Residents of the Hills area — be sure to watch the Miss America Pageant coming up in Atlantic City on Saturday evening, Sept. 20. Most times we cannot connect with any of the contestants, but this year we have a young lady in the competition who has relatives in Hills. She is Brenda Plimpton’s niece, namely Christina O’Niel, who is Miss Nevada. Brenda and daughter, Jayme, left Wednesday to watch the show. Jayme is hoping her cousin will be the next Miss America! And so are we! Chuck and Maxine Hanson, Austin, spent the weekend with Dorothy, Arnold and Einar Thorin. Joining them on Sunday afternoon to help Shorty celebrate his 90th birthday were Jerry and Diann Thorin, Todd and Deya Thorin and family, Sioux Falls, Dennis Roning and Marie Soehl. Thursday evening Vi VanWyhe and Steve VanWyhe, Steen, attended the patriotic cantata entitled "America — We Must Not Forget" at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. Lexia DeWit, daughter of the Cliff VanWyhes, was one of the members in the mass of 200 voices in the chorus. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson attended Turkey Day in Worthington Saturday and also visited their daughter, Margaret.Betty Elbers attended the Women of Faith Conference in St. Paul Friday and Saturday. David and Nancy Swanson spent from Friday until Sunday in the Cities where they visited Nancy’s ailing and aged aunt in a nursing home. Chuck and Rheta DeBoer attended the patriotic program "Remembering 9-11-01" at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls Thursday night. Sunday evening visitors in the DeBoer home were Henry and Cathy DeGroot, Sioux Falls.Tuesday, Betty Elbers attended the Bible League Retreat in Sioux Falls. Dean and Peggy Goettsch accompanied by Alice Goettsch went to Sioux Falls to enjoy supper with Annette Goettsch and Tony Goettsch on Sunday. Last Monday Chuck and Rheta DeBoer motored to Spencer, Iowa, where they met their son, Jeff and Karen DeBoer and two sons from Garner, Iowa, to enjoy the fair. Beth Sandager came from Herrick, S.D., to spend a couple of days in the home of her parents and will be going on to Madison, Wis., to visit other relatives.Wednesday afternoon Betty Elbers drove to Edgerton to visit her mother, Jessie Boeve, a resident of the Edgebrook Nursing Home. Don and Edyth Briggs attended the Augie, Southwest State University, Marshall, football game Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls.

At last, our long dry spell has been broken! On Friday we received several inches of rain that could not have come down any nicer. There would be a heavy shower of rain and, then it would stop and the moisture would quickly sink into the dry earth. Then another rather heavy shower would come and once again there was time for it to soak into our dry thirsty soil. This continued into Saturday with amounts of rain varying from three to eight inches depending where you lived. Whatever the amount, every drop of it soaked into the soil, nothing went to waste. Even though the crops could have used some rain earlier we were happy to receive this much now. Of course our temperatures moderated. By late Sunday afternoon I thought I am sitting here almost freezing, so, summer is over, I turned up the furnace. I may not be rushing the season as on my way to church I noticed the birds were flocking together, chattering away and I think they were getting ready to go to their winter home. I can hardly believe it is this late in the season, even though I know that when the combines head for the fields the crops are ready to harvest. We had better be getting ready for a change in our schedules — ready or not!Dries and Laura May Bosch attended the service, "America, We Must Not Forget," which was presented at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls on Thursday evening, Sept. 11. Those participating in the program were the Rock Valley Community Impact Team and the Rock Valley Community Chorus and others which came from that area. The offering went to the "Alpha Center." The program was very inspirational and it was well attended. Orrin and Bernice Aukes attended the Spencer Fair on Tuesday.Coffee guests in the Winnie Scholten home to help her celebrate her birthday last week were Henrietta Huenink, Joan Hoogeveen, Jo Aykens, Lori Scholten and Winnie’s sister, Matilda Regnerus, from Sioux Center, Iowa. Those attending the World Home Bible League meeting on Sept. 11 were Melba Boeve, Winnie Scholten, Etta De Jongh, Greta Van Der Brink, Bernice Barstad and Betty Elbers. Sunday evening coffee guests in the Arnold and Jane Bonnema home following the evening worship service in Steen Reformed Church were Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra.Among those attending the performance of "Confessions of an Ordinary Man" at the Palace Theatre in Luverne Saturday evening were Melba Boeve, Dick and Gert Hup and Art and Henrietta Boeve. Coming events at the Palace Theatre are the South Dakota Chamber Orchestra featuring Emily Lodine on Sept. 21. On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4, the movie "Sea Biscuit" will be shown. Those attending the Spencer Fair on Thursday were Corrine Niessink, Darlene Bosch, Anna Elbers, Gert Hup, Betty Boeve and Henrietta Boeve. They enjoyed supper together at Pete’s Place in Hartley, Iowa, en route home. Monday afternoon coffee guests in the Winnie Scholten home were Pearl Groen and Malena Boeve. Labor Day is past and the students are all back in school to get their education. We used to say education was reading, writing and arithmetic. In today’s world we have too many machines to do our work for us. For instance, penmanship has been replaced by the typewriter and computer, math by the calculator, and reading by TV. Just what is education today?Is the classroom the only place our students get educated? No, our parents taught us our manners at home. Teaching us to be polite, to say thank you and to learn how to treat others with respect. The church teaches us how to love one another. And life teaches us something every day!In fact, life is a game — the greatest game you will ever play. Play it to win. Play fair. Life has rigid rules but the rewards are high. Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. It is better to give hope, strength and courage than money. The best help is not to bear the troubles of others for them, but to inspire them with courage and energy to bear their own burdens for themselves, and meet with the difficulties of life bravely. To help others is no easy matter but requires a clear head and wise judgment — as well as a warm heart.Peggy Fleming, a figure skating champion, said: "I think the American dream of always being No. 1 in everything is not necessarily realistic. That should not be the goal. The ultimate goal should be doing your own best and enjoying participating in life and being honest and fair to everyone else as well as to yourself."I think if we could all do this, then our education would be complete.

Villagers like everyone else waited for rain. Big cracks in the ground and we were concerned. Well the rain came in the form of a good old-fashioned storm we had not witnessed for some time. The thunder roared loud and clear. Lightning followed immediately seeming to streak right down to the ground just outside our windows. This created a pajama party before the big screen TV others laid in bed enjoying the noise of the storm. It rained buckets then would stop and take a break only to do the process again. This continued for a day and a half. We accumulated nearly seven inches. The shoppers going to Luverne reported no puddles anywhere. The dry ground was thirsty for the rain. Mud Creek is still not running full, of course, we’re grateful. If the rains don’t help crops now the moisture will be helpful in the spring.Col. Sanders would be happy to know we celebrated his birthday. Little Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes with colored straws and porcelain chickens served as centerpieces. Of course, chicken was on the menu, and everyone sang the chicken song, actions and all.The soft serve ice cream machine we borrowed from Tuff Home ran out of mix one night and no one knew where to find some. So the machine needed to be cleaned and set, for not being in use until the next day. This required a good cleaning so Peggy Goettsch took off her jacket, stepped on a chair and went to work. She knew what to do for she had worked in a Dairy Queen while in High School.Wednesday’s singing was really fun. We sang to a tape, like Mitch Miller. We had song sheets with the words and we sounded better than ever. Probably not as good as the Lester Singers who came on Friday, though. We now had the soft serve ice cream machine working so we all had ice cream cones following the concert. Marie Knoblock did not take Ezra out to dinner for his birthday but chose to join the singers. This gave us the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday.We, too, had birthdays to celebrate. Florence Biever’s family came for dinner and later sat on her patio to update news of the family. Florence came to us following a stay in the Ellsworth nursing home. She became ill, sold her household items and thought she’d be in a nursing home for the rest of her life. But she got better and now gets around the Village famously. The second birthday was celebrated in much the same way. Family and friends for dinner and visiting after. Shorty Thorin was 90 years old. Shorty’s really Einar and his address has always been Hills. I don’t know how we can watch our diets when both parties served us a treat of chocolate cake and ice cream.Villagers were also in the audience at the Old Fashioned Saturday Nite the Community Club planned. Dinner was pork chops from the grill, baked potatoes, corn, drinks and buns. You could buy ice cream cones from the Junior H-BC Class. Entertainment was a country duo from Ellsworth, the Kullpepper County. They played non-stop for nearly two hours. In between, the guitarist told jokes. The audience always laughed but I can’t remember one of them.I cannot keep up on visitors but we’ve had guests from Seattle and Florida and most places in between.I’ll keep you posted.

When it comes to smiling, some of us should be living in Canada. While teaching a creative writing class to elementary students earlier this year, I mentioned the decline of laughter and smiling among people as they grow older. According to a study done several years ago, I told them, four-year-olds in this country laugh and smile as many as 400 times a day. By comparison, adults in the study laughed and smiled an average of 16 to 17 times a day. An excited "Oh, oh, oh!" suddenly exploded in the room and one boy’s hand shot into the air. All heads in the room turned in unison to hear what he had to say. "My dad never smiles!" he blurted out. "He doesn’t even smile when his picture’s being taken." In support of his outburst, a few other students volunteered that their own parents only smiled three, five or perhaps 10 times a day. It’s apparent the boy’s father and others like him would appreciate the latest news from the Canadian Passport Office. Effective immediately, Canadians applying for passports must submit photos showing their "neutral expressions." In other words, they cannot smile, frown, glare or grimace for the cameras. It all has to do with the war on terrorism. If we smile the terrorists have won, or something like that. That’s a tall order for most of us, who are conditioned the minute we’re born to smile whenever there’s a camera in the room. Screaming babies, politicians in heated debates, people from all walks of life flash their pearly whites, or the spaces where pearly whites should be or used to be, whenever they see a camera. We also smile automatically when we hear the magic words, "Say cheese!" Those two words are the photographic equivalents of Ali Baba’s "Open sesame!" in "The Arabian Nights." We smile at cameras for most of the stepping stones of life — birthday parties, holidays, graduations and weddings. Well, most of us do at weddings, but that’s another column. Of course, there are always exceptions and there are times when we never smile for cameras. A prime example would be the mug shots taken at police stations when felons and other troublemakers, who probably never sat through a creative writing class, are booked. Models never seem to smile in the "before" photos in before-and-after ads, which promote products and services for weight loss, varicose vein removal or teeth whitening. Their scowls serve to demonstrate how miserably unhappy they were before the changes were made. Depending upon the circumstances, we may or may not smile for driver license photos. It’s difficult to smile whole-heartedly when you’ve just blatantly lied about your real hair color and weight to someone who looks quite official. There are photos of people not smiling but also unaware that their photos were being taken. This would include subjects shown in video still-shots of convenience store robberies or grainy photos of couples taken through half-drawn window curtains by seedy-looking, private investigators. (I once saw that in a movie.) As a result of the new Canadian Passport Office "neutral look" requirement, our neighbors to the North will no longer look happy and well-adjusted in their passport photos.

By Sara StrongEven though the city of Luverne reduced its spending by cutting services and personnel, the levy is increasing for local taxpayers.The Luverne City Council Tuesday passed a proposed levy for 2003, of $718,031. The city has had no increases in its levies for the past two years, so the percentage increase seems startling at about a 34 percent increase. The Luverne levy last year was $534,000.The levy in 2000 ($725,268) was actually closer to what the city is planning to collect now.Most of the fluctuations are reflected in state aid shifts, as the actual overall budget for the city has remained relatively constant.The levy will be finalized in December.Fire department donationBill Stegemann from CenterPoint Energy, Minnegasco, presented Fire Chief Don Deutsch and fire department member Dan Nath a donation at Tuesday’s Council meeting.The grant of $2,370 will go toward three portable radios. The CenterPoint donation is through the Community Partnership Grant Program, which is earmarked for beautification and safety projects.

By Lori EhdeRepresentatives from the region’s hospitals and nursing homes attended a "listening session" at Luverne Community Hospital Wednesday, Sept. 3, to give legislators direction in the upcoming session."I think it went well," said Jerry Carl, Luverne Community Hospital Administrator and CEO.Rep. Lynda Boudreau (R-Faribault) met with administrators, doctors, nurses, and local leaders from more than 10 local hospitals and nursing homes Wednesday."It is important to meet face to face with the people who provide our medical care," Boudreau said. "You can get new ideas and better grasp of the issues when you take the time to look and listen."Boudreau is chair of the House Committee on Health and Human Services Policy. Rep. Doug Magnus (R-Slayton) was also at the meeting.While a lagging economy makes it difficult to consider major new spending programs, the Legislature can help health facilities by reducing costs for red tape and reporting requirements.Nursing homes are facing special pressures from increased paperwork and red-tape imposed by state agencies. "We need to let nurses be nurses, and cut back on the paperwork that does not contribute to the quality of care," Magnus said.Bonnie Hengeveld, attended the Sept. 3 meeting as Tuff Village Administrator and as Tuff Memorial Home assistant administrator. She told legislators that the Hills assisted living apartments are operating at an efficient level under its current licensures, but she asked lawmakers to protect that status."From the assisted living standpoint, we don’t want any more regulations," Hengeveld said. "We already operate on numerous licenses, and to keep regulation down will help keep costs down and allow us to care for folks in a manner they want to be cared for."The Tuff Village, with 19 apartments, has been operating with no vacancies since it opened two years ago."If there is a way to save hospitals money without reducing the level of safety and quality of care, then we should be ready to act," Boudreau said.In addition to concerns about changes in Medicaid reimbursement, Carl said he brought up specific concerns about mental health patients.He asked legislators to find a way for southwest Minnesota patients on public assistance to access mental health professionals in Sioux Falls.Because the specialized care many patients need isn’t available here, they often are sent to St. Cloud or further, because red tape prohibits access to care across the state line. Carl also asked legislators to discourage the Minnesota Department of Health’s plan to required registered nurses in hospice facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week."The problem we have is that hospice facilities across the state provide different levels of care," Carl said.In Luverne’s Hospice Cottage, that level of care is rarely necessary, because patients utilize the nearby hospital. It wouldn’t be cost-effective to staff a registered nurse there permanently.Boudreau plans to visit about 30 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes around the state to prepare for the next Legislative session in February.

By Lori EhdeTwo new deputies, Glen Reisdorfer and John McCarty, joined the Rock County Sheriff’s Department this summer.Reisdorfer grew up in Adrian and graduated from Adrian High School.He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in 1998 and completed the law enforcement skills training that summer at Alexandria Technical College.Reisdorfer previously worked as a loss prevention manager for Lewis in Sioux Falls and as a part-time police officer in Garretson, S.D.He and his wife, Jamie (Schneekloth) live in Luverne. They have two daughters, Madison, 3, and Sadie, 3 months.McCarty grew up in Kiester (a small town in Eastern Minnesota) and graduated from United South Central, Wells.He received his law enforcement degree in 2001 from Alexandria Technical College and has been working with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, Ivanhoe, for the past six months.McCarty and his wife, Kristina, are in the process of moving to Luverne.Both deputies are working as general patrol officers in Rock County.

By Lori EhdeTwo new deputies, Glen Reisdorfer and John McCarty, joined the Rock County Sheriff’s Department this summer.Reisdorfer grew up in Adrian and graduated from Adrian High School.He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in 1998 and completed the law enforcement skills training that summer at Alexandria Technical College.Reisdorfer previously worked as a loss prevention manager for Lewis in Sioux Falls and as a part-time police officer in Garretson, S.D.He and his wife, Jamie (Schneekloth) live in Luverne. They have two daughters, Madison, 3, and Sadie, 3 months.McCarty grew up in Kiester (a small town in Eastern Minnesota) and graduated from United South Central, Wells.He received his law enforcement degree in 2001 from Alexandria Technical College and has been working with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, Ivanhoe, for the past six months.McCarty and his wife, Kristina, are in the process of moving to Luverne.Both deputies are working as general patrol officers in Rock County.

By Sara StrongA tax exemption program is closer to being an option for Luverne businesses after this week.The Luverne City Council approved the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) application Tuesday, at the recommendation of the Luverne Economic Development Authority.The application from the city will also go through the Rock County Commissioners and Luverne School Board before it is finalized and sent through the Southwest Regional Development Commission.The JOBZ "tax free zones" designated in the application are mostly in the existing Industrial Park area of Luverne, including the former Iowa Beef Processor ponds (or lagoons), an area south and west of Agri-Energy and around Gold’n Plump.The total land area is 220 acres.If the zones get state approval, businesses operating in the zones would be exempt from paying property, state income, sales, and corporate taxes. These advantages would be extended to those businesses for up to 12 years.At Monday’s LEDA meeting, local residents Glenn Burmeister and Ron Fick asked to have some of their property included in the JOBZ zone.Their properties are south of Interstate 90 and west of Highway 75 on the south part of Luverne, and they say would make prime choices for new businesses.Burmeister said, "I think it should be in, especially when the ponds are in. I don’t see any business going that far back."Fick said that south of town is a natural spot for Luverne development, especially considering that Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System thought of using that area for the new hospital and clinic location.LEDA Director Dan Statema said, "Maybe south of I-90 is a good light manufacturing area, but I didn’t feel comfortable with it in the application."He said that from the state’s perspective, the land in the application will look better for Luverne: City utilities are already there; it is zoned industrial already; it’s all in the city limits, requiring no co-applicant from township or county; and there are no existing businesses, so current tax collections won’t be lost.Statema said that the state may not look favorably on an area such as South Highway 75, which is commercial, or highway business zone.The state wants to avoid giving tax breaks to potential WalMarts or other major retailers that could locate just off the interstate and a major state highway.Locally, people know that’s not a viable option, but as the state Department of Employment and Economic Development reviews the application, it’s difficult to convey intentions.Luverne Administrator Greg LaFond said, "I think I would agree with [Statema’s] assessment at this point. It’s a contiguous area in an industrial zone."Burmeister said he’s looking into a few businesses going on his land. He said he’d like a clean business that does light manufacturing, such as a window producer.If he found a business to locate there, the city could use JOBZ acres to be re-designated on that land.LEDA member Bob Latham said, "It would be a no-brainer for us."Once Luverne gets JOBZ, the city can swap land with other areas as long as they are the same total acres."By no means is this application the only area subject to JOB zones in the future," LaFond told the City Council Tuesday.Fick said his major concern was that private property owners get the same tax break opportunities as the city.The LEDA told Fick that it’s difficult to work with him at this point because his land isn’t annexed into the city.Burmeister said it’s obvious to him that industry needs to be the focus of job attraction. He said, "Retail is not going to happen until there’s good industry here that brings more people."