical predictions that he wouldn’t live past 5, or even 10 years old.While his birthday marks a triumphant state of survival, his life story to this point is a heart wrenching tale of high hopes and broken dreams.It’s a story about a 4-year-old boy who recovered from multiple heart surgeries … only to suffer brain damage on the operating table.It’s a story about a couple who lost the child they knew and loved and spent the next 12 years building an uncertain life around the one they took home.But Zach’s parents, Monte and Staci Zwaan, don’t tell their story that way.The rural Kanaranzi couple tells it in a matter-of-fact way that’s as remarkable as the story itself.For Staci, it’s simply about living out the inevitable. "I’ve always believed God had a plan for me before I was born," Staci said Monday. "I was to marry someone as wonderful as Monte, and I was to be blessed with Zach. … God knew that Monte and I could handle it together."Monte said, "I’ve come to the point where I’ll never know why this happened, but I think Zach touched a lot of people in his life."Long haulBut they weren’t always so strong."There’s nothing worse, in my opinion, than watching your child suffer," Staci said.The Zwaans will never forget the year they spent in the hospital for Zach’s heart transplant. "It was horrible," Staci said. Their lives since then have revolved around potentially fatal seizures, intermittent hospital stays and in-home nursing staff.Monte said people still ask how they did it, and his answer is simple. "We had to. What else could we do? Run away?"Zach’s organs were damaged by both the surgeries and the stresses of the transplant, so his lungs are deteriorated, his kidneys are failing and his stomach bleeds.To make matters worse, the medications — he’s now on 11 different kinds — often have painful side effects and some will eventually pose a risk for cancer.But for the time being, he’s getting by with only occasional oxygen support, and he’s managed to stay out of the hospital for almost a year, the longest ever in his life. "We hope this isn’t the calm before the storm," Staci said.New home for ZachFour years ago, Zach moved into the Jackson House, a group home run by Habilitative Services Inc. near the Baptist Church in Luverne."Initially it was hard having him out of our lives, but now, when we look back, it’s been the best thing for everyone," Staci said. "These guys are wonderful for Zach, and the times we have with him are a lot more enjoyable."With Zach in a group home, he learned new routines and skills, and the Zwaans at home got their first taste of normal family living — as bittersweet as it was."As a parent I felt like I was giving up a lot," Monte said. "Because before, we had total control. You don’t want to let go of that part."With Zach’s fragile condition, they know his health could change in an instant, and they’re careful not to plan too far into the future."We’ve always known there’s going to be a time when he won’t be with us, but if he’s going to die, I hope he goes quickly," Monte said. "As a parent, I don’t want to be in the position of deciding whether he should stay on life support."But the Zwaans don’t dwell on what’s to come. "You tend to block that out," Monte said about Zach’s prognosis. "We’ve been told too many times by doctors there’s nothing more we can do, and every time Zach comes through."The Zach they knewThis week, they’re thinking about what life might be like if there were a normal 16-year-old boy in the house"He’d be getting his driver’s license, dating, participating in school events …" Staci said.But neither of them spend much time wondering how life would be with a "normal" Zach."We’ve had Zach for 12 years the way he is now," he said. "You don’t forget, but you put it in your mind that this is the way it is."Staci said she and the girls recently watched a home video of Zach that was recorded when he was 3 years old."The three of us sat there and cried and cried," Staci said. "The girls never knew him like that. He was singing and talking."Zach hasn’t spoken since his heart transplant in 1992. Staci remembers him being rolled toward the operating room saying, "Mommy, no. Mommy, no." After the surgery, he mouthed the words, "Hold me," and they couldn’t because of the mass of tubes running into his little body.Those are some of the hardest memories.Life in perspectiveHaving endured so much, the Zwaans say they approach life differently than most."It helps put your life in perspective," Staci said. "We could tell ourselves nothing will ever be worse than this."They say Zach’s life has a divine purpose."I think Zach has made us better people," Monte said. "It makes your worldly problems seem kind of minute. … You’re reminded of that when you see Zach."Ten-year-old MacKenzi already sees herself as a deeper person for knowing her brother."When I go to the dentist, and it hurts real bad, I think about what Zach went through and then it doesn’t hurt so bad," she said. "I’ve thought about what we’d be like without Zach, and I’d be a different person. … He’s teaching me to be strong."In a second-grade story she wrote about her brother, MacKenzi said, "Zach is like a miracle to me … When he was a baby he got very sick and almost died then, but God knows we need him here. Zach is a huge blessing to me."

LHS to host a Career Education FairMore than 80 representatives from postsecondary institutions will be in Luverne Monday, April 19, for a Career Education Fair.The event, for all area high school students, will run from 1 to 3 p.m.Congrats to Mark IvelandCongratulations to Luverne native Mark Iveland.Iveland was recently named Austad’s Manager of the Year.As his reward for outstanding service to the Austad Golf organization, Iveland traveled to Augusta, Georgia with Austad’s CEO, Dave Austad, to watch two rounds of the Masters.Iveland has been with Austads for the past four years, three as manager of the Lincoln, Neb., store.Iveland is a 1986 graduate of Luverne High School.Including their home office in Sioux Falls, Austads has nine stores in three states as well as an Internet site.Miracle at the PalaceThe miracle that Luverne’s Palace Theatre needs is an anonymous check for a million dollars, but that’s not the one that’s showing up.The "miracle" that is coming is a pretty good movie however, and it has Minnesota at its core.The movie "Miracle on Ice" is based on the true story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team and its coach, Minnesota’s Herb Brooks, who led the team over what was believed to be an invincible Soviet Union team.Kirk Russell stars as Herb Brooks, who was the University of Minnesota Gopher hockey coach before being named to the Olympic post.The Internet movie data base gave it a user poll rating of 7.9 out of 10."Miracle" will show at the Palace at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.Retail may be eliminated from JOBZA bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives would eliminate retail from businesses qualifying for benefits through the Job Opportunity Building Zones (JOBZ).Rep. Tim Mahoney, (DFL, St. Paul) sponsored the bill, which will be considered for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.According to Mahoney, "the program was designed and proposed to create $10 to $15 per hour jobs, which are not typical in retail establishments."The JOBZ program established zones in Greater Minnesota to encourage economic development.Luverne recently took advantage of the program, to lure Total Card Inc. to the former Tri-State building.According to Louis Jambois, director or the Business and Community Development Division of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, retail was left out of the original bill because they wanted to see what kind of businesses would apply for it.Jambois said the intent of the bill was to stimulate manufacturing development and other such businesses, which attract workers and build communities.Buzz Anderson, president of the Retailer Association, said his organization opposes the bill because of the benefits retailers provide to a community- particularly small town retailers.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Let Zach’s story touch your life — decide to be a donorThe Star Herald this week features a story (see the front page) about young Zach Zwaan turning 16 years old Saturday.As both a reporter and fellow parent, Zach’s story — as well as the story behind the story — is remarkable to me. The fact that Zach has outlived medical prognoses that he’d never last past 5 or even 10 years old is newsworthy in itself.He’s not able to communicate beyond smiles, frowns and primitive grunts, but turning 16 against those odds shows remarkable perseverance.Even more remarkable, to me, is the perseverance of his parents.Poor little Zach has endured more than his share of physical pain — 30 major surgeries — in his young life. But I can’t imagine the pain of being the parent through all that.Monte and Staci had to not only see their little boy suffer, but they had to live with knowing their decisions led to the procedures causing the pain.It’s hard to write a Zach story without crying for him and his family and for other families like theirs. To put myself in their shoes even for a moment is too overwhelming.But they don’t cry when they talk about it.They talk instead about how Zach has made them stronger, love each other more and appreciate more deeply life’s little blessings.That, to me, is the remarkable news angle in this story.No wonder they believe Zach has a purpose in living. His story touches others in a way that makes us more compassionate, more appreciative and at the very least better able to handle daily stresses — which by comparison to the Zwaans’ life stresses, are relatively minor.Think about organ donationFinally, I thought it remarkable that the Zwaans wanted to remind readers of the importance of organ donation.Let’s face it … Zach is no poster boy for heart transplants. He’s a living example of what can go terribly wrong on the operating table.The Zwaans know this, but they also know some family made the decision in a time of crisis to donate their child’s organs so other children could live.What they remember is that thoughtful choice gave Zach a chance to live.April is National Organ Donation Month, the perfect time to decide to be an organ and tissue donor.It’s a matter of saying "yes" to donation on your driver’s license and making sure your family knows your intentions.And, God forbid, if your children are fatally injured, decide now that their organs will enable other children to live.LifeSource can be contacted at 1-888-5-DONATE or at www.organdonation.org.

By Jolene FarleyThe Hills-Beaver Creek School District, along with other districts across the state, is struggling with cash flow and funding issues. At a Monday meeting, the School Board and administration discussed how to avoid a projected $100,000 to $150,000 shortfall for next year’s budget."We’re not the Lone Ranger when it comes to this," Superintendent Dave Deragisch said.Some districts are borrowing money to pay their bills from month to month, according to Deragisch."It’s not just a rural school district or a small school district problem," he said. "It’s statewide."When Deragisch asked the board for ideas on possible cuts to help balance the budget, board member Tim Baker said he had been contacted about what not to cut. Someone asked Baker to go to bat for the Early Childhood and Family Education program in the district. Deragisch said cutting that area wouldn’t do the district any good because they had funds the state would take away if they weren’t spent."I think those areas are important to future enrollment," said board member Matt Larson.Chairman Alan Harnack said that the district has the lowest excess levy in southwest Minnesota.Board member Lois Leuthold said the district doesn’t spend frivolously. "It’s always been run bare bones — what’s necessary," she said."I really do think people do know we are not just spending money, to spend money." Deragisch told board members they have two choices. "We either have to cut or we have to raise revenues," Deragisch said.Every $100 raise in per pupil unit levy equates to an extra $35,000 in revenue for the school. The levy is currently set at $180 per pupil unit. Special education billDeragisch informed the board that it appears the district owes a $55,684 balance to the Luverne district plus $250 extra. The board had disputed the charges, and a third party mediator from the Pipestone Special Education Cooperative reviewed the bills from the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 school years. "After their review they came up with we owe them $250 more than we were charged," Deragisch said."They reviewed every minute of every day. It’s looking like we are going to pay."At an October meeting, the board agreed to pay $83,799, in addition to a $20,000 payment the district had already made to clear up bills from the 2001-02 and 2002-03 school years. The bills stem from H-BC students that open enrolled to the Luverne district. The student’s home district is required to reimburse the district where the student open enrolls for special education and other costs.Power outageDeragisch noted there were added food expenses for the month due to a fuse for the walk-in cooler at the high school that failed on a Friday or Saturday. The food in the cooler spoiled over the weekend. After the problem was discovered, Deragisch went to the grocery store and purchased items so an alternate meal could be prepared. "Last week’s lunch menu was a little off," he said.

By Jolene FarleySigns of spring are all over at Wally’s Nursery, rural Hills. The greenhouses are full of seedlings and in another week or two customers will be lining up to purchase them.Partners Delwyn and Robert Walraven began growing seedlings for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day in the first part of February. In the nursery business for 33 years, the brothers have developed a system of recording when they plant what, and they follow the same growing schedule every year."It’s easier than trying to remember it all," Delwyn said. This year, they planted more than 1,200 geraniums and about 1,000 flats of 12 of other flowers including petunias, marigolds, moss roses, pansies and other varieties."We grow a lot of vegetables, too," Delwyn said. People purchase the vegetables for their gardens and the Walravens sell the produce from the plants that aren’t purchased.Trends and customer favorites in plants and landscaping have changed over the years, according to Delwyn. For example, Wally’s Nursery grows a plant that was a favorite during the Nixon administration. The leaves are shaped and colored like jellybeans. Nixon was supposedly fond of jellybeans. Growing techniques have also changed. Instead of dirt, seedlings are planted in an artificial mix. Dirt can carry disease organisms or unknown chemicals, according to Delwyn.He said some customers ask what to do to attract butterflies to their gardens. Butterflies don’t like wind, so he suggests a wind block or privacy area — or even a shallow pond with some rocks for the butterflies to land on to drink water. "There are certain flowers that butterflies like better than others," he said.Dill and parsley attract butterflies because butterfly larvae like to eat the plants.The Walraven brothers attend landscaping classes during the winter to keep up on what is new in their business. Some ideas at the classes work for this area and some don’t, according to Delwyn. "One of the trends this year is growing the same flowers in pots and sitting them together," he said. By rearranging the pots, homeowners can change the look of their landscaping. Using more grasses for a feathery look in landscaping is also a new trend. "You have to listen to them and say, ‘What is going to work for us?’" Delwyn said.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne baseball team played one solid game and a sloppy contest during the second week of the 2004 season.The Cardinals posted their third win of the year when they defeated Buffalo by seven runs at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis Friday. Luverne’s three-game winning streak came to an end with a one-run loss in Windom Tuesday.Luverne, 3-1 overall, plays a doubleheader in Redwood Falls today before hosting Murray County Central Monday.Windom 10, Luverne 9Luverne’s perfect start to the season came to an end with a sub-par performance in Windom Tuesday.Cardinal pitchers issued eight walks and Luverne made 11 errors in the field to make things easy for Windom, which was limited to four hits in the game.Luverne sported 3-0 and 5-1 leads early in the game, but Windom scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning to open a 9-5 lead. The Cards battled back to tie the game at nine in the top of the fifth before allowing one unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh that settled the issue.The Cards moved in front 3-0 in the top of the first inning before settling for a 3-1 edge when Windom scored once in the bottom of the frame.Taylor Graphenteen singled and Jared Pick reached base on a fielder’s choice before Graphenteen scored on a ground out by Adam Kurtz later in the frame. Mark Remme singled home Pick and scored moments later on a Windom error to make it 3-0.Pick was hit by a pitch and Remme reached base on a fielder’s choice before both runners scored on a single by Rob Fodness in the top of the third. Luverne’s 5-1 lead after the rally was erased when the Eagles scored eight runs in the bottom of the third.The Cards bounced back to tie the score at nine with a four-run rally in the fifth.Zach Wysong doubled and scored when Tim Boen doubled. After Graphenteen reached base on an error, Pick slapped a two-run double to make it a 9-8 difference. Kurtz singled home Pick to knot the score at nine.Brad Herman pitched the first two innings and left the hill after allowing four runs, four walks and two hits. J.T. Bruynes tossed the next four frames and was tagged with the loss after surrending six runs and four walks. Wysong recorded two outs in the seventh inning before Windom scored the winning run on a throwing error.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 2 2 1 0Pick 4 3 1 2Kurtz 3 0 2 2Remme 4 2 1 1Fodness 4 0 1 2Wysong 3 1 2 0Reisch 3 0 0 0Boen 3 1 1 1Herman 1 0 0 0Bruynes 2 0 0 0Luverne 10, Buffalo 3The Cardinals ran their record to 3-0 after rolling to a seven-run victory over Buffalo Friday at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.Four different LHS pitchers limited the Bison to three unearned runs during a game in which the Cardinals never trailed.Fodness drove in four runs in the contest and teammates Pick, Remme and Wysong added two RBIs each during a 10-run offensive outburst.Luverne assumed control of the contest by scoring three runs in first and second innings to open a 6-0 lead.Pick and Kurtz slapped one-out singles in the top of the first before Remme opened the scoring with an RBI single. Wysong added a two-run single to cap the scoring in the first inning.Herman and Graphenteen reached base on an error to get things rolling in the second inning. Pick singled home Herman before Kurtz drew a walk to load the bases. Remme was hit by a pitch to force home the second run of the frame, and a fielder’s choice by Fodness chased home the third run.Buffalo managed to score three unearned runs against Luverne starting pitcher Pick in the bottom of the third to make it 6-3.Luverne, however, plated a single run in the fourth inning before adding three more in the fifth to put the game away.Kurtz walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Fodness in the fourth inning to give the Cards a 7-3 lead.Herman doubled and scored when Pick singled in the fifth. After Kurtz walked and Remme singled to load the sacks, Fodness capped his four-RBI effort with a two-run single.Pick worked the first three innings of the game without gaining a decision. He fanned three batters, walked two and allowed three hits.Bruynes, who pitched scoreless fourth and fifth innings, collected the win. He recorded two strikeouts and surrendered one hit. Wysong and Kurtz fanned two batters while tossing scoreless sixth and seventh innings respectively.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 5 1 1 0J.Pick 5 1 2 2Kurtz 1 4 1 0Remme 4 2 3 2Fodness 4 0 1 4Wysong 5 0 2 2Boen 2 0 0 0Reisch 3 0 0 0Herman 3 2 2 0