What do Sponge Bob and Scooby Doo knowabout Valentine’s Day?As I understand it, Valentine’s Day is a romantic occasion for lovers worldwide to prove their affection for one another.Why then, are the store shelves stocked with cards and candy marketed to kids? What do they know about romance?Aisles are crowded with adults shopping for Valentine’s Day cards and candy for their kids to exchange with other kids.What a shame. All those grownups should be shopping for their true loves.Their little rugrats are just capitalizing on another excuse to eat candy and have a party at school.Whatever happened to the true meaning of Valentine’s Day? I’d say it got lost in the marketing genius of Hershey’s and Hallmark.Expressions of true love and affection are relegated to a special section in the greeting cards department, while the prominent storefront displays are loaded with Valentine’s Day greetings from the likes of Scooby Doo, Sponge Bob and Spider Man.What do they have to do with Valentine’s Day?Nothing.And they don’t care.Their empty little messages outsell the sincere wishes 10 to 1.While they’re not romantic, I do give them credit for creativity, especially with the cards marketed to boys.With all the pink and red hearts with lacey extras, Valentine’s Day is clearly a girly holiday. It’s the sort of thing most self-respecting boys should — outwardly at least — want nothing to do with.But, amid the traditional pink hearts that say, "Be Mine," is a healthy selection of manly cards in camouflage, bug patterns and neon racing stripes. Of course boys exchanging cards with other boys would never ask to "Be Mine," but they would easily say, "Be cool on Valentine’s Day, man."If some little second-grade boys I know actually thought about what they were celebrating, they’d choke on their foil-wrapped, chocolate-covered heart-shaped morsels.It’s not the type of observance we expect from those who are fast outgrowing hugs from their moms in public.But, alas, we moms — and dads — buy into the whole wicked adulteration of the special day.After all, with so much attention focused on the kids and their kiddy exchanges, it’s a legitimate diversion from any real Valentine’s Day shopping or heartfelt observation of the day.Sad?Not really.Not if you’re the one buying the candy and you can pick the flavor you like and take home way more chocolate than the kid will ever need for his classroom party exchange.Happy Valentine’s Day, with or without love, and happy shopping.

Hills-Beaver Creek junior Kale Wiertzema puts up a jumper in front of Southwest Christian's John Top during a Red Rock Conference boys' basketball game played in Edgerton Tuesday.By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek boys’ basketball team split a pair of Red Rock Conference games on the road since Friday.The Patriots posted a 10-point win over Westbrook-Walnut Grove in Westbrook Friday. H-BC dropped a four-point decision to Southwest Christian in Edgerton Tuesday.H-BC, 11-7 overall and 6-4 in the league, hosts Murray County Central Friday before playing at Sioux Falls Christian Monday.SWC 66, H-BC 62A second-half rally came up four points short when the Patriots squared off against the Eagles in Edgerton Tuesday.After facing deficits at the first three quarter breaks, H-BC bounced back to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.SWC, however, regained the lead with a three-point shot and went on to top the Patriots by four points."We came back well," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema. "We got into foul trouble (starters Tyler Bush and Trey Van Wyhe fouled out) and that hurt us."SWC sported 15-9, 33-29 and 48-47 leads at the end of the first three quarters respectively.Kale Wiertzema led H-BC with 24 points, seven assists and three steals. Zach Wysong tossed in 17 points. Van Wyhe pulled down 10 rebounds.Box scoreBush 1 0 2-4 4, Wysong 4 2 3-4 17, Broesder 1 0 2-2 4, Wiertzema 5 1 11-14 24, Van Wyhe 3 0 3-3 9, Spykerboer 0 0 0-2 0, LeBoutillier 2 0 0-0 4.Team statisticsH-BC: 19 of 50 field goals (38 percent), 21 of 29 free throws (72 percent), 34 rebounds, eight turnovers.SWC: 25 of 55 field goals (45 percent), 10 of 20 free throws (50 percent), 29 rebounds, nine turnovers.H-BC 62, W-WG 52The Patriots put together a big first half while posting a 10-point win over the Chargers in Westbrook Friday.H-BC led 21-8 after eight minutes of play and increased the difference to 18 points (39-21) by halftime after outscoring W-WG 18-13 in the second period.The Patriots padded their lead to 20 points (52-32) by the end of the third quarter before the Chargers cut the lead in half by outscoring H-BC 20-10 in the fourth period.Wysong, who pulled down six rebounds and passed for three assists, led H-BC with 15 points.Kale Wiertzema netted 14 points, nabbed eight rebounds and charted eight assists. Van Wyhe scored 10 points, collected seven rebounds and dished out three assists. Tom LeBoutillier added 14 points to the winning cause.Box scoreBush 1 0 1-1 3, Elbers 0 0 0-0 0, Wysong 2 2 5-6 15, Jackson 0 0 0-2 0, Broesder 0 1 1-3 4, Wiertzema 2 1 7-10 14, Van Wyhe 5 0 0-0 10, Spykerboer 1 0 0-0 2, LeBoutillier 7 0 0-3 14.Team statisticsH-BC: 22 of 46 field goals (48 percent), 14 of 25 free throws (56 percent), 37 rebounds, 14 turnovers.W-WG: 21 of 58 field goals (31 percent), six of six free throws (100 percent), 24 rebounds, 10 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne gymnastics team upped its record to 6-2 with a 127.2-125.675 home victory over St. Peter Saturday.St. Peter’s Jackie Strey led all performers by winning the all-around (34.725), floor (8.6), beam (8.45) and bars (8.25) competitions, but the Cardinals competed better as a team.Luverne athletes placed in all four individual events to win the meet by less than two points.Callen Bosshart, who placed second all-around with 31.15 points, secured an event title when she took top honors on the vault with a 9.25. Bosshart also placed second on the floor (8.4) and fourth on the bars (7.75).Luverne’s Amanda Dooyema placed second on the bars and beam with respective 8.25 and 7.35 tallies.Cardinal Courtney Fodness scored a 7.3 to finish third on the beam, and Morgan Bosshart and Brittany Boeve tied for third place on the vault with 8.85 efforts.Brittany Mulder, who placed fourth on the beam with a 7.15, tied for third place on the floor with St. Peter’s Cassie Block. Both girls tallied 8.15 scores.Luverne hosts Marshall tonight and travels to St. James Saturday.Individual resultsBars: Dooyema 8.25, C.Bosshart 7.75, Fodness 7.35, Mulder 7.1, M.Bosshart 6.9.Beam: Dooyema 7.35, Fodness 7.3, Mulder 7.15, Boeve 7.0, C.Bosshart 6.9.Floor: C.Bosshart 8.4, Mulder 8.15, Dooyema 8.1, Boeve 7.6, M.Bosshart 7.55.Vault: C.Bosshart 9.25, Boeve 8.85, M.Bosshart 8.85, Mulder 8.75, Victoria Arends 8.65.

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth boys’ basketball team raised its record to 14-6 after winning three games since Friday.The Panthers posted a seven-point win over Dawson-Boyd in Dawson Friday before posting a 15-point win against George-Little Rock in George, Iowa, Monday. The Panthers played Lake Benton in Ellsworth Tuesday, coasting to a 24-point victory.Ellsworth hosts Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Friday before playing in Minneota Tuesday.Ellsworth 68, LB 44Adam Sieff recorded a triple-double and Curt Schilling closed in on a milestone to highlight Ellsworth’s 24-point home win over the Bobcats Tuesday.Sieff netted 10 points, passed for 11 assists and snared 10 rebounds to pick up his first triple-double. Schilling, who pumped in 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, raised his career point total to 1,995 counters during the contest. He will be going for his 2,000th-point when the Panthers host R-T-R Friday.Ellsworth took control of the game early by outscoring the Bobcats 25-6 in the first quarter.The difference was 21 points (43-22 and 54-33) at halftime and at the end of the third quarter. The Panthers used a 14-11 scoring edge in the fourth quarter to prevail by 24."We played pretty well," said EHS coach Ken Kvaale. "Our starters were poised and confident, and they played really well. I was a little disappointed with our second crew."Todd Alberty added 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals to the winning cause.Box scoreCr.Schilling 12 0 1-1 25, Janssen 2 1 1-2 8, Co.Schilling 0 0 0-2 0, Sieff 1 2 2-2 10, Alberty 5 0 3-4 15, Bittner 1 0 0-0 2, Herman 3 0 0-0 6, Farrell 2 0 0-0 4.Team statisticsEllsworth: 52 percent field goals (totals were unavailable), seven of 11 free throws (64 percent), 38 rebounds, 11 turnovers.Ellsworth 92, G-LR 77Schilling turned in a triple-double to lead the Panthers to a 15-point victory in George, Iowa, Monday.Schilling led the Panthers with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists during a game in which EHS made 58 percent of its shots from the field."It was an up-tempo game, and we pushed the ball down the floor as well as they did," said Panther coach Kvaale.Ellsworth led 24-21 after eight minutes of play before increasing the advantage to 12 points (45-33) at halftime and 18 points (68-52) at the end of three quarters. G-LR sported a 25-24 scoring edge in the final eight minutes.Tom Janssen scored 22 points and led the Panthers with three steals. Sieff added 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists to the winning cause.Box scoreCr.Schilling 8 1 6-7 25, Janssen 8 1 3-6 22, Co.Schilling 1 1 0-0 5, Sieff 4 1 3-3 14, Alberty 2 0 3-4 7, Bittner 1 0 0-0 2, Herman 1 1 1-2 6, Klaassen 1 0 0-0 2, Farrell 2 1 2-2 9.Team statisticsEllsworth: 58 percent field goals (totals were unavailable), 18 of 24 free throws (75 percent), 41 rebounds, eight turnovers.Ellsworth 65, D-B 58A rally in the second half helped the Panthers avenge an early-season loss to Dawson-Boyd when the teams locked horns in Dawson Friday.The Blackjacks played well early while sporting 15-10 and 33-24 leads at the first two quarter breaks, but the Panthers outscored the hosts 41-25 in the second half to win by seven points."It was a nice win for us," said EHS coach Kvaale. "We were down by nine points at halftime, but we changed things up defensively in the second half and we had success with it."Ellsworth, which made 14 of 19 field goals in the second half, trimmed D-B’s lead to three points (43-40) by the end of the third quarter. Panther Todd Alberty tossed in 10 of his 14 points when Ellsworth outscored the Blackjacks 25-15 in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback.Curt Schilling scored 25 points, nabbed 12 rebounds and passed for six assists for EHS. Cody Schilling added 11 points, six assists and three steals to the cause. Tom Janssen charted six assists and three steals.Box scoreCr.Schilling 10 0 5-5 25, Janssen 1 0 1-2 3, Co.Schilling 1 3 0-0 11, Sieff 1 0 2-2 4, Alberty 4 1 3-4 14, Farrell 3 0 2-2 8.Team statisticsEllsworth: 24 of 41 field goals (59 percent),13 of 15 free throws (87 percent), 38 rebounds, 13 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian wrestling team posted five victories after competing in three events since last Friday.Adrian won a road match by 27 points in Minneota Friday before notching a 13-point home win over Wabasso Tuesday. The Dragons went 3-0 to take top honors at the Kasson-Mantorville Tournament in Kasson Saturday.The 27-4 Dragons host Apple Valley Friday before competing at the Worthington Triangular Saturday.Adrian 34, Wabasso 21The Dragons came back from two deficits to beat the Rabbits, Minnesota’s third-ranked Class A team, by 13 points in Adrian Tuesday.Wabasso, which led by five points (11-6) after the 125-pound match, sported a 21-19 edge with four matches remaining. Adrian, however, swept the final four matches to win handily.Joey Bullerman (3:50 over Adam Ourada at 112), Dusty Bullerman (3:46 over Justin Irlbeck at 140) and Levi Bullerman (55 seconds over Zach Wurcher at 189) recorded pins for AHS.Brandon Bullerman notched a 9-1 major decision win over Mitch Altermatt at 135, and Michal Barrie (11-4 over Derek Guetter at 130), Trent Bullerman (10-5 over Jesse Schroepfer at 171), Cody Lutmer (6-5 over Dan Mathiowetz at 215) and Josh Winselman (5-0 over Clayton Rudenick at heavyweight) recorded decision wins for the Dragons.Match wrap-up103 (W) Jenniges dec. Thier.112 (A) J.Bullerman pins Ourada.119 (W) Hatch m.d. Croat.125 (W) Schunk m.d. Jensen.130 (A) Barrie dec. Guetter.135 (A) B.Bullerman m.d. Altermatt.140 (A) D.Bullerman pins Irlbeck.145 (W) Altermatt m.d. Engelkes.152 (W) Schunk dec. Sauer.160 (W) Jenniges dec, Reverts.171 (A) T.Bullermandec. Schroepfer.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Wurcher.215 (A) Lutmer dec, Mathiowetz.275 (A) Winselman dec. Rudenick.K-M tourneyThe Dragons went 2-0 and took top honors during Saturday’s tournament in Kasson.Adrian routed Zumbrota-Mazeppa (60-9) and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva during the first two rounds of the event. The Dragons completed the sweep by topping Rochester Mayo 31-28 in the finals.Tony Thier (103), Joey Bullerman (112), Michal Barrie (125 and 130), Brandon Bullerman (135), Tony Sauer (152) and Levi Bullerman (189) all went 3-0 for AHS.Pete Jensen (125 and 130), Dusty Bullerman (140), Nate Engelkes (145), Cody Reverts (160) and Josh Winselman (heavyweight) went 2-1, while Brandon Croat was 1-2 at 125.Cody Lutmer was 0-1 at 215, Wade Loosbrock 0-2 at 215 and Trent Bullerman 0-3 at 171.Match wrap-upsAdrian 60, Z-M 9103 (A) Thier pins King.112 (A) J.Bullerman pins Patnaude.119 (A) Croat pins Cole.125 (A) Jensen pins Perzynski.130 (A) Barrie pins Putratz.135 (A) B.Bullerman t.f. Sterns.140 (A) D.Bullerman pins Schrimpf.145 (A) Engelkes dec. Schultz.152 (A) Sauer pins Lunde.160 (A) Reverts m.d. Mattnees.171 (Z) Lagosh dec. T.Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman dec. Raasch.215 (Z) McNamara pins Loosbrock.275 (A) Winselman pins Baker.Adrian 50, NR-H-E-G 12103 (A) Thier pins Schlaak.112 (A) J.Bullerman pins Schlaak.119 (N) Cory dec. Croat.125 (A) Barrie dec. Bos.130 (A) Jensen dec. Schlaak.135 (A) B.Bullerman t.f. Holland.140 (A) D.Bullerman pins Rysavy.145 (A) Engelkes pins Mattson.152 (A) Sauer m.d. Mattson.160 (A) Reverts pins Berg.171 (N) Christensenpins T.Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman dec. Jacobson.215 (N) Holland pins Loosbrock.275 (A) Winselman dec. Hager.Adrian 31, Mayo 28103 (A) Thier pins Priebe.112 (A) J.Bullerman pins Minnske.119 (M) VanderHeiden dec. Croat.125 (A) Barrie m.d. Mauseth.130 (M) Hruska m.d. Jensen.135 (A) B.Bullerman dec. Konkel.140 (M) Leisen dec. D.Bullerman.145 (M) Mauseth dec. Engelkes.152 (A) Sauer pins Carlson.160 (M) Ties dec. Reverts.171 (M) Zabel dec. T.Bullerman.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Kimlinger.215 (M) Goodson pins Lutmer.275 (M) Weets dec. Winselman.Adrian 40, Minneota 13The Dragons rolled to a 27-point win when they traveled to Minneota for a non-conference match Friday.Adrian trailed 4-0 when Minneota’s Tanner Skillings posted a 17-3 major decision win over Tony Thier at 103 pounds, but the Dragons outscored the hosts 40-9 the rest of the night to win handily.Tony Sauer recorded Adrian’s lone pin of the match when he stuck Adam Kompelien in 1:33 at 152.Trent Bullerman notched a 13-2 major decision win over Tony Buysse at 171.Posting decision wins for AHS are Joey Bullerman (5-2 over Anthony Myhre at 112), Brandon Croat (7-4 over Craig Peterson at 119), Michal Barrie (3-1 over Todd Trane at 125), Pete Jensen (11-4 over Matt Buysse at 130), Brandon Bullerman (10-9 over Rick Peterson at 135), Dusty Bullerman (5-1 over Chad Janiszeski at 140), Cody Reverts (8-7 over Ryley Noyes at 160) and Levi Bullerman (10-6 over Ben Derynck at 189).Minneota’s Derek Stripling nipped Nate Engelkes 5-4 at 145, and Jason Stripling pinned Cody Lutmer in 5:59 at 215.Match wrap-up103 (M) Skillings m.d. Thier.112 (A) J.Bullerman dec. Myhre.119 (A) Croat dec. Peterson.125 (A) Barrie dec. Traen.130 (A) Jensen dec. Buysse.135 (A) B.Bullerman dec. Peterson.140 (A) D.Bullermandec. Janiszeski.145 (M) Stripling dec. Engelkes.152 (A) Sauer pins Kompelien.160 (A) Reverts dec. Noyes.171 (A) T.Bullerman m.d. Buysse.189 (A) L.Bullerman dec. Derynck.215 (M) Stripling pins Lutmer.275 (A) Winselman by forfeit.

Luverne senior Andy Stegemann (30) establishes his defensive position to stop a drive to the basket by a Worthington player. By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first half to post a 55-52 Southwest Conference victory over Worthington in Luverne Friday.Luverne, which had not beaten WHS since 1997, appeared to be in trouble when it fell behind by 16 points twice early in the second quarter.The Cards, however, bounced back to outscore the Trojans 32-17 in the second half to pull out a three-point victory.According to Cardinal coach Tom Rops, Luverne’s second-half success was a product of sticking with the team’s game plan."I just told the kids to continue pressuring them at halftime. They are missing two starters due to injury, and we wanted to full-court pressure them the whole game," he said. "They are a little thin on players after their starting five, so we went into the game thinking depth would be in our favor."Still, Luverne had to overcome some tense situations early and late in the game to beat the Trojans.The Cards led 3-2 early in the first quarter before WHS went on an 11-0 run to take a 13-3 lead. Worthington led by as many as 14 points (21-7) as the first period progressed, but Luverne’s Nick Heronimus hit a field goal with four seconds left in the quarter to make it a 21-9 game.Worthington remained in control of the game in the second quarter, padding its lead to 16 points (34-18) during the course of the period. Luverne used a 5-1 surge capped by a three-point shot by Heronimus late in the half to trail by 12 points (35-23) at the intermission.The Cardinals began their comeback in the third period, when Heronimus capped a 15-7 run with a three-point shot at the 1:04 mark of the period to trim Worthington’s lead to five points at 43-38. The Trojans scored the final two points of the period to make it a 45-38 difference at period’s end.Luverne opened the fourth quarter with a 16-0 run that ended with Brad Herman draining a field goal with 3:56 left to play to give the Cardinals a 54-45 lead.The Cards missed 11 of 12 free throws in the final four minutes of the game, opening the door for a 9-0 surge by Worthington that closed the gap to two points (54-52). Luverne’s Scott Boelman hit one free throw with 43.8 seconds remaining to make it 55-52, and neither team scored after that.Heronimus scored 16 points to lead the Cards. Jared Pick led LHS with six rebounds and three steals. John Tofteland passed for six assists.Box scorePick 2 0 0-1 4, Tofteland 1 0 3-5 5, Herman 3 0 0-2 6, Deragisch 1 1 0-2 5, Stegemann 4 0 0-2 8, S.Boelman 3 0 1-2 7, Heronimus 1 4 2-3 16, Lange 2 0 0-0 4.Team statisticsLuverne: 22 of 42 field goals (52 percent), six of 17 free throws (35 percent), 22 rebounds, 10 turnovers.Worthington: 21 of 41 field goals (51 percent), eight of 14 free throws (57 percent), 19 rebounds, 13 turnovers.

Clair Crawford feeds snow-blanketed cattle Wednesday. Clair and Roland were waiting to sell livestock until they were certain weather reports of continuing snow accumulation were accurate.By Jolene FarleyThe recent dip into sub-zero temperatures and a substantial amount of snowfall means a change in routine for some, but for others life remains the same. Livestock producers are putting in more hours moving snow and making sure cattle have fresh, flowing water and enough bedding to withstand the cold.Cattle producer Rollie Crawford, Beaver Creek, estimates he and his brother, Clair, work an extra hour a day doing chores when it’s cold. The Crawford brothers have cows and feeder cattle.In the freezing temperatures, equipment takes longer to warm up, according to Crawford.It takes even more time to finish chores when it snows and the brothers have to scoop or blow snow before they can get to equipment or feed the cattle. The Crawfords worked all weekend blowing and scooping snow trying to stay ahead of the 9-inch snowfall that began Friday evening. They hope the wind doesn’t come up and blow snow back to the areas they cleared. "You always have to make sure the bunks are cleaned out," Crawford said. Producers also have added costs during cold, snowy weather. Cattle eat more to keep warm, but don’t have the same rate of weight gain as during warmer periods. Electricity costs increase because heaters run more to keep waterer from freezing. "When it’s colder, cattle drink more to keep warm," Crawford said.All in all, Crawford thinks the weather this year hasn’t been as severe as some other years. "Everything’s growing so well, we haven’t had to fight the cold, cold like we did some years," he said.Doug Chapman, of Chapman Refrigeration and Electric, Hills, hasn’t seen an increase in service calls for furnace repair since the onset of the colder sub-zero temperatures. He said his service calls have remained about the same all winter.Chapman has been in business in Hills for 17 years."Generally you go through a service period in the fall," he said.If a furnace is going to develop a problem, the problem usually would have occurred and been repaired earlier in the winter, according to Chapman. He suggests that homeowners have their furnaces serviced at least once a year. Repairmen check how the furnace is burning and makes sure the filters are changed.Older furnaces could require additional maintenance, including installing new belts and oiling the blower.Oil furnaces especially need to be cleaned so they light properly and burn cleanly, according to Chapman. A yearly once-over can prevent trouble down the road. Servicemen are trained to look for the little problems that could arise.

Editor's Note: This Community Club history was published in Hills, Our Town.Every town needs an organization to boost the town, to head certain activities, hold the community together and create interest in the town. The Hills Community Club does that job. In the early years of Hills, there was an organization known as the Farmers’ and Merchants’ Club. The members came from the town and the countryside and did much to foster good relation between farmers and merchants. In later years a Commercial Club to promote Hills as a trading center was established by businessmen. The group sponsored Santa Claus Day each Christmas.They financed and did the work when the new creamery building was dedicated in 1927. There was a huge crowd and it was told that the two boys who were in charge of cutting meat for the barbecue sandwiches haven’t looked a steer in the face since! Later the Club was responsible for getting the high school band to play an hour’s concert on Main Street during the summer months. They provided treats for the band members. One year they also ran an outdoor bingo stand on Main Street. Another time they held cash drawings on Saturday night. That, of course, was during the times when the stores remained open Saturday nights. Those were fun times when the whole family came to town for the evening. And oh, we must mention how good the popcorn tasted! A popcorn stand on the west side of the street did a whale of a business. Another event the Club sponsored was the concerts put on by the Sioux Falls Municipal Band. They made several performances here and were always glad to come to Hills. One year the Club held a Hot Dog Day and another time they provided free pizza to all comers. The pizza was made right here in Hills at the Fikse Pizza Plant. When the older businessmen retired and withdrew, interest seemed to lag, and an Optimist Club was formed. Its aim was strictly to promote activities for the youth. It went well for a few years until it was decided that much of the monies were going out of town to the national organization and it then disbanded. An organization for the whole community seemed to be the answer, so once again a Community Club was formed. This includes merchants, farmers, retired people, those working out of town, professional people, men and women, anyone who wanted to join. The aim of the club was to keep Hills a clean friendly town, a place where anyone would like to live, and to carry out necessary activities. It handles Santa Claus Day, holds an Easter egg hunt, an adult valentine party and organizes a yearly celebration. The club was responsible for acquiring much of the playground equipment at Jacobson Park. They also were instrumental in getting the open shelter house and the enclosed shelter house at Jacobson Park. Other projects were a Christmas lighting contest; building a float, maintaining it and taking it to celebrations in various towns, choosing and holding a banquet to honor an Outstanding Citizen in the community; putting on the celebration called Beef Day (today’s Friendship Days) and the crowning of a beef princess and various other activities. The Club also bought different Christmas decorations, lights, and banners and sees that they are put up. Another project is providing volunteers for Home Delivered Meals to the aged and shut-ins. The first president of the Club was Chuck Ward in 1969. Others who chaired the Club are George Langford, Paul Anderson, Henry Walraven, Orville Sundem, Odean Gorder, Al Top, Wilmer Elbers, Tubby Beyenhof, Joanne Goehle, Larry Leuthold, Pat Demuth, Jeannie Hellerud, Marilyn Nelson and Gordon LeBoutillier. Many residents of the community have spent much time and effort in keeping Hills an upcoming, attractive and desirable place to live and raise a family.

Aukes completed this mural, copied from a Thomas Kincaid picture, last week on the wall in the prayer room at the New Life Celebration Church office in Luverne. By Jolene FarleySteen artist Marlene Aukes transforms drab spaces and common items into works of art with a little paint and a lot of talent.Her business, Granny’s Plum Purdy’s has grown steadily as more and more people notice her work and want samples for themselves. Aukes is certified in decorative hand painting. She paints murals, mailboxes, glassware, ceramics, fabrics and other items."If it stands still it can be painted on," Aukes said.Aukes decided to learn how to paint after watching advertisements for how-to videos and books on the home-shopping network QVC. "You see some of these paintings and you say, ‘Oh, I wish I could do this,’" she said. "I kept watching and thought, it can’t be that easy…" She decided to order the material and found out it really was easy.By practicing and breaking the process down into steps, it isn’t so overwhelming, according to Aukes. She enjoys painting so much the time flies. "I love it," she said. "It is very relaxing." Aukes’ business took off after she gave one of her hand-painted items to a friend and co-worker as a gift. She painted a winter scene on a canning jar and topped it with a votive candle. Other co-workers at Luverne Community Hospital, where Aukes works as a nursery aide, saw the item and orders poured in. She painted 111 jars for Christmas that year.After the success of her winter designs, Aukes branched out into mailboxes. "Everybody saw the mailboxes and they wanted one," she said.Aukes experimented with different designs on the walls in her home. "People saw that, they wanted it and it just kind of blossomed," she said.Aukes just completed a mural in the prayer room at the New Life Celebration Church office in Luverne. The group wanted to replicate a Thomas Kincaid print. Aukes reproduced the original scene, adding around the perimeter with extra landscape to fill the wall space.There is one design that is requested frequently that Aukes hasn’t mastered."People ask me to do a John Deere tractor and I haven’t got that down yet," she said.Her next project is painting murals on the walls for her daughter, Ginger Schomacker, at her daycare center. Aukes said they are considering a Winnie the Pooh theme. She is also working on a design for the nursery in the new hospital currently under construction in Luverne. She doesn’t know what the theme will be yet.Aukes would some day like to teach others how to paint. "It’s such a joy and they say the good Lord blesses you with things he wants you to share," she said. One of the first lessons she would teach is how to paint a rose. "It’s very simple," She said. "When you look at the whole rose, it looks complicated."Painting the flower involves blending, shading and highlighting all in one step, according to Aukes. All the steps for creating other flowers are there."It is such a sense of accomplishment you figure, if I could do a rose, I could do any flower," she said.Aukes finds inspiration in magazines and books. She said all she needs is a picture or an example of what a customer wants painted and she can copy the design. A teddy bear design Aukes painted in her daughter’s nursery came from a coloring book.She painted cherubs on the walls of a bedroom, copying a bedspread made from cherub print fabric. In her own bathroom, she painted a huge tree that sprouts up the wall with branches that overhang on the ceiling. A birdbath with a bird in it is painted on the wall under the tree, next to the toilet. Above the tile around the tub, are baskets with flowers in them. One basket has a cat lying inside. The design possibilities are endless when you have some paint and brushes and know what to do with them.